Festive Bratislava #2 - Climbing to Bratislava Castle

Hey, fellow Steemians!

In the previous post, we showed you what holidays in Bratislava look like but there’s more to see in Slovak capital, regardless of the season. One of the things that should not be missed is Bratislava Castle.

After spending some time in the old town during the morning, we proceeded towards the castle hill that is located just outside of the historic center of Bratislava. On our way there, we passed the largest church in this city - St. Martin’s Cathedral. This church played an important role in history as it was the place of coronation for every king of Hungary between 1563 and 1830. If you find yourself in Bratislava, do stop by - the entrance is free.

Continuing from the street that separates the church and the castle hill, lies another Bratislava landmark, this one built more recently - the UFO Bridge (well, the official name is Bridge of the Slovak National Uprising but you can see why it got the nickname). There’s a restaurant inside the flying saucer but we heard it was expensive and not worth the money so we decided to get our food and views elsewhere.

We proceeded uphill and passed through another part of old town with very interesting decorations and architecture. The path got us to a stairway that led to one of the gates of castle fortifications.

As we passed through, the castle entered our view. Blending perfectly with the white snow that confined it, the castle stood guard on the very top of the hill and overlooked the river Danube.

This building has a long history, changing its shape and looks for centuries. Many famous historical figures spent their time here, including Maria Theresa who was responsible for some of the major castle alterations in the 18th century. In the coming years, the castle saw better and worse times but in the end, it watches proudly over Bratislava. Luckily, the funds are continuously allocated to restore both the interior and the exterior.

When we got in front of the castle entrance, we found out the large terrace in front was a place where many people gathered to soak in the winter sun and gaze over the city. The views are really nice and you can see both the old and modern parts of Bratislava as well as the UFO bridge. Interesting fact about Bratislava is that it’s the only capital in the world bordering two countries (Austria and Hungary). They say you can see both on a clear day from this viewpoint!

We hung out for a little longer until we felt it was time to grab something to eat. There was a really nice place we passed on our way up so we decided to give it a try. The restaurant is called Modrá Hviezda and is located in the part of the old town just below the castle. It has a very cozy feel and a menu offering some traditional Slovak specialties. If you find yourself in Slovakia and want to try something authentic, look for Bryndzové halušky - potato dumplings in sheep cheese sauce with roasted bacon.

Thank you for reading! Hope you join us for the next post! :)