5 Best Cities to Visit from Bratislava—Easy Guide

What’s the one problem with taking a trip to Bratislava, Slovakia’s capital city?

You can easily see the main highlights in one day.

So what do you do with the rest of your time?

We’ll tell you.

The best thing to do is venturing further!

Here are the 5 best cities to visit from Bratislava—a simple, easy guide straight from a local!

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Here’s a little bit about our journey, if you are new here! If you know us, feel free to skip this part.

After leaving our old life in Scotland in March 2022 (it rains too much there), we travelled full-time for almost 2 years. Sounds fancy, doesn’t it? Well, it was. If you think that carrying overpacked backpacks in 45°C heat around streets that aren’t even on Google Maps is fancy. And that’s just 1% of all the fun we had! 😆

During the 2 years we volunteered in Italy and Bulgaria (free travel while learning new skills, anyone?), explored other amazing European countries and backpacked Southeast Asia. Btw, even our secret wedding was more of an expedition than a wedding. 😅

And, of course, we researched and planned everything ourselves, because you gotta keep the budget low, right? If you are like us, you’ve come to the right place, because we want to share all the useful travel tips and info with you!

Excited? Good. Let’s get into it so you can go on your own epic adventures too!

Why should you trust our info on Bratislava?

Here’s the thing.

There is a lot of info out there about travelling to Bratislava.

So why trust us?

Why take our advice on the best cities to visit from Bratislava?

This is why:

• Mirka’s a Slovak local; Daniel, being Scottish, brings the outsider perspective. Best of both worlds.
• We spent nearly two years travelling full-time and generally don’t shut up about travel, focusing on how to make it better for everyone—you can expect all the tips and hacks from us!

If you still have doubts, maybe a chat with us will help? Drop us a DM on our Insta if you want! (You can also message us just to say hi! We’re always happy to make a new travel friend.)

This will help you when planning a trip to Bratislava

You’re planning a holiday in Bratislava and we’re here to help you along the way!

Here are some posts that you might find useful:

• Don’t get fined while in Bratislava—avoid making this simple (and silly) mistake.
• If you wanna know whether you can drink tap water in Slovakia without 💩 yourself, check out this post.
• Worried whether Bratislava will look like the 2005 Hostel movie? We’ll tell you what is really dangerous in Slovakia.

Best cities to visit from Bratislava

Right, are you ready for this? Here are the 5 best cities you can visit from Bratislava.

For each one, we’ll tell you:

• Why it’s worth your time (and money. Because we all could use more of both, right?)
• How to get there without a car (car-free travellers here!)
• A special bonus tip that other bloggers won’t tell you about. Because we are locals and know insider info. And also cause we are nice people (kidding, we’re just trying to earn good karma points so Ryanair sits us together on our next trip!)

Sounds like a deal?

Okay, here are the 5 best cities to visit from Bratislava.

#1 Trnava

Trnava is a small city near Bratislava.

Man, does that sound underwhelming!

Here’s the truth: Trnava is the best city in Slovakia. And we’re not just saying that because that’s where Mirka comes from, and where we set up our temporary home base.

Honestly, Trnava used to suck. So bad Mirka escaped it as soon as she could. But now? It’s objectively the best city in Slovakia, hands down. Even people from Bratislava are moving there and then commuting back to the capital for work!

Why is Trnava worth visiting?

So being the best city in Slovakia isn’t enough of a reason for you?

Okay, okay, we see you are a demanding traveller.

In that case, visit Trnava because:

• Trnava is one of those cities where historic buildings just… keep popping up. You’ll feel like you’ve been transported back in time there.
• You’ll find peace and quiet in the city, but, at the same time, there’s something cool happening there pretty much all the time. Give us a shout if you need help checking what events are on when you visit.
• Are churches your thing? Trnava is famously known as the Little Rome, being home to 13 (!!) churches, despite its small size!
• There is so much more! Trnava is awesome! If you do decide to visit, drop us a message and we’ll tell you all the tips! You can also find our full post on how to do Trnava on a day trip from Bratislava here.

How to visit Trnava without a car?

Super easy!

There is a direct train from Bratislava that takes just 30 mins.

While small, Trnava is actually the capital of its region, meaning all trains heading in that direction from Bratislava stop there.

So you’ll have plenty of connections to choose from. This is why we think it’s the easiest day trip you can do from Bratislava.

To buy your train ticket, head to this website. (Don’t try buying over the counter at the Bratislava train station. It’s usually not a pleasant experience, plus you’ll be charged a handling fee! Save your money and use it on pastries instead, those are delicious in Slovakia.)

