Bratislava, Slovakia

Rail Guide to Bratislava

Going to Bratislava?

Use our Trip Planner and start your trip here.

Information

Currency	Slovak Koruna
Local language	Slovak
Country	Slovakia

Home

Maps & Stations

How far to...

Introduction

As Slovakia’s capital and largest city, Bratislava has become a prime destination for visitors from across Europe. As well as being a popular and forward-thinking city, Bratislava is also the economic, cultural and political capital of the country.

Bratislava boasts nearly all the large financial and business institutions that are based in Slovakia and as such attracts a wide range of wealthy individuals who have encouraged the entertainment industry to grow beyond recognition, in recent years. Bratislava remains multicultural, primarily due to its central location within Europe, with influences mainly from Slovaks, Hungarians, Czechs, Germans, Jews and Austrians.

Currently, Bratislava’s population is around 450,000 although this increases during the summer months when visitors from across Europe descend upon what is seen as an excellent location for a cheap break!

Things to do

The geographic location of Bratislava is in itself an attraction, located across the two banks of the Danube, with plenty of photogenic vantage points dotted around the city.

One of the largest and most obvious landmarks is Bratislava Castle that stands approximately eighty metres above the Danube. It is not known when this castle was built, but it was a stone castle in the 10th century when it became more of a fortress rather than a place for accommodating the wealthy.

Other locations in the old town well worth a visit include the City Museum, St Martin’s Cathedral and the Bratislava Town Hall. There is also a lot of outdoor space which is very popular during the summer months, including the Main Square and the Bratislava Forest Park.

Local transport

As Bratislava is so central to the countries of Central Europe, it has evolved as a hub for international travel. Many of the large motorways travel through Bratislava making it an easy city to reach by road from other cities such as Prague, Brno, Budapest and Vienna.

The main railway station in Bratislava lies towards the Old Town and connects Bratislava to other Slovakian cities and onward to many other countries including Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic. The secondary railway station is located in the more suburban part of Bratislava and connects the city to Austria.

For intercity travel, there are numerous suburban railways. Apart from the railways, other public transport services such as trolleybuses, buses and trams are readily available, particularly in the central districts. For this reason, most locals and visitors tend not to drive within the city itself.