For a number of reasons, I decided to stay in a hostel in Bratislava and got a dorm bed and parking space in the middle of the city at the Downtown Backpackers Hostel. It is a nice and friendly place and frequented by plenty of Brits (which is both good and bad).
Right by the hostel is the Presidential Palace which is probably the most grand building in the city. The building is flanked by Slovakian flags and a big silver globe stands outside the front gates as part of a fountain. From the palace, entering the old town from the north begins at the St Michael's Gate Tower, the last remaining part of the old town fortifications. There is a viewing terrace at the top looking out over the rooftops and a token museum on the levels as you walk up the steps.
The most imposing building in Bratislava is the huge white Bratislava Castle which sits above the hill by the riverside like a giant wedding cake. Although it was originally a 15th century Turkish style, it was only rebuilt in the 1950's and the rear gardens are currently fenced off in a mound of rubble and dumper trucks.
Looking out from the castle to the south of the river (where there is very little on offer), you can see the huge grid of identical communist tower blocks that form Petrzalka housing estate and a metropolis of factory chimneys beyond - certainly the less favourable side of the city.
Down by the river is St Martin's Cathedral where many of the kings and queens used to be crowned when the Hasburgs ruled over this whole area. At the moment, it is being repaired and the spire is covered in scaffolding. As a building it needs constant maintenance due to the cars thundering past on the new main road running right by the door.
Following this road, you can cross the Danube using the New Bridge, a symbol for modern Bratislava. It is known locally as the "UFO Bridge" due to the huge disc at the top of the southern side which you can access by lift to the bar and restraunt at the top. It is stylish and modern but expect to pay 3-4 times the going rate for a drink or meal. Above the restraunt is a windy viewing platform to look over the city and the river.
In the centre of the old town there are a number bronze statues which can be found. "The Watcher", popping out of the manhole is the most famous while around the corner is "Paparazzi" with his camera. There are also "Schoner Naci" (a man tipping his top hat), Napoleon's Soldier, and a Frenchman on a park bench among others. It is quite nice to have these lifesize statues littered around the streets that you can wander past.
The central town square is probably the most pictureque bit of the town with Roland's Fountain in the middle and the Town Hall and Apponyi Palace to the east. The Town Hall has a nice patterned tile roof and now houses the city museum while the salmon-pink palace contains a courtyard and a fountain of a bloke stabbing a 3-headed serpent.
Elsewhere in town are a few buildings of note but nothing which matches up with what I have experienced recently in Vienna while the city also lacks the same charm of similar sized places in the Czech Republic. On the whole, Bratislava is cheap but was discovered a long time ago as a bargain drinking destination and that has left the town centre full of bars, souvenir shops and not a lot else. The Opera House is still quite impressive though.
One of my favorite buildings in Bratislava is the Blue Church (or Church of St Elizabeth) which is out east from the centre. This funky bright blue building is covered in shimmering lines of mosaic tiles and a blue glazed roof with a bit of a Turkish influence. Inside, the blue theme continues.
I was sat at the back of the concert hall next to an old lady who smelt strongly of talcum powder and had the loudest handclap in the world (so loud that it made people jump the first time they heard it and made people turn around several rows away).
There was enough complimentary champaigne to immediately compensate for the €10 ticket but it was a great show none-the-less and a new experience for me - one that I would certainly do again if I got the opportunity. It was a special night to round off what was a pretty average place to be honest and I am definitely glad I decided to stay the extra day in Brno.
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