BRATISLAVA: WEEKEND TOP NELLA CAPITALE SLOVACCA

BRATISLAVA: TOP WEEKEND IN THE SLOVAK CAPITAL

Buongiorno, today I’m taking you to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, a small pearl of Eastern Europe, an ideal destination for a weekend full of history, art and delicious traditional dishes of Slovakian cuisine. Orderly, safe, lively, frequented by many young people, animated by a vibrant nightlife and very cheap, which never hurts…
TO BE SEEN
Stare Mesto
The Old Town dominated by St. Martin’s Church, the most beautiful Gothic building in Bratislava. Entirely pedestrian, can be visited on foot or comfortably on board a red mini bus which, between visits and stops, enters narrow streets and alleys and crosses the entire historic centre. You will discover a true jewel populated by stately buildings, elegant squares, including Hviezdoslav Square which hosts National Theatre,  the Philharmonic and the Town Hall. In winter it becomes a giant ice rink.
THE SURPRISE STATUES
Discover the evocative bronze statues, scattered here and there throughout the city. Among them stands out Hans C. Andersen, who wrote “The Little Match Girl” right in Bratislava, a Napoleonic Soldier waiting for the return of his Commander and, emerging from a manhole, the much photographed Cumil, nicknamed “the voyeur” for obvious reasons. ..
Hlavné námestie
Main square of the capital, as well as the heart of Staré Mesto.
It made its first appearance in documents in 1373, when it appeared as Market Square.
Old Town Hall (Stara Radnica)
The oldest building in the city and also the first town hall in Slovakia, dating back to 1421. It houses the Bratislava Museum which tells the history of the city. Inside there is the Civic Museum, the oldest in all of Slovakia. The route leads through the rooms and to the staircase of the 45 meter high tower. The climb is a real adventure, but the effort will be well rewarded with a breathtaking view and a panoramic point from which to take splendid photographs.
Primate’s Palace
Built in the 18th century and famous because the Peace of Pressburg was signed in its rooms after Napoleon’s victory in the Austerlitz battle. It houses a gallery adorned with 17th-century English paintings and tapestries.
St. Martin’s Cathedral
Extraordinary three-nave Gothic style church from the 15th century, considered the most important in Bratislava, where Hungarian rulers were crowned for centuries.
Grassalkovich Palace
Splendid Presidential Palace, built in 1760 as a summer residence for Count Anton Grassalkovich, influential advisor to Queen Maria Theresa of Austria. The gardens of the palace, currently under renovation, are an oasis of tranquility and offer lawns, trees, benches and contemporary art statues.
The Castle
Symbol of the city, a must of your Slovakian weekend. It is a fairytale white structure on a rocky hill, easily reachable on foot. Inside you can visit the Slovak National Museum.

FOR ART LOVERS
The Museum of Jewish Culture,
where to learn more about the habits and customs of this fascinating culture;
Clock Museum, located in the House of the Good Shepherd;
The Slovak National Gallery, founded in 1948, has permanent and temporary collections of different styles and historical periods; boasts over 35,000 objects, including paintings and documents, mostly coming from private collections of nobles and bourgeois who lived between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries

Palazzo Mirbach houses Baroque painting and sculpture from Central Europe and the Cabinet of Italian, French, German and English paintings rich in historical and mythological subjects.
Palazzo Pálffy whose architecture ranges from structures of Celtic origin to Neoclassical decorations.
Galéria Nedbalka
Museum dedicated to modern Slovak art and houses works ranging from the end of the nineteenth century to the present day
Weapons Museum
Located in St. Michael’s Gate which was once passed through by the crowned kings of the Kingdom of Hungary
Devin Castle
Just 13 km from the city, an extraordinary 212 meter high structure awaits you and is considered one of the most important historical sites in Central Europe. Extraordinarily scenic, perched on a hill overlooking the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers which was once important for trade, passing through an important commercial route along the Danube.
It houses the Bratislava City Museum and the Maiden’s Tower, so called because the women who were held prisoner there preferred to throw themselves and die rather than marry men chosen and imposed by their parents. It is located about 30 minutes from the city center. Easily accessible by public transport
The Blue Church
Also known as the Church of Santa Elisabetta, it is one of the most beautiful examples of Art Nouveau architecture, embellished externally with suggestive blue majolica. Pay attention to the visiting hours because on Saturdays, for example, you can only enter from 5.30pm to 7pm.
UFO Tower
Crossing the SNP bridge you have the opportunity to admire the placid Danube to reach the UFO Observation Deck, a tower with a restaurant, perhaps a little touristy, but truly unique for the panoramic view of the city.
Cvičko Promenade:
A pleasant walk that begins not far from the historic center along the Danube. Along the route, in addition to green spaces, there are sports fields and areas dedicated to physical exercise, shops, bars and restaurants offering local and international cuisine.
Numerous tours on the Danube depart from here, choose the one that appeals to you the most.

