Castles and UFOs – One evening in Bratislava
Finding a good spot for Wilma near Bratislava turned out to be much harder than expected. After circling around and losing our patience, we finally decided to look for somewhere on the Slovak-Austrian border. That's how we ended up in a tiny village called Deutsch Jahrndorf — the kind of place where foxes and rabbits literally say goodnight to each other.
The local highlights? Apparently, a fire somewhere in the area was the talk of the town. And the shop opening hours were… let's say "creative." The local organic store looked so promising, but the sign read: Fridays, 14:00–18:00. Closed next Friday. So much for our shopping spree. Slightly disappointed, we reminded ourselves that we weren't here for village adventures anyway, we were here for Bratislava.
We hopped on our bikes, cycled to the nearest train station, and bought a ticket for what might be one of the most expensive two-stop train rides ever.
In Bratislava, we strolled through the city, soaking up the atmosphere and noticing the sheer number of ice cream shops. They seemed to pop up on every corner. At one point we wondered if Bratislava was secretly competing for the title of gelato capital of Europe. 😉
After stopping at a lovely vegan restaurant to refuel, we wandered across one of the bridges to enjoy a panoramic view of the city and its castle. Perched on a hill above the Danube, Bratislava Castle is hard to miss, with its massive rectangular shape and four corner towers making it look a bit like a giant upside-down table. The castle has witnessed everything from Celtic tribes to the coronations of Hungarian kings, and today it houses the Slovak National Museum. Even if you don't go inside, the views stretch across three countries — Slovakia, Austria and Hungary — which is a great reminder of just how close everything is in this part of Europe.
And if castles aren't your thing, Bratislava also has architectural gems like the Blue Church (officially the Church of St. Elizabeth). Built in the early 20th century in the Art Nouveau style, it stands out with its light blue façade, rounded shapes, and elegant mosaics. Both the exterior and interior are painted in soft shades of blue, making it one of the city's most distinctive landmarks.
Speaking of architectural gems, the most famous bridge in Bratislava is the Most SNP, better known as the UFO Bridge. Why UFO? Because of the flying-saucer-shaped restaurant sitting right on top of it. Built in the 1970s, it's the world's longest cable-stayed bridge with a single pylon and features an observation deck 95 meters above the Danube. You can literally have dinner inside what looks like a spaceship and pretend you're in Star Trek. 😉