Bratislava: Recommended excursions
Cerveny Kamen Castle Easily reached
by car from Bratislava is this lovingly restored medieval castle, which also has a museum.
Donauauen National Park
This national park belongs to Lower Austria and impresses with the largest wetland wetlands in Central Europe. It can be accessed via (guided) bike tours and hikes.
Driny Cave
This impressive cave has 450 meters of hiking trails that can be explored with a guide. The Smolenice cave can be easily reached by bus or car.
Gyor
It is not far from the border to this picturesque Hungarian city, especially since the many wonderful historical sights would be worth a longer walk.
Modra
This historic city has a long tradition of winemaking and can be reached by car or bus.
Carnuntum Park
This is an archeology park made up of the remains of a Roman camp and a Roman city that was once the capital of the province of Upper Pannonia. The park is just 25 kilometers from Bratislava.
Pezinok
This historic city also has a long history of wine production and draws attention to itself with many traditional restaurants.
Smolenice Castle
This extensively restored castle from the 15th century should definitely be visited during the summer months. Because then guided tours are offered there.
Trnava,
the oldest city in Slovakia, offers not only a historical city center but also many wonderful restaurants, wonderful buildings and beautiful gardens and is definitely worth a visit.
Vienna
Just 60 kilometers away from Bratislava is the Austrian capital, once the center of the powerful Habsburg dynasty.
Bojnice Castle
Bojnice Castle – also known as Weinitz Castle – is located in the village of the same name, Bojnice, with a population of 5,000 – around 130 km (as the crow flies) northeast of Bratislava. It looks like a castle from a fairy tale. A previous wooden building was first mentioned in 1113. Over the decades, wood has increasingly been replaced by stones. In 1302, the nobleman Matthäus Csák (1260-1321) – de facto ruler of western and central Slovakia – received the castle from the Hungarian King Wenceslaus III. (1289-1306) as a fief. In the 15th century the castle was owned by King Matthias Corvinus (1443-1490). After his death, the castle passed into the possession of the wealthy Thurzos family in 1528, who had rebuilt the castle in the Renaissance style. In 1646 the castle became the property of the Pálffys,
The castle was given its current appearance between 1888 and 1909 by Johann Pálffy (1829–1908). After his death, Jan Antonín Baťa bought the castle from the shoe manufacturer Bata. After 1945, Bata’s property was confiscated by the communists and the castle became the seat of a number of state institutions. A fire on May 9, 1950 had caused considerable damage. After the reconstruction of the castle, a branch of the Slovak National Museum is located here, which documents historicism in documentation and presentation and presents it with numerous artefacts. In 1970 the castle was declared a national cultural monument.
Bratislava: arrival and transport
General
In Bratislava – as in the rest of the country – you drive on the right side of the road. Regardless of the information given here, it is advisable to obtain detailed information from the ADAC, the AvD or the traffic clubs in the country concerned
According to prozipcodes, Bratislava is an important hub for air, road and rail transport, as well as for shipping. Several major roads start in the city. These include the D1 (to the east, to Žilina), the D2 (to Prague, Brno and Budapest), the D4 ring road and the Austrian northeast motorway (towards Vienna). The Danube can be crossed using one of the five road bridges. These are the Lafranconi Bridge (Most Lafranconi), the Old Bridge (Starý most), the New Bridge (Nový most), the Apollo Bridge (Most Apollo) and the Harbor Bridge (Prístavný most).
Maximum speed
In Bratislava there is a speed limit of 60 km / h for motorists and motorcyclists. You can drive up to 130 km / h on motorways. As a matter of principle, in addition to the general speed limits shown, the speed limits indicated by signs must be strictly adhered to.
Blood alcohol limit
In Bratislava there is an alcohol alcohol limit of 0.0 for all motorists and motorcyclists.
Other rules
The Slovak Road Traffic Act prescribes driving with the lights on in the period from October 15th to March 15th. You are also obliged to carry one or more warning vests in your car, which drivers and motorcyclists must wear if they leave their vehicle on roads outside built-up areas after an accident, breakdown or for other reasons. In Slovakia you have to pay road tolls. There are motorway vignettes for this.
Airports
MR Štefánik or Bratislava Airport (Letisko Milana Rastislava Štefánika)
The largest airport in Slovakia is located 9 kilometers from Bratislava city center and only 55 kilometers from Vienna International Airport. Thus it serves a catchment area of four countries: Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary. It is connected to Bratislava via the D1 motorway, city bus number 61 and various train connections to the main train station in the Slovak capital. There are also train connections to Vienna and a direct bus connection to Vienna International Airport. Destinations in Europe and the Middle East are served directly from Bratislava Airport.
Rail
Several major national and international railway lines meet in Bratislava. These all lead via the main train station (Hlavná stanica) north of the old town and run to Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest and Bucharest as well as to Poland and the Ukraine. Another important train station is Bratislava-Petržalka . Connections to Vienna and Győr also go through him.
Tram
There are currently 13 tram lines in Bratislava. A specially set up 800-meter-long tram tunnel runs under the castle hill. In the next few years, the tram network is to be extended from the left bank of the Danube to Petržalka as a “high-speed tram”.
Boat and ferry
Many cruise ships as well as the high-speed catamaran “Twin City Liner” operate on the Danube between Bratislava and Vienna.
Buses
The municipal transport company Dopravný podnik Bratislava (DPB) operates a transport system that also includes 60 bus routes and 13 trolleybus routes. 20 bus routes are used for night traffic.
