Exploring Old Town Bratislava, Slovakia

Like most people, I’m a sucker for a gorgeous old European town, and Bratislava ranks pretty high on my list! I’ve always been very drawn to Baroque and Gothic architecture, so this city definitely checked off those boxes for me. I’m also much more drawn to smaller, walkable cities because they’re less crowded and easier to get around, so Bratislava was the perfect size! Its population is only about 500k, similar to Edinburgh and Boston, which I much prefer to huge cities. I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I liked Bratislava, mostly just because I knew nothing about the city before visiting–but if you’re looking for a beautiful little Central European city to visit, I’d highly recommend this one!

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THE OLD TOWN

The old town itself was pretty small and quaint, and far less touristy than most other European cities I’ve been to, which was perfect for strolling and for taking photos. Much like most other European cities, pretty much every street you walked down was just as beautiful as the last, with ornate windows, colored roofs, cobblestone walkways, and the like. Old Town was super walkable due to its size, so it took under an hour to walk around fully (without taking time to stop and admire the buildings and squares). When you do take your time, it makes for a wonderful leisurely afternoon.

ARCHITECTURE

Like I mentioned, Baroque and Gothic styles are widely popular in Bratislava’s old town. Arched windows, bright colors, domed towers, and intricate designs are found all around the historical center of the city, and huge buildings like Primate’s Palace and Michael’s Tower are the centerpieces for locals and tourists alike to admire.

You’ll find hidden courtyards, narrow side streets, sidewalk plant shops, and colorful facades nearly everywhere you turn here. There was so much character everywhere we looked, and I don’t think I put my camera down for more than 10 seconds at any given time. There’s surely no lack of beautiful scenery anywhere in this part of the city, so grab a coffee and take your time exploring!

To see the rest of my photos from Bratislava, check out my Slovakia Photo Diary!

FOOD AND DRINK

Not only are the restaurants and bars in the Old Town delicious, they look pretty, too! Even if we didn’t stop in to lots of them, just wandering around looking at them and photographing them was still great. We did end up going into that Irish pub, though, and paid 8€ each for baby Guinness shots… so maybe stick to the actual local spots and avoid those tourist traps.