Bratislava, April 2019

Although Bratislava is mostly thought of as just a stag do destination, I can definitely vouch for the fact there is more to it than that. The nightlife was really great and was much more relaxed than expected, with loads of cool modern bars. There are your obligatory touristy Irish/Scottish pubs but there are a lot of other more interesting bars like the Bukowski Bar, Steinplatz and Urban House and we felt like we barely scratched the surface! Barrock is also a lot of fun if you're a fan of metal music but it does have a more 'stag do' style feel than the others. 

Bratislava Old Town is very picturesque and the cathedral and old town hall building are worth a visit. There are lots of nice windy streets that are really pretty to wander around in, and for photographers, the blue church is pretty beautiful to see in person. You can also climb the tower in the old town hall which also gives you a nice view of the buildings surrounding you and there are quite a few little art galleries and museums dotted around.

One of the coolest parts of the city skyline is the UFO tower over the Most SNP bridge (above) as I've never seen anything else like it before. If the alien spaceship vibe isn't cool enough already, it doubles as a viewpoint over the city which is stunning at night -  you can see the castle glowing to your left and then the city lights reflected in the Danube to your right. On the level just below the viewing platform, there is a lovely bar and restaurant which is nice and relaxed. We didn't eat there, just had a couple of drinks, but it does look worth a try if you fancy a more expensive meal. 

For nature lovers (like me!) there is a stunning place for walks just outside of Bratislava city center. The Bratislava Forest Park is in the Koliba area of Bratislava and is easily accessible by tram. The Forest Park offers beautiful views over the city and is full of nature, and we even spotted a few woodpeckers which were pretty awesome to see, especially as we were still so close to the city center. You can also visit the TV tower which is also in the Forest Park (there is a viewpoint at the top along with a restaurant) and in the summer you can use the bobsleigh and cable car which only open in peak season.