Grand Vienna

Hallo, Österreich!” we said when we slowly crossed the border between Slovakia and Austria.

backpack

Actually, not really… I happened to be in the toilet of the fantastic boat that took us to Vienna at that precise moment, but I can say I saw Schönbühel Castle at the top of a hill, other nice ruins, different sort of buildings…  but the most characteristic ones were the huts by the river with a pole and what seemed to be a fishing net in front of them. There are loads! Continue reading “Grand Vienna”

24h in Bratislava

To be completely honest, El Hombre and I flew to Brastislava because it was the cheapest way to get to Vienna (yes, Ryanair) BUT… DON’T STOP READING! I loved it!!

First thing you need to know about Bratislava, if you are as ignorant as I was, is that it’s the capital of Slovakia. The history of the city has been  influenced by Austrians, Czechs, Germans, Hungarians, Jews, Serbs and Slovaks. It used to be the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary, a part of the larger Habsburg Monarchy territories. From 1919 it was capital of Czechoslovakia until 1993, when became the now known independent Slovakia, but Nazis and Communists came, stayed and left throughout the years.

slovakia

Once you know that, it’s very useful to get a travel guide, so you can read a bit about the history, culture, cuisine, landmarks… in advance. Because our journey was very long, we both had enough time to read it, taking turns.  We only had 24h in the city, so we agreed on the food we would eat and a long walk around the old city. Continue reading “24h in Bratislava”