Are you looking for the best day trip from Bratislava and are you not sure where to go?
We get it, while a nice enough city, Bratislava can easily be visited in a day, so what can you do with the rest of your time there?
Fear not, we’ve got the perfect solution for you – a day trip that takes you straight into a fairy tale. 🧚♂️ (Adult-suitable too, don’t worry!)
Best bit? To get there, you’ll need to do something cool, something you’ve possibly never done before.
If you are ready, pick up your magic wand – the pumpkin carriage awaits us.
Let’s step into a fairy tale. ✨
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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. 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 tips and info with you!
Excited? Good. Let’s get into it so you can go on your own adventures too!
Why should you trust us?
We add this section to all our posts about Slovakia, because we want you to know you are speaking to experts here. 😎
Just kidding!
We are far from experts, but we do know a thing or two about Slovakia, since:
- Mirka is actually Slovak
- We have visited the country many times over the years
- Recently, we have even set up a temporary home base in a town near Bratislava
So, we might not be experts, but if you want to speak to locals, we are your people!
And we come with the added bonus of overthinking everything, so you can be sure you are in safe hands. 😄
Visiting Bratislava
We won’t take up too much of your time talking about visiting the city – after all, this post is about the best day trip FROM Bratislava.
What we did want to say is this though:
- Do visit Bratislava, it’s a pretty (and relatively cheap) European capital that is easy to see in a day or two max.
- If you have more time (not just for a day trip), venture further – there are so many cool places in Slovakia to explore. We actually have a whole post about the 19 unusual things you can do in the country, so check it out; there are some wild things there. 😅
- If you are struggling to plan your trip to Bratislava (or Slovakia), we are here to help. You can drop a comment below this post or DM us on our Instagram. Or, if you need more help planning, you can also book a consultation call with us.
Best day trip from Bratislava
Let’s leave the ordinary behind for a bit and enter the world of fairy tales.
The best day trip from Bratislava?
Visiting the beautiful Schloss Hof palace.
The crazy thing?
It’s actually not even in Slovakia!
The palace is located in Austria, but it’s so close to the Slovak border, you can easily visit it on a day trip from Bratislava! And you don’t even need a flying carpet for it!
Why is this the best day trip from Bratislava?
Being close to Bratislava is just one of the reasons this is the best day trip to do from the city.
If you need more, how about the fact that:
- To get to the palace, you will have to do something unusual
- The palace itself is absolutely stunning
- It has a huge garden, full of surprises
- There are often special events going on, making the whole experience even more epic
- You can easily spend the whole day there – there’s enough to do to entertain you, so it’s perfect as a full-day trip
- It’s a relatively cheap trip too, so great if you are on a budget!
Don’t worry, we’ll talk about all the important things in more detail.
Schloss Hof – what do you need to know?
In this section, we won’t tell you the history of the Schloss Hof estate.
Or list all the different areas you can visit there.
Why not?
Because that’s what you should find out when you go there!
Learn about the history, explore the estate, see what surprises you can discover!
But, we’ll give you a bit of a teaser.
Schloss Hof is not just a palace. It’s a whole estate. This is what makes it the best day trip from Bratislava.
There is so much to explore:
- Tour the palace, where you will feel like a proper royal
- Explore the magnificent garden with 7 (!!) terraces as well as fountains, orangeries and more
- Have fun at the estate farm, which is set up as a whole experience to bring farming life from the Baroque times to visitors from this century (including animals and a new Water Experience Trail)
- Discover lots of extra surprises (A maze? A hammock garden? Sun loungers in the middle of the beautiful garden? We legit saw one lady chilling in one with a book – perhaps a travel guide? Or a historical novel? We did say you can easily spend the whole day here – bring a book and read it in an actual baroque palace. Sounds good, right?)
You can read more about the estate and its cool features on the official website. Or don’t spoil it for yourself and be amazed once you get there – the choice is yours.
Schloss Hof opening times
The Schloss Hof estate operates on a winter and a summer schedule. Check out the official website for opening times as well as info on when the ticket office closes and the different fountains operate.
Ticket options at Schloss Hof
Obviously, for all the latest info, go to your local wizard, the official website.
The ticket options are very simple, though:
There is a day ticket that you can book online in advance (covers all areas)
Or you can pre-arrange a guided tour
Simple! And easy, right? We did promise you the best day trip from Bratislava after all!
Best time to visit Schloss Hof
If you want to make sure this is the best day trip from Bratislava for you, you should think about when to visit.
While you can explore Schloss Hof throughout the year and you will, most likely, always have a magical experience, there is something you should think about.
Remember how we talked about a lot of the cool things in the estate being outside? The gardens, the estate farm, the sun loungers??
Right, so consider this:
- If you visit in winter, the gardens will not look very pretty (snow is more of a little miraculous bonus these days, than something you can count on), the animals will not be running around, and neither will you, for too long, probably, as the weather can be pretty miserable.
- On the other hand, visiting in summer is also not ideal, because it can get really hot. So if you do plan to spend a lot of time outside, it’s best to come when you are not risking melting in the process.
When is the best time to visit Schloss Hof, then?
The usual best time for travelling in many parts of Europe – spring and autumn. Ideally, just before or just after summer, if you are hoping for nice, but not gates-of-hell weather.
Btw, the pictures you are seeing here were taken on the 20th of September.
When deciding when to visit, opening times and weather play a major part. But there is something else you should think about.
The special events. Let’s talk about that.
Special events at Schloss Hof
The cool thing about this palace?
There are often special events hosted here.
And we are not just talking about special exhibitions, we are talking about things like Christmas or Easter markets that happen every year as well as the really unique events.
For instance, at the time of writing this post (June 2025), the estate is celebrating 300 years (!!) and so hosting an exclusive, Dance of the Lights event in August – think champagne, Baroque horse quadrille, a star lecture, disco on a baroque terrace, a drone light show and even a mystical oracle who might just tell you a bit about your future. 🔮
Super cool?
Yes!
Now, while this is a one-off event, there is something cool happening at the palace all the time – that’s why we think it’s the best day trip from Bratislava!
Before you go, make sure to check out the official website and social media channels of the palace for more information on special events that are happening.
How do you get to Schloss Hof?
If you are wondering: “How do I get to a fairy tale though? Do I need a hidden treasure map from a pirate? An ancient scroll from a wizard? Or a magical ring that will rule the country?”, we are here to tell you that no, you don’t.
But the way to the palace is a unique one.
Let’s say you are staying in the centre of Bratislava.
Here is how to get to the palace from there.
How to get to Schloss Hof from Bratislava
By bicycle
There is an option of cycling to the palace. This is not something we’ve ever done, and since we are not people who cycle much, we’ll let you just check out the official website for more information.
By car
If you are going by car, it’s super easy – you can be in Schloss Hof in around 35 mins, and parking at the palace is free!
As you might know, though, we are car-free people, so in our posts we tell you how to get places using public transport.
By public transport
If your carriage turned back into a pumpkin at midnight, and you have to resolve to using public transport, like a common villager, instead of the royalty you are, here is what to do:
First, get yourself to the main train station in Bratislava.
While there is no metro in Bratislava, there are plenty of buses and some trams that will take you to the train station.
Use this website to see information about buses and trams and make sure you validate your ticket before entering the vehicle – ticket inspectors are common and strict.
Once you are at the train station, catch a train to Devinska Nova Ves.
- The train goes once every hour, so make sure you time your bus/tram to the train station accordingly
- The train takes only 15 minutes
- The ticket for the train will cost you just €1! (June 2025 price)
- You can use this website to see the times of trains and buses in Slovakia
- Alternatively, this website is the official one for train travel in Slovakia, so if you want to actually buy tickets, and not just check the timetables, head there
When you get to Devinska Nova Ves, the crazy part of your journey starts.
You might have been wondering how you will get to Austria, since we said that’s where the palace is located.
You’ll walk there, of course!
Unusual way to Schloss Hof
This is the wild part of this day trip from Bratislava.
To get to Schloss Hof, you will come out of the train station in Devinska Nova Ves and head towards the Morava river.
Once you get to the bridge (called Freedom Cycle Bridge), brace yourself.
You are now crossing from Slovakia to Austria!
Yep, no border crossing, no passport check, you just walk straight across.
Isn’t that crazy? Have you done something like this before? Let us know in the comments!
What you need to know about the walk to Schloss Hof
While this walk is super cool (crossing from one country to another through a bridge??), it does come with a few potential challenges:
- The walk to the palace is around 4km, so it will take you around 55 mins to get there.
- The problem is the fact that you are arriving from the bottom of the garden, so you might have to go around it to get to the entrance to the palace. And, as we mentioned, the gardens are huge, hence the 55-minute walk.
- There is information online saying that the bottom gate (when coming from the direction of the train station) should be open during high season, that is, March to November, but only on weekends or public holidays. We visited on a weekday, so we can’t confirm this – if you want to be 100% sure the gate will be opened, reach out to the palace directly, either via their website, or Instagram/Facebook.
- Another issue with the long walk? Aside from the excitement of crossing to another country via a bridge, there isn’t much else to see along the way. Once you get to the gardens, though, you should be able to spot some of the animals living in the palace grounds, so keep an eye out for those.
- Weather, obviously, is something you should consider. If visiting in winter, this walk might not be a good idea. Consider alternatives, such as getting a train to the Marchegg station and then connecting with a bus. (Though this will not involve crossing a border via a bridge, of course.)
On the other hand, if you are coming during the really hot months (June-August), you should know the path to the palace is totally exposed (you can see this in the pic above). Plan to arrive early, before the sun starts really beating down, wear sunscreen, cover yourself with UV-protective clothing, and always carry a water bottle. This might be the best day trip from Bratislava, but it can quickly turn into a nightmare if you’re not careful and end up with sunstroke.
A little bonus
The great thing about the walk?
Aside from the fact that you’ll be able to say that you crossed from one country to another to visit a palace?
If you time it right, you can get a gorgeous sunset on the way back – with the sun setting just behind Schloss Hof.
We visited on the 20th of September, when the sun sets around 7.
Actually, even without the sunset, the walk is beautiful – just open fields and a palace in the distance – don’t tell us you didn’t feel like a traveller approaching a foreign kingdom when you went there.
Speaking of timing, though, make sure to time yourself on the way to the palace, so you know how much time you need for the way back.
Remember, the train is only once every hour, so you don’t want to miss it and then be stuck at the train station – Devinska Nova Ves is just a borough of Bratislava, so there isn’t much to do.
Accessibility at Schloss Hof
If you are concerned about accessibility at the estate, the official website has a whole section dedicated to it, detailing how the palace and its grounds are made accessible.
Where to eat at Schloss Hof
Ah, yes, even in a fairy tale, one does get hungry.
Here are the 3 options when it comes to eating at Schloss Hof:
Option 1: Eat in the estate
There is a restaurant, a bistro and a cafe directly in the grounds of the Schloss Hof estate.
We haven’t been to any of these, so can’t share our personal experience, but we would guess that the prices are on the higher end.
What’s more, the cafe and the bistro are only open on weekends and public holidays.
Option 2: Eat outside of Schloss Hof
Right at the entrance to Schloss Hof, you can find Restaurant Prinz Eugen. It’s actually a country inn and, surprisingly, well-rated at 4.4 on Google.
We’ve eaten there once, out of necessity, and it was okay. Nothing to write home about, but good enough. This was years ago, though, so if you have specific needs or requirements, do check the inn out before.
If you just want a backup option or don’t really care where you eat, choose the inn or the restaurant in the estate, depending on whether you have already entered the palace grounds or not, by the time you get hungry!
Option 3: Bring your own
Considering the journey to get to Schloss Hof and the limited food options, it’s wise to bring your own food.
Obviously, do follow any rules about where you can and can’t eat, but we believe it is perfectly okay to bring your own snacks into the estate.
Slovakia has a number of supermarket brands; these are the ones to look out for in Bratislava (in order from the cheapest):
- Lidl
- Kaufland (only outskirts locations in Bratislava)
- Tesco (mainly Tesco Express in the city centre)
- Billa
So get some snacks before your trip (and don’t forget plenty of water) to make sure you survive a whole day of being a princess! (or a prince. Or a queen or a king. Or even an evil fairy godmother – basically whatever works for you!)
Because the food options are so limited around Schloss Hof, especially if you don’t have a car pumpkin carriage you can just hop into and get wherever you want, we’d suggest:
- Not expecting culinary (or customer service) marvels. The 2 restaurants in the area are aware of the fact that they are the only 2 restaurants in the area, so while they won’t poison you, they also have little incentive to wow you.
- Bringing your own food, even if just in case. You might miss a train. The restaurants might be closed. The wait time to get a table might be too long. You never know, and it’s always better to be prepared. (Overthinking travel FTW. 😎)
What do you think? Is spending a day at a fairytale palace the best day trip from Bratislava?
Cause we can’t think of anything more magical.
Remember, if you have any questions, you can ask in the comments below or on our Instagram. And our consultation calls are here for you if you want to hang out with us for longer and discuss any of your upcoming travel plans, too. 😊✨
