This story goes like this. Once upon a weekend, we decided to visit Bratislava again with a two-fold purpose in mind. One, visit Ilinca’s godmother who has lived there for the past five years. Two, take the opportunity to interview her about the best places in town and best day trips from Bratislava. We combined her suggestions with our knowledge of the city and came up with a weekend in Bratislava itinerary for you.
We were really keen to look beyond the city itself for possibilities for day trips from Bratislava. We are simply not comfortable with the perspective that if you’ve seen the capital of a country, you have seen it all. How does Slovakia look like around Bratislava? What are we missing out on? I think we have done a pretty good job at putting together the best suggestions for you, check them out below.
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What we managed to do is put together half-day itineraries. Thus, depending on the amount of time you have, you can spend one, two, or even three days in Slovakia. All our suggestions are ideal for day trips from Bratislava. We also had the loveliest of times driving around way further than originally planned and ending the day at our favorite location in the city. But more about all that, later. Let’s, for now, stick to outlining in detail the daily itineraries we propose.
Additionally, I will end this article with a cheat-sheet for you on Slovakia/Bratislava. Regardless if you only go for shopping or eating, the moment you step foot into a new country you should be aware of the basics in terms of culture/language/location. This is for us a golden rule that we always abide by, even if it means opening up Wikipedia during the trip in the 0,01% of cases when we lacked the time to prepare.
1. Day trips from Bratislava – the Sunny Lakes in Senec
Here’s a highly authentic suggestion and one of our favorite day trips from Bratislava. I discovered it since Sinan insisted on spending some time swimming on our weekend trip. Only 25 km away from Bratislava, reachable also by direct train from Slovakia’s capital, is the small town of Senec. Now I would really advise you to go here if you want to see a typical town in Slovakia. There are a tourist info center and a small museum, however, the atmosphere is very down to earth and non-touristic. The center is beautifully organized and quiet, as locals go about their daily business. A walk along a pedestrian street lined with cafΓ©s and restaurants will bring you to the sunny lakes. This recreational area comprises of five lakes, volleyball and sand playgrounds, opportunities for renting boats and water bicycles, walking routes, restaurants, accommodation facilities, and an aquapark. The photo gallery at the end of this article is meant to give you an impression of the beauty of the place.
Unfortunately, by the time we got there the wind was so strong, we could not swim. We did enjoy a long walk around the lakes and ended up discovering the next itinerary, which in the end proved quite a gain.
Booking.com2. Day trips from Bratislava – the Little Carpathian Wine Route
The Wine Road of MalΓ© Karpaty runs from Bratislava to Trnava, through the picturesque villages SvΓ€tΓ½ Jur, Pezinok, and Modra. I was aware of its existence, and as we simply had more time on our hands we decided to drive through on our way back to Bratislava from Senec. Unfortunately, our 8 months old was sound asleep during this drive, so we could not stop anywhere. We are for sure going to go back for in-depth exploration and a nice meal in one of the numerous wine cellars. But let me tell you this, it is worth renting a car just for this drive, as the landscape is absolutely stunning. I hope the few pictures I took do it justice. I felt like during our road trip through Provence, admiring the slow slopes covered in vineyards, the green hills, the winding roads, the colorful villages. Do not think twice before including the little Carpathian Wine Route in your list of day trips from Bratislava.
Were you to decide to make this a whole day trip, a place worth visiting along the route is the ΔervenΓ½ KameΕ Castle. It is one of the best-preserved castles in Slovakia, reachable at the end of a beautiful drive through the forest. The castle is not only a museum for the life of the nobility in centuries past, but its cellars are considered the largest underground complex in Central Europe. Additionally, the oldest pharmacy in the world was established here in 1649.
3. The Eurovea shopping center – taking a break in the city center
It might sound weird to hear this from such culture, history, and food enthusiasts as ourselves, but we do love shopping. And yes, we did spend a couple of rainy days shopping in Izmir, before we even got to see the city itself. To be quite frank, except for the Shopping City Sud, we are not very happy with what Vienna has to offer on this front. Pair that with a tiny pang of disappointment at the options for entertainment on the Danube bank in Vienna, and you will understand why we are in love with the Eurovea shopping mall in Bratislava. We sometimes drive to Slovakia just to spend the day here. While it does not literally belong on a list of day trips from Bratislava, we consider this to be a nice escape from the things visitors to a new city normally do. Beside excellent shopping options, the location on the Danube bank gives you the option to sit on a terrace and enjoy lunch, dinner, or a cocktail. The one-kilometer long promenade along the river bank with its many bars and restaurants has a wonderful atmosphere, especially when the weather is good. There are 39 restaurants and 181 shops to enjoy, and stellar facilities for parking, playgrounds, and changing rooms for babies (and yes, these are all very important to us), everything easily accessible on foot from the historic center. This time around we just stopped for dinner on the promenade and it was the best ending to a beautiful day spent in Slovakia.
Thus, if you are thinking about whether it is worth spending more than one day in Bratislava, the answer is yes – enjoy the city in one day, go shopping the next day! And for those who, like us, have lived in Austria for too long – YES, IT IS OPEN ON SUNDAY!
For outstanding accommodation in the area, give the Bratislava Sheraton Hotel a try. On top of its perfect location and facilities, it offers an 800 square meters wellness and fitness area, including a heated swimming pool, sauna, steam bath and professional body treatment with high-end cosmetic products.
4. Day Trips from Bratislava – Devin Castle
Located only 12 km away from Bratislava, this romantic landmark needs you to take your time to explore it properly. It is for this reason that we believe a visit to Devin castle should be added on a list of day trips from Bratislava. Nowadays a mere ruin of what used to be an important strategic point on the ancient Amber Road, this is a place of legends, myths, and national symbols. The paths visitors should take are clearly marked. It is advisable to not miss a view from above on the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers as well as some idyllic countryside scapes nearby. Traditional restaurants in the area are of excellent quality and definitely worth a stop.
5. A Slovakia/Bratislava cheat-sheet
As I explained above, knowing the basics about a country is vital for us when we travel. I find this especially important in the case of Slovakia, as Bratislava is often regarded as an appendage destination to visiting Vienna or Budapest. Some people actually only visit for nightlife and cheap alcohol, which is completely ok as long as you are aware you are in a different country. So here is what I thought was interesting to know about Slovakia, given the premise that you already know where it is located in Europe and that it is different from Slovenia.Β
One of the youngest European countries (independent since 1993), Slovakia was for nine centuries a part of the Kingdom of Hungary and for 70 years part of Czechoslovakia. Bratislava became capital of the Kingdom of Hungary after the defeat of the Hungarians by the Turks at Mohacs in 1526, which lead to its rapid development, reaching a peak during the reign of the Habsburg monarchs Maria Theresa and Joseph II. After the First World War, Slovakia was incorporated in the first Czechoslovak Republik, its claim for independence only coming to life during the Nazi period in the form of a puppet state. After the second world war, Czechoslovakia was ruled by the Communist party, overthrown in 1989 during the Velvet Revolution. Since 2004, Slovakia is a member of NATO and the European Union.
– the currency in Slovakia is the Euro, which sets it apart from its neighbors (except Austria), and makes it attractive to tourists
– Bratislava is the only capital in the world that borders two countries, Austria and Hungary
– as opposed to neighboring Czech Republik, religious life and traditions are strong in Slovakia
– the Slovak language is part of the Slavic languages group, and it is sometimes called “Slovak Esperanto” as it can be understood by most speakers of Slavic languages
– Slovakia is a paradise for outdoor sports – it offers skiing opportunities, 3500 km of marked cycling routes, hiking trails, sailing, windsurfing, and water rafting opportunities
– Slovakia has the most castles/chateaux per capita in the world
– the medieval town LevoΔa (on the list of UNESCO world heritage sites) hosts the highest wooden altar in the world, made without the use of a single nail. Also on the list of UNESCO world heritage sites are 50 wooden churches spread across the entire country.
– the village of ΔiΔmany in Northern Slovakia is the worldβs first reservation of folk architecture, displaying wooden houses painted in geographical patterns. Folk architecture, costumes, and traditions are very much alive and present in the daily life of Slovakians, especially in rural areas.