Bratislava Is Fabulous, And Don't You Let Anyone Tell You Any Differently!

When I think of eastern European capitals that have survived several different realms AND Communism, I picture bleak and dilapidated Anatevka - the "The Fiddler on the Roof" village.  But while there are a few buildings in the old town section of Bratislava that vaguely resemble hovels,  the ones that were unharmed during the many wars or that have been preserved or restored, are beautiful! 

Our adventures in old town Bratislava began with a quick one hour train ride and a 15 minute walk from the station to the historic city center.  Good signage (and several groups of tourists) showed us the way down the hill.  St. Michael's Gate is the entrance.

This spire can be seen from about half-way up the hill to the train station - a great welcoming beacon.  Bratislava was called Pressburg under the Hapsburg empire and Pozsony under the Hungarians.  It became Bratislava when Slovakia won its independence, but there are still shops and city signs that have retained their former names.

Originally built in about 1300, it's been rebuilt, restored and preserved several times.  In medieval times, the city was surrounded by fortified walls.  These days, only the gate remains.  

Just inside the gate is this large inlay.  It's basically ground zero for all of Bratislava...the point from which all destinations are measured.  Major cities and their distances from this point are engraved along the outer ring.

Once inside the gate, you're greeted with shops, restaurants, bars, statuary, embassies, and churches.  It's a feast for your soul!

This clock tower adorns City Hall - one of the oldest in the country.  It was built in the late 1300s - well preserved and just lovely!

From just past City Hall, you can look up the hill and see the castle.  It's a bit of a haul, so we passed, but I understand that the views of the city and the Danube are spectacular.  Yeah, I know, but we were hungry and in the mood to find some good local craft beer.

Along one of the first streets past the gate, there was a Scottish pub, a Mexican food place, and an Irish pub.  Who says Bratislava isn't diverse?!

We settled on the Solvak Pub and were well rewarded.  

Another option.  I suspect it's a local chapter of Pastafarianism.  

Alright, this totally cracked me up.  At home we have a beer fridge covered in a melange of stickers - oriented in all directions - from breweries all over the country.  It is a work of art.  We stopped into Zil Verne and noticed their beer stickers.  Are these people organized or what!?  

We found several stores that specialized in locally made souvenirs (which we bought), tons of upscale retail options (beautiful jewelry, handsome menswear, shoe and purse shops...).

What a great day...the food was outstanding, the shopping was brilliant, the scenery and architecture was amazing, the people were friendly and helpful, and the beer was delicious.  Bratislava is fabulous!

After the weak sun went down, it turned really cold and started to drizzle a bit.  We decided it was time to head back to Vienna.  We caught the next to last train and had a wonderful surprise when left the station - it was snowing!  Maybe tomorrow we'll have a bit of a dusting as we do a bit of museum hopping in Vienna.