Living From a Suitcase

Accommodations

• Airbnb "APARTMENT in down town of Bratislava": This Airbnb has a pretty good location, right next to the Blue Church and walking distance to the center of Old Town. The apartment is on the top floor so you don't have to worry about noise above and is actually split into a loft style where the bedroom is upstairs, separated from the rest of the apartment, which is nice. The only thing that I didn't love was the bathroom, as it had a damp smell and it was really hard to keep water in the shower without any door, or half door, or a curtain.

Sites/Tours

• Bratislava Free City Walking Tour: Not a bad way to take in the different sites across the city and get some stories behind them. The group sizes can be pretty large though, which is a bummer. There are also some cheesy moments during the tour where you have to be in group photos and participate in some Slovak pronunciation games.
• Bratislava Castle: The origins of this castle go further back than the 10th century but has seen many iterations since then. It has a wonderful vantage point sitting high on the hill overlooking the Old Town and St. Martin's Cathedral, with views across the Danube river. I didn't go inside the actual building, but the grounds were enjoyable to take in and there is also a restaurant you can stop in if you'd like.
• Blue Church (aka Church of St Elizabeth of Hungary): Definitely worth a look, it has a very Antoni Gaudi from Barcelona vibe to it. Feels like something that should be on top of a cake. The interior isn't open to visitors outside of services, but if you're able to sneak a glance inside, you'll see the church is blue through and through, from inside to out.
• UFO: At the edge of the bridge, you'll see elevator banks that can take you up to the observation deck and restaurant for the UFO. It's super easy to find as you just keep walking towards the giant flying saucer hovering above the city. The elevators appeared closed when I went so I wasn't able to go up but I hear the view is pretty good if you can get up there.
• Hviezdoslav Square: This area definitely has a pulse of the city and isn't just a square, but a boulevard with cafes, fountains and statues lining the way. The major buildings and statues that define this square are the National Theatre, the US, Czech and German Embassies and statues of Pavol Országh Hviezdoslav and Hans Christian Anderson.
• "Cumil" the man hole statue: Within the Old Town, everyone goes looking for this bronze dude coming out of the sewer and to rub his head for good look. He's near the corner of Panska and Rybarska brana.
• The banks of the River Danube: Definitely dedicate some time to just strolling the banks of the river. There are plenty of places for a rest with ample bench seating, especially when you come across an ice cream stand and need a little ice cream break. You can gaze out at the cruise ships docked up to the banks. When you need a bit more substance than ice cream you can also walk the banks all the way to the Eurovea Galleria boardwalk, which has plenty of restaurants and coffee bars.
• Micahael's Gate and Tower: The last standing gate from the original Medieval fortification. Separately, across the city you can see metal hanging gates above the street symbolizing where the other gates used to stand.

Food

• Bratislavský meštiansky pivovar: Originally recommended to me by my friend Klaudius as the "best local food restaurant" and has ample seating indoors and outdoors. The food here was pretty delicious and it's located not too far from the Blue Church.
• Flamender Restaurant and Bar: I actually stopped here because of the convenient outdoor seating. Food was pretty good, they consider themselves a farm to table type of restaurant with Danube region cuisine taking a modern twist. It's located in the heart of the Old Town.
• Wine Not!?: Definitely a cheesy name but located in the Old Town by Hlavné námestie, this has great outdoor seating and a decent wine selection.
• Mondieu: A coffee bar/bistro with three locations in Bratislava. The drinks and food are actually really good and the Old Town locations have outdoor seating, which again, always wins high points in my book.