Bonus tip for visiting Trnava

No matter when you visit Trnava, you can play an awesome GPS game around the city! Solve the mystery of The Mighty Belt and learn the story of Trnava’s medieval walls (still largely preserved!) as you play. And it’s available in English!

#2 Piešťany

First of all, don’t freak out over the symbols in the name!

You can get there whether you can pronounce it correctly or not.

Second, why would you wanna go?

Why is Piešťany worth visiting?

Did you know that Slovakia has more than 1,500 mineral springs?

If you aren’t mindblown, look up the size of the country on a map and then come back here.

Are you mindblown now???

Naturally, many spa towns were built around these mineral springs and – you might have guessed it – Piešťany is the most famous one of them.

It has a whole Spa Island, which promises to heal its visitors with thermal mineral water treatments, strolls in a park or along the riverside, and cultural activities.

And if this doesn’t convince you, how about the fact that even European emperors, Indian maharajas and even, allegedly, Beethoven came to visit Piešťany for its healing waters?

How to visit Piešťany without a car?

Easy!

Just hop on one of the once-an-hour trains leaving for Piešťany from the main Bratislava station and you’ll be there in just under an hour!

Btw, you will be stopping in Trnava on the way too, so keep an eye out for it!

Remember, train tickets can be bought here.

Bonus tip for visiting Piešťany

Take an empty plastic bottle with you to Piešťany, so you can actually try one of the mineral waters. (Ideally a cup or something non-plastic, but we’re assuming plastic bottle is all you’ll have.) The famous is the “eggy” water on the Spa Island. Beware: it’s super hot (60°C) and stinks (and doesn’t taste any better!). It’s very good for your health, though, and all travellers could use better health, right?

Let us know whether you dared to try the eggy water, we’re curious to hear how brave you are!

#3 Vienna

We know. You want to see a bit of Slovakia and we’re now telling you that one of the best cities to visit from Bratislava is actually in Austria?

The thing is, Vienna is so so close!

People are always surprised to discover it’s just an hour away from Bratislava!

So it would be a shame not to take an advantage of that and not visit both—pop over to Vienna for the beautiful sights or the many Christmas markets, if you visit during the festive season.

Why is Vienna worth visiting?

Um, who doesn’t want to visit Vienna?

Go for the history.

Go for the beautiful buildings.

Go for the palaces!

And the cafes and the opera and the schnitzel, don’t forget the Wiener schnitzel!

Basically, go live your best royal life, at least for a day.

How to visit Vienna without a car?

Vienna is one of the best cities to visit from Bratislava because of how well connected they are.

Choose from 3 bus companies: RegioJet, Flixbus or Slovak Lines, which will take you from the centre of Bratislava straight to Vienna’s Central Station.

Or take a train, from Bratislava main train station to Vienna Central Station.

Surprisingly, buses are the better option here, as they are more frequent, cover more stops in Bratislava city centre and are also cheaper!

Bonus tip for visiting Vienna

If flying to Bratislava doesn’t suit you, check Vienna airport.

You can catch a direct bus from there to Bratislava and it takes just an hour!

We often fly from Vienna as it has a better airport and more connections.

Plus, you can choose from 3 bus companies to get you there: RegioJet, Flixbus and Slovak Lines.

#4 Budapest

Okay, it will be a long day, if you decide to do Budapest on a day trip from Bratislava, but it’s still doable, if you get up early and come back late.

Alternatively, if you have the time, spend one night in Budapest before/after your visit to Bratislava.

Why is Budapest worth visiting?

It’s not hard to see Budapest’s appeal:

• Do you want yummy food? 
• Do you want history, beautiful architecture and stunning views?
• Do you want cool bars, straight out of Dan Brown’s Origin novel?
• Do you want an affordable capital city? That is also easy to get around?
• Do you want to visit a thermal bath, because Piešťany wasn’t enough for you?

If you answered yes to at least one of these, go to Budapest! This is exactly why it’s one of the best cities to visit from Bratislava.

How to visit Budapest without a car?

You’ve got two options when travelling to Budapest—one of the best cities to visit from Bratislava: train or a bus (FlixBus).

Both will get you there in around 2.5 hours.

The advantage of taking the train?

It’ll bring you straight into the centre of Budapest, unlike the buses which stop at one of the two outskirts bus stations.

The disadvantage of the train is that it’s frequently delayed (and it can be a significant delay too).

Bonus tip: RegioJet also runs direct buses from Bratislava to Budapest and they are even cheaper than Flixbus, but they do take a bit longer. Worth considering if you are travelling on a budget, though, and saving money is key.

Bonus tip for visiting Budapest

Want delicious goulash without overpaying in some touristy restaurant?

Check out Mama Goulash right in the Jewish Quarter.

