Bratislava in depth

Day 3:

Thankfully, we had the pleasure of being picked up directly from our hotel to begin our day tour of the city. Not to mention it was in the comfort of a mini-bus with a great English speaking guide that is a local of Bratislava. First stop was the Opera House. Just by standing in front of it, you can feel the European vibes from the architecture which dates back to 1886 and holds many famous opera performances (we took a mental note to try and fit in some time to catch a performance). Our next stops were to the Government and Presidential Palaces which of course were beautiful landmarks to the government elite of the city. Another palace visited was the Primate's Palace followed by visiting the Main Square and Old Town Hall, along with the beautiful St Martin's Cathedral and St Michel's Gate.

But I must admit my favorite part of this 4 hour tour was visiting the 2 castles of the city. First there was the Bratislava Castle which is a massive rectangular building with 4 pointed corner towers, and is situated atop a rocky, isolated hill. What a fantastic view this castle gives! First, you get a great view of the Danube and Morava rivers, and secondly we were lucky to get great weather and be able to have a fantastic view of Austria and Hungary all at once. Now the second castle, The Devin Castle, is mostly ruins left from the 13th century and is also situated along a cliff to give a great view of the rivers, and if we were back in those days, to watch for intruders coming to attack the town! What a wonderful day it's been, it is time for us to go pick up some dinner and call it a night for our journey tomorrow.