Slovakia’s big cities

I took a nice taxi ride from the south of Poland straight into Slovakia and was very impressed. The lush green hills and forests on the way were magnificent. I decided to get off at the first infrastructure I saw as the meter was running. This happened to be the city of Bardejov. The vibe is a bit slower then bustling Krakow which I came from but I immediately fell in love with the country. The slower pace has some magic in it. In Bardejov you can go see the Church of St. Aegidius which is nice, but the more interesting building is the Town hall. In the evening I sat in a bar with some Slovak’s that complained about the financial situation of the country. The country is relatively poor.

The next day I continued to Kosice, and luckily enough got a ride from a women who stayed at my hotel. Although I didn’t plan on it and was on my way to Bratislava I was surprised at how big and developed Slovakia’s second largest city was and stayed the night there. There are a few good bars, a few casinos, and lots of great Slovakian restaurants. In the daytime I hung around the great shopping malls and got myself a new bag and some baked goods. Kosice is a fun place and you can stay here for a few days Museum hopping and visiting Universities. It is a young fun town.

I took the train to Bratislava and the way was very countryside-like. Lush green meadows, cows, goats, and hills. I liked it a lot and it was very different from Poland. Reaching Bratislava I went for lunch at Roxor’s Burgers and beers and it was very good. I then took a cheap place far near the center but not at the center as I wanted to experience the real Slovakia. It was in Petržalka.

In the evening you take a taxi to the center for 3 Euro’s and its about a 5m minutes ride. The center of Bratislava has great nightlife. I saw a few Disco pubs, some nightclubs, and a casino. If you are into partying you can stay a few nights in this town for sure. One rock club has a list of all the greatest albums of rock painted on its walls, a unique and satisfying experience for any old rocker. There is usually no cover charge and you just pay cheap for your alcohol.

The daytime in Bratislava has you scouring the old city. Go see the Bratislava Castle which hosts the History museum also. There are also wonderful view of the city from here and you are somehow always near the great Danube. Now you can go see the Blue Church designed by an Hungarian Gaudi named Odon Lechner. Finish of the day with Michaels gate. It was built in 1300 but what you see today is a 1758 reconstruction of it. At this point you can continue r head back to the hotel to prepare for another partying evening.

Start the next day with coffee in the Main square, it is very nice and competes with those of Poland or neighboring Vienna. Continue to check out a memorial for Russian soldiers killed in the war which is called Slavin or set yourself off to another Cathedral, Saint Martins Cathedral. There is also Grassalkovich Palace that is a nice visit to add to your second day. Finish the day with sunset at the Most SNP, it costs 10 Euros, but the view from it are impeccable.

This is a tour of the main cities of Slovakia. There are other parts to travel in the country though which I haven’t visited like the Tatra mountains, Bojnice Castle, or a visit to the Carpathian Mountain Range. A lot is to be discovered in these less touristy areas of the country.