One of the great things about travel in Europe is the ease of crossing borders, allowing you to easily pass from one country into the other without much effort. A great example of this is between Austria and Slovakia, where you can easily take the ferry across from Vienna to Bratislava for a day trip.
The Bratislava pier is close to the city center and you can reach the Main Square in less than 10 mins on foot. There are lots of shops, cafes and lovely architecture to take in but if you wander further through the cobblestone lanes you can reach Bratislava Castle for a fantastic view over the city. There are lovely gardens surrounding the castle so make sure to pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the outdoors! The view from the Castle also offers a great chance to see the famous Apollo Bridge – a unique structure crossing the Danube River.
It’s hard to get a real impression of a country in a single day, but I quite enjoyed seeing a little piece of Slovakia. It’s not somewhere I would have probably planned on travelling to, but I am really glad to have seen the capital. The city was refreshingly tourist-free, easily walkable and a lovely place for a quiet coffee. Not to mention the boat trip itself is a great way to see a pretty piece of the Danube River.
