Close to Bratislava you can find a mountain range called the little Carpathians (Malé Karpaty) – a mountanous area filled with woods and grapevines. If you are comeing from Devín castle you can go northbound to Pernek and cross the Carpathians on a curvaceous road to Pezinok.
Continue reading “Malé Karpaty”Devínsky hrad
The castle of Devín (Theben) is some kind of national sanctuary to the Slovaks. It was the centre of power of the Great Moravian Empire, the first independent Slavian state. Today you can visit the remains of an old castle with a good touristic infrastructure.
Continue reading “Devínsky hrad”The Iron Curtain
A green Danube river, beautiful forests and swamps full of domestic animals – nothing at the point where river Morava flows into the Dunaj close to Devín could make you think about borders, escape and death.
Continue reading “The Iron Curtain”Renting a car in Bratislava
You can reach the main sights in Bratislava on foot, you can go to the Danubia Meulensteen Art Museum by boat and to the castle of Devín by bus. But if you want to see the Červený Kameň castle, explore the little Carpathian mountains or simply don’t have enough time to wait for ships and busses, it is time for car rental.
Continue reading “Renting a car in Bratislava”It’s a long way to Bratislava
If you’re not going by plane to Bratislava or Vienna airport, the ride to Bratislava is pretty long. I went on a 7,5 hour train passage from Göttingen via Würzburg, Regensburg and Passau in Germany; Linz and St. Pölten to Vienna in Austria. In Vienna main station I had to switch to a regional train going to Bratislava.
A publisher covering eastern Europe
While for most travel destinations you get good books in German or English from companies like Baedeker, Marco Polo or lonely planet, the variety goes down when looking at eastern Europe. One might even say that there is no choice.