Here You Will Make the Best Pictures in Bratislava
The Bratislava Castle and SNP Bridge with the UFO restaurant on top are clearly among the most popular tourist destinations. But there are far more photogenic spots in the city, appealing especially to romantics, adrenaline lovers and non-traditional tourists.
Coffee and self-portrait in one
In January 2018, the Five Points café in downtown Bratislava starting offering customers the “selfieccino”, the first of its kind in Slovakia. It’s a cappuccino on whose foam skilled barista specialists ‘print’ with a mix of coffee and cocoa any picture or photo from your mobile phone.
“Couples order most often coffee with a selfie they took directly in the café,” says Ivan Lačný from Five Points. Others arrive in the café with an already prepared landscape photo. Photos of children and pets are popular, too.
City from bird’s eye view
The Old Town Hall on the Main Square is one of the oldest buildings in Bratislava. It dates back to the 15th century and its premises even served as a prison and a mint.
Today, it holds the oldest museum in the city, which is devoted to the history of Bratislava.
Its original defensive tower is an integral part of the building. Visitors have to climb 92 stairs to get up to the top of the tower, but panoramic views over the Old Town’s roofs with the gothic Dome of St. Martin and the castle are definitely worth the effort.
Just before Christmas, when the whole square turns into a festive and illuminated market full of people enjoying the magical atmosphere, this spot offers particularly nice shots. If only the intoxicating smell of the arrival of Christmas could be recorded as well!
Adventurous photographers will feel at home on the observation deck above the UFO restaurant attached to the SNP Bridge. Those who want to stand out from the crowd can even hang from a special harness 85 metres above ground to take an award-winning photo.
The flower beds in the recently restored baroque garden within the Bratislava Castle also look great on camera. Statues Čumil, the worker peeking out of the sewer, and Schöne Nazi will also gladly pose with you for a selfie.
For the romantics
From the bridge, it’s just a few steps to the Park of Janko Kráľ, the oldest urban park in central Europe. Here, you can take a romantic photo at the top of the former gothic tower of the Franciscan church. It was relocated here after an earthquake hit the city in 1897. From the nearby embankment you can take a spectacular postcard-like photo of the Old Town or from the Old Bridge, the district of highrises known as Bratislava’s Manhattan.
The Art Nouveau Blue Church and cobblestone-paved Kapitulská Street are a must-see for romantics. The most of the houses on Kapitulská Street belonged to the church, so you will find neither a café nor a pub here. But its atmosphere will captivate you anytime during the day.
Unconventional urban greenery
At the corner of Grösslingova and Klemensova Street, you’ll find an Art Nouveau rental house built around 1900. Its facade is densely covered with fox grape, partially hiding a statue of a small child who has been watching passers-by for years.
“I like this place, especially in autumn when the leaves turn a beautiful red colour. This gives the whole house and its surroundings a distinction of excellence,” says Alena Kováčová while enjoying her regular afternoon coffee in the café just opposite.
If you are a holder of the Bratislava CARD City & Region tourist card, take a city bus, completely free of charge, to the Devín Castle. From the outlook terrace of the castle’s central part, you will enjoy a magnificent view of the surrounding countryside with the Danube River weaving far into the distance. Thanks to the card you can also save on the entrance to the Old Town Hall and get a discount on the lift up to the UFO Restaurant.
