Detoured: Stumbling Upon Slovakia

In March 2010, I embarked on a two-week trip through Central Europe. To date, it is one of my most memorable trips. This post is a part of a series of posts from that backpacking trip through Central Europe. 

I hadn’t planned on going to Slovakia, yet somehow I managed to stray from my Budapest–Vienna-Prague (still to come!) journey and now find myself in Bratislava.

This is how it happened.

On my second day in Vienna, I discovered that the capital of Slovakia was only an hour away. In fact, no other two European capitals are as close as Vienna and Bratislava. A few days later, I hopped on a train.

So here I am, sitting in a cafe in Bratislava, having only decided to come here a few hours ago. All through the train ride, I wondered if my 19 year-old self would have given in to the spontaneity as easily as the 20 year-old me had done. It’s amazing how a few months of living, learning, and traveling in Europe has freed my inhibitions.

While Bratislava does not have the same glamour as other Western European capitals, it is full of small town charm with upscale restaurants and traditional pubs. Bratislava is also a classical walking city. Although small in size, there was plenty of architecture and history to keep  me busy during my stay.

A skating rink in the middle of town square.

The Mayor’s office, in a pink palace.

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