The Transport Museum is located on the premises of Bratislava’s first steam railway station from the 19th century. collection of vehicles from the first means of transport, cars and motorbikes from the interwar period up to motor vehicles from the 1960s to the 1980s.

AT THE TABLE!
Traditional Slovak cuisine serves dishes with a genuine and genuine flavour, using simple ingredients, such as milk, potatoes and cabbage.
The most typical dishes are bryndzové halušky, tender dumplings with potatoes, flour, salt, bryndza and bacon, pirohy), ravioli (with sheep’s cheese and the very classic Goulash (meat, paprika, carrots, potatoes)
Excellent soups, thick and tasty, cooked with onion, potatoes, sauerkraut, lentils and the traditional Kapustnica, made with cabbage. Svíčková, a rich roast beef with cream, knedlík, blueberry jam, whipped cream and a slice of lemon.
The Central Market
Dive into this paradise of taste, where numerous local producers meet. You will find fresh fruit, vegetables, baked goods, meat, even handicrafts, used books and vinyls as well as numerous places where you can taste local specialties, washed down with excellent local beers, at a really good price, or top-quality Slovakian wines including tokai , traminer, reisling, muller-thurgau.

KOLIBA AND SURROUNDINGS
You will discover the koliba, once country inns with genuine, poor and nutritious cuisine. Their “homemade” taste has also spread to the city, today in fact you can find numerous welcoming koliba even in the center of Bratislava.
Bratislava Flagship
Huge and very popular (maybe even a little too much) place, one of the largest in Europe. Inside it features Golden Street, a place where you can see how the restaurant looked like 100 years ago.
Suggestive location, but… The menu? Honestly I found better…

My favorite (where I did an encore) is  Koliba Kamzík Zelená 5
Cozy and casual atmosphere, friendly service and well-crafted traditional dishes, including the national dish Bryndzove Halusky (delicious goat’s cheese and bacon dumplings)
Modra Hviezda
It is located under the Castle, intimate and welcoming, with a suggestive brick-lined cellar. Good service.
Urban Bistro
In the historic center. Less traditional than the others, preferred by “trendy” Slovaks
Eight
Delicious breakfast/brunch.
Fleur Bakery
A little French-like, famous for its Kouign-amann of Breton origin. It is considered the best bakery in the city.
A TIP…
For unlimited access to all city public transport without time constraints, the Bratislava City Card is available, which also includes discounts and special prices on museums and other art venues and an unmissable one-hour tour, in program every day at 2pm. It can be valid for 24, 48 or 72 hours and, in my opinion, it is an ideal tool for enjoying a complete experience in the city.

Here the original recipe of Bryndzove Halusky

INGREDIENTS FOR 2
400 g of potatoes
150 g of 00 flour
1 egg
1 tablespoon of salt
100 g goat’s ricotta
to taste latte macchiato
100g of smoked bacon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
PREPARATION
Peel and wash the potatoes. Grate them finely and squeeze them to remove the water
put the potatoes, flour, egg and salt in a bowl. Mix with your hands until you obtain a smooth paste. Cut the bacon into cubes and brown it in a pan until it is nice and crispy. Spread the dough on a cutting board then using a teaspoon or the tip of a knife, cut out a dumpling of about 1 cm.
In the meantime, put the cheese in a large bowl and add a few tablespoons of milk, mix with a wooden spoon until creamy, add the oil where the bacon was cooked.
Pour the gnocchi into a pan with boiling salted water and a spoonful of oil. Mix delicately and when they come to the surface, drain them and add them to the cheese. A delicate mix, sprinkle the bacon and serve them hot.

Dobrú Chuť! Enjoy your meal!

INFO
Visit Bratislava

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