24 Hours in Bratislava, Eurotrip Edition

My inspiration for visiting Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, was to relive the scene above from one of my favorite travel movies, Eurotrip.

It's not the first time a movie has inspired me to visit a new place.

The Beach lead me to Maya Bay in Thailand, and I relived Swingers at The Dresden in Los Angeles.

A warm greeting at the Bratislava train station

Unfortunately for Bratislava, I was visiting as Winter was rearing it's grey and chilly head.

After taking a short train ride from Vienna, I was greeted with a giant “Welcome to Slovakia” sign at the Bratislava train station.

On a tight schedule, I immediately decided to allocate just one night in Bratislava and proceeded to make the most of it.

Colorful buildings mark the historic city center

I dropped off my stuff at a guest house, picked up a map at the local tourism office, and began walking around the medieval city center.

According to Wikitravel, many of the buildings have undergone renovations in recent years.

Pub in the city center

As I walked around, I couldn't help but note all the bars. Despite the dreary weather, I had to cut Bratislava some slack.

The historic center had the potential to be a lot of fun during the warmer months of Spring and Summer.

One of the more interesting vantage points

Short on time, I didn't even make an effort to visit Bratislava Castle. Dating as far back as 907 AD, it's situated on a hill with a commanding view of the city.

Instead, I wandered the streets, looking for interesting photos.

Seriously thick hot chocolate

Eventually, I wound my way back to the central plaza and popped into a crowded cafe as the sun began to set.

A long list of hot chocolate variations filled a page of the menu. I kept it simple, opting for a classic hot chocolate.

The consistency was thick and rich. Heavy on the chocolate and milk, or maybe it was cream.

When I asked my waitress for a restaurant recommendation, somewhere I could get authentic Slovak food, she pointed me next door.

Goulash of deer meat with thyme and homemade dumplings

The restaurant, also overlooking the main plaza, was practically empty.

I ordered the goulash of deer meat with thyme and homemade dumplings.

The presentation, akin to slop on a plate, left a little to be desired, but the actual flavors and meat were delicious.

St. Clare's Church and the central square lit up on a cold and rainy night

By the time I stepped out of the restaurant with a full belