One of the greatest things about studying abroad is the ability to travel in your spare time or over the weekend. While most students tend to explore the comfortable cities of Western Europe, I've always had a fascination for the East. There was something exciting about exploring a place other than your typical tourist hot spot. The only question was: where to go?
After a little research on the good old internet, I decided Slovakia seemed like a good place to start. A round trip ticket by bus only costs about $40 through flixbus.com and then I always snag a cheap hostel on sites such as hostelworld.com and hostel.com. Both sites have a multitude of hostels to choose from all throughout Europe, but I always check both just to compare prices (hint: I've found hostelworld.com to generally have cheaper prices for the same hostel).
So, with my hostel booked and bus ticket printed, I was ready to go see what Bratislava was all about. Here are some pictures of my little excursion around this beautiful city:
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| One of the best breakfasts you can get in Slovakia! |
If you want to get breakfast in Bratislava this is the place: Rannô Ptáča. They serve breakfast all day and the portions are huge! Plus a meal and cup of coffee here won't cost you more than 10 euros.
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| Morning light on an empty street in Bratislava. |
After breakfast we strolled around the cobblestone streets and explored the little alleyways around the city. It was around 9:30am when we started out, so the streets were relatively empty. It felt like we had the city all to ourselves.
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| Truly the most unique church exterior I've ever laid eyes on. |
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| Interior of Church of St. Elisabeth. |
If you have a thing for the color blue and quirky buildings then Church of St. Elisabeth is a must-see.
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| Fun Fact: Michael's Gate is the oldest town building in Bratislava. |
Michael's Gate is situated right in the heart of the city. Along this whole strip you'll find coffee shops and quaint little stores to stumble into. It's also a great place to sit down and have a traditional Slovakian meal at one of the many restaurants situated in the area.
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| The Primate's Palace was built from 1778 to 1781. |
The Primate's Palace was by far my favorite building in the city. I like to think Wes Anderson got his inspiration for "The Grand Budapest Hotel" from this pink beauty. This neoclassical palace can be found in the Old Town of Bratislava, only a short walk from Michael's Gate.
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| Panská 245/13, 811 01 Bratislava, Slovakia. Opened Tuesday-Sunday. |
We came across this little gem by pure accident. If you're looking to snag the best gelato in Bratislava KOUN is the place for you. It's a well known-favorite of the locals and its tucked away location makes it feel like you've just discover the Narnia of gelato.
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| Courtyard in Old Town Bratislava. |
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| Detailed little pink building I passed while walking around Bratislava, Slovakia. |
The varying architecture in Bratislava truly gives the city its unique and whimsical feel.
Aiyana Vantrees is the Fall 2015 MOJO Photographer in Prague, Czech Republic. She is currently a senior at Mount St. Mary's University.