I have not yet had time to release post about Warsaw, when suddenly (myself) a post about Bratislava was written. It was here that I decided to go as part of my small business trip. There were two goals: to see another country, and to assess (as far as possible in a couple of days) whether it is at least visually suitable for emigration. It is clear that two days is nothing, but it so happens that one day is enough to say to myself, no, I don't want to come here. Anticipating the question, I will say - there was no rejection of Bratislava, but there was not much «Wow», although there was somehow calm in my soul.
The content of the article
You need to prepare in advance
I spent 2 full days in the capital of Slovakia. I was driving something completely unprepared, so the adventure began in Warsaw. I bought a train ticket an hour before departure, and due to the fact that the train was already on the way, they did not reserve seats in it, but only sold me a train ticket (without a seat) with a further surcharge from the conductor, depending on the class. And the guy at the box office said that you can pay on the train with a card, and I'm a fool believed. As a result, I find myself in the carriage, I need an additional payment in cash, but I don't have it. And I went by train to sleep while lying down, and here, at best, only a sitting place shines for me (minimum surcharge). As a result, they gave me shelter just in seated places and for some reason, at no extra charge. The rest of the conductors just shrugged their shoulders, they say, there is no cache, not our business.
Warsaw-Bratislava train, seats
Further adventures continued. I arrived in Bratislava at the railway station at 5 am, it is dark and cold outside, I don’t know what to do. All my dreams from Starbucks, with its coffee, wifi and power outlet, fell apart when Starbucks was not, in principle, in Slovakia (why did they go around this country?). Then I went to the waiting room of the station and sat there near the outlet with the Wi-Fi on my haunches, because there was no bench nearby. By the way, there is free wifi at the railway station, which in itself is great. And then I also found free wifi in the old town, on the embankment and in the park. Nevertheless, with wifi, not everything is so cool, in one cafe I went to instead of Starbucks wifi was, but did not work, in another cafe there was an outlet, but again there was no wifi. In the end, my dream came true only in the evening at McDonald's, where I immediately got my cappuccino, socket and free wifi at the same time.
Railway station in Bratislava - free wifi and charging
Sitting in the park at the medical university with free wifi
Why did I need the internet so badly? Yes, because I did not know anything about the city and I did not have a hotel booked 🙂 I wanted to book a room on Airbnb, but a couple of people refused me, the other two did not approve of the reservation for a long time. So I found the hotel via RoomGuru, sitting in the park and using free Wifi.
Well, I'm great, of course, to book on the day of arrival and to arrange such a leapfrog for myself..
Walking in Bratislava
Bratislava is more European at first glance. Somehow more comfortable, dear. Even the old city is older or something. Well, this is what I mean after Warsaw, where the old town is very small and quite simple. Although they can also be understood, Warsaw was razed to the ground, so nothing remained there. And so the countries of Eastern Europe are somewhat similar to each other..
Old town and around
I walked around the old town all day. Cobbled streets, churches, towering castle on the mountain, wide Danube. Also, there is also the famous Bridge SNP without supports and from the observation deck upstairs in the restaurant in the form of a flying saucer.
The weather was warm, and autumn, due to the foliage scattered everywhere, seemed very beautiful. In general, I do not really like autumn, as a season, but in Europe it is very much even nothing. Colored leaves create a romantic mood and decorate everything around..
Autumn streets in the old town of Bratislava
Main square in the old town of Bratislava
Mime in the old town
Walking and tram zone in Bratislava
Bronze Chumil in the Old Town
Here is such a combination
From afar, like a flying saucer over the old city
Very cute shop windows
Famous Bratislava Castle
The streets of the old town of Bratislava
Well, it's cute!
Photos of Bratislava from above
Flowers everywhere on the windowsills
Urns in Bratislava hang at eye level
Such a familiar road collapse
Well, what is not Moscow?
Walking along the embankment of Bratislava
Bridge SNP (Most SNP) - a landmark of Bratislava
Under the SNP bridge is no less interesting
Under the SNP bridge it is no less interesting, including at night
Photo of night Bratislava from above
It was funny to see «our» trams on the streets are exactly the same as if they returned to the past. But there are also modern ones. By the way, transport is well developed, a network of trams, buses, and trolley buses enmeshes the city. I don’t know how during rush hour, but at normal times I managed to get from the center to the sleeping area in 10-15 minutes..
Very familiar trams
Vending machines selling transport tickets
The prices seemed to me higher than in Warsaw. Most likely because of the euro area. But at first it’s somehow easier to spend in euros, think about a ruble twenty, that is, you don’t pay any attention to the cents after the decimal point. But if you count everything in rubles, then the prices in the supermarket are similar to those in Moscow, but in cafes it is twice cheaper, it seemed to me, if not more. I can easily afford to drink coffee and a cake without hesitation. Although in Moscow I just don't need it, I don't go to the city center.
It is also striking that baguettes and kebabs are sold everywhere. The first is clear, but the kebabs, apparently, came here together with Arab emigrants and settled down. The baguettes are okay, you can have a good snack (for 1.5-2.5 euros), but I haven't tried the kebab.
Sleeping areas
Naturally, I could not ignore the sleeping areas, I visited Ruzhinov and Petrzhalka. Firstly, this is where one would supposedly have to live, and secondly, it is interesting how other people live. And the old city is beautiful everywhere, in almost any European country. So, also there, as well as here in Russia, about 🙂 Panel houses, low, as a rule, do not shine with architecture. But not as dull as in Warsaw, due to the color: for example, the door to the staircase is orange, or the house itself with some colored inserts. Although Warsaw and Bratislava in terms of sleeping areas are similar and not alike at the same time, I don't even know how to describe, and whether it is worth comparing these cities.
Sleeping area Ruzhinov
Sleeping area Ruzinov in Bratislava
Everything is so dear ...
Dogs are not allowed to do their business on the lawns
Some graffiti are beautiful and very relevant
Several unusual houses in Petrzalka
Entrance through and through
People in Bratislava also walk the most ordinary
There are a lot of mothers walking with strollers
Shabby panel house reminded Asia
Some houses are quite trashy
Cute houses in Bratislava
It is very spacious in residential areas, as it once was long ago in Moscow before the mass development (in my childhood). In addition to the large distances between houses, there are no fences that enclose the lawns. In Moscow they are everywhere, but here I have not seen a single one. Well, and there are really a lot of empty lawns with grass, not always lawn.
The air feels pretty good. They also told me that you can drink water from the tap without any problems, which pleases. I walked through the park, there swans swim in the lake, it's cool. Greenery, it seemed, in general, is also enough. There is little rubbish, only in some nooks and crannies, such as an industrial zone. Either they clean it up, or they don't litter it too much. In general, everything is in order with the ecology. But there are not so many playgrounds. We have them in every yard, but here they are selectively and not so equipped.
Petrzalka district in Bratislava
City park in Petrzalka
Picnic area - not a single piece of paper
Park Garden Janka Kralja in Bratislava in the evening
P.S. I am satisfied with the trip, you can live in Bratislava! Near Vienna, Prague, Budapest, there are low mountains, in general everything is not bad. It is better to stay in the old town, from there it will be a stone's throw away.
