Vienna Day Five - Bratislava!

So, Monday morning we had planned to go see the morning exercises of the Spanish Riding School, but apparently they give the horses the day off. So we decided to do some shopping and try again Tuesday. Sophie told us that some of her friends had ventured to Bratislava and we all agreed that while we were in the area it would make a good day trip. Unfortunately Sophie had a lecture at 12 - so it became more of a half-day trip. We managed to get a train at half 1, but it takes less than an hour from Vienna - Bratislava and the trains ran till 11 to come back again, so we still had a good few hours to explore the city.

We arrived, and realised how unprepared we were. None of us were sure whether Slovakia is part of the EU, although we were fairly sure they didnt have the euro, so the first plan was to find some money. We ended up asking some English-speakers that we heard on the train for help. They pointed out where we were on a map the woman at the train station had given us (thank goodness she did!) and told us where we could change some money.


So, we tried to find the tram into the centre but soon got bored with that plan and decide to walk it instead. It didnt take very long, and we passed one of the beautiful Palace's on the way. Had a quick look in the gardens, and saw the guards standing out front in their uniforms. A sign by the fountain was telling us it was 30 degree's! From there you could also see the castle up on the hill, so knew we were heading in the right direction.



We headed along to the one remaining gate to the city - St Michaels Gate. Heading under this, we entered the pedestrianised area of the city with its narrow streets and cafe's. Following along the streets you reach the main square with its little souvenir huts selling the usual tack along with some beautiful hand-made trinkets. From this centre point you could head in any direction any see noticeable buildings, such as churches theatres and town halls.



We carried on through the streets to the Volkstheatre (the map we had was in German), with another fountain (they seem very popular here). From there we could see the river and decided to head towards it. It seemed like a very quiet river-side with only one boat (also a hostel) and one cafe. However we spotted the castle again and headed that way.



Again we got distracted on the way, and ended up at the Cathedral. Decided to pay the entrance fee, and it was worth it just to cool down if nothing else. However it was a pretty church, with a very creepy crypt. Here we met another english speaker, who made us jump while in the depths of the crypt. The treasury was also worth a look.



After that, we started the steep climb up to the castle. Unfortunately the castle was closed for renovation, but it was still worth it to see the views. From here we could see over the river, where big tower blocks of housing showed where all the natives of this quiet town lived. Further down the river was untouched nature of woods and mountains. We bumped into our friend from the crypt again, before heading back into the main town to find somewhere to eat.



We wondered down the narrow streets looking for a cafe that would serve something traditional (not opting for the Irish pub - they really are everywhere!). We found somewhere that did a mixture of eastern cuisine, and very cheap too! Me and Sophie had potato noodles with goats cheese and bacon (apparently Slovakian) while Michael had some sort of chicken Kiev (apparently a Prague recipe). My meal was sooo filling, and ended up leaving half of it. After dinner we decided to head back to the cafe on the river to have a drink and wait for the sun to set. Then we headed back toward the town and found the second palace (better late than never). You had to go through the courtyard of the town hall buildings and you find it tucked away. Outside it, we saw an EU flag waving, and also a information board that seem to suggest that they're getting the euro early next year (although many places seemed to already accept the euro).



Finally, we headed back toward the station to catch the last train that would get us back in time for the last tube in Vienna. Nearly had our passports checked on the way back, but the officials seemed to get distracted by a chap earlier in the carriage who they stopped the train to take off!

All in all, it was a tiring day, but very worthwhile. Its a beautiful city, but small enough to get everything done easily in a day (or an afternoon apparently). I highly recommend it as a day trip to anyone visiting Vienna. The return ticket only cost €14 - thats less than I pay to get home from uni!