Bratislava, Slovakia

Day trip to Slovakia today, just an hour from Vienna. However, the weather was absolutely not with us! We walked in the rain from the train station through the sights of Bratislava - past the Presidential Palace, the Blue Church (sadly closed) and Cumil before stopping for a warming coffee and cake. We continued on through the Old Town, down the Danube and up to the Castle.

At the castle, there we a growing array of people in period costume, so we hung around. Turns out it was a three-day annual celebration of historical coronations at the castle. The huge procession walked from the castle to the town for a day of events (and past the National Council of the Slovak Republic). The rain eased off as we waited, which was welcome, and once they were formed up we followed the procession into town.

We peeled off before the end to head up to the Slavin, a monument to, and cemetery of, the over-6,000 Soviet soldiers who died liberating the city from the Nazis. This huge monument on a hilltop was both immense and solemn.

Beer Index Bratislava - N/A (No, honestly, we didn't have a beer!)Read more