It has a simple menu, so you won’t be overwhelmed, tasty food, more than reasonable prices and the friendliest staff.

But beware: portions are huge and so are the queues to get in! It’s not a secret that this place is awesome!

#5 Pezinok & Svätý Jur

Okay, okay, we know we promised you 5 best cities to visit from Bratislava and now we’re throwing in a combo?

Yes!

We are nice like that! This is a 2 for 1 offer, especially for you!

Now, we know what you’re thinking.

“I’ve never heard of these cities. No foreigner has probably heard of them!” (Btw, technically, they are small towns, not cities, so we are cheating a bit here.)

Isn’t that the whole point of this post though?

For you to discover hidden gems?

And trust us. Pezinok and Svätý Jur really are gems.

Why are Pezinok and Svätý Jur worth visiting?

Did you know Bratislava sits right on the edge of a wine region?

It’s called the Small Carpathian Wine Region and it means 2 things:

• local life
• and wine

Do we have your attention now? 😏

There are many wineries and vineyards you can visit in the towns and villages around Bratislava. But since this post is focusing on the best cities to visit from Bratislava even if you are car-free, we picked the two that are the easiest to get to by train.

If you’re struggling to decide

Pezinok

Among other sights, Pezinok has a whole museum focused on the tradition of winemaking and you’ll even get to taste wine at the end of your visit! It’s called the Small Carpathian Museum and it’s not just a dusty old place—it has multimedia exhibitions and everything is available in English too!

Svätý Jur

Svätý Jur is smaller, but comes with a strong offer of 700 years of winemaking and ruins of a Gothic castle, not far from the town. 

We actually did a trip there for Daniel’s name day one year. A walk to the castle ruins from the train station is just an hour, and you’ll cut through the whole Svätý Jur, pretty much. That means you can not only see the old houses and local way of living, but you can also start eyeing up the cosy wineries, and pick which one you’ll hit on the way back from the castle (that’s what we did and honestly, it was the best).

How to visit Pezinok and Svätý Jur without a car?

Super easy, by train:

• Svätý Jur – 14 mins away 
• Pezinok – 20 mins away 

Bonus tip: if you want wine, but you can’t be bothered taking a train to a local town (we’re not judging! As long as you don’t say no to wine! 😄), you can catch a train only as far as Rača (8 mins). Rača is a borough of Bratislava, so technically, this doesn’t even qualify as one of the best cities to visit from Bratislava!

You can also get there on the local tram no. 3. Just don’t make this expensive mistake when taking the tram.

Bonus tip for visiting Pezinok and Svätý Jur

If you have the option of visiting in September, we would highly recommend it.

The weather is usually great—nicely warm, but not sweltering, like the rest of the summer.

But most importantly?

September is the time of local fairs in Slovakia.

It’s hard to do these events justice on a few lines, so give us a shout if you need more info, but basically, the fairs take over towns and villages, during weekends from the end of August till September, and bring traditional food, drinks, crafts, performances and even fair rides!

People live for these fairs, it’s such a vibe! Plus a great way to experience all the traditional, local things in one place.

In Pezinok, the fair is heavily focused on the winemaking tradition, so if you love wine, come celebrate it for 3 days straight!

Fun fact

Svätý Jur is going for the unicorn approach, hosting their fair at the end of April instead, so keep that in mind if September doesn’t suit you. (The actual reason is that their fair is tied to the feast day of their patron saint, since Svätý Jur = St George, instead of the harvest season, like in most other towns and villages.)

The fair season at the end of summer is our favourite. So much fun!

Bonus day trip tip: walk into a fairytale

Do you want to combine your city getaway with something more magical?

How about a day trip to a fairytale castle? With camels??

Wait, that’s not all!

The way to get there might be one of the weirdest things you’ll ever do.

Ready to become a queen/king for a day? Discover how you can step into a fairy tale during your Bratislava trip here.

Must-have for your trip to Bratislava

While Slovakia is a (relatively) safe country, it’s still best to be prepared, just in case.

You know us.

Just in case is our mantra.

Cause you never know what will happen. If you are us, a lot of 💩 is likely to happen every time we travel. Btw, we share all that on our Instagram, so give us a follow if you want to have a laugh. 😄

Anyway, it’s always good to be prepared for any issues by getting travel insurance.

We trust True Traveller when we explore the world, because they are awesome and so is their customer service. Oh, and they are super budget too!

Check them out if you are looking for a great travel insurance company that will have your back when you need it.

We hope these 5 best cities to visit from Bratislava got you excited for your trip there!

Remember, any questions, shoot us a DM or, if you need more help planning your Slovak adventures, book a call with us and we can chat through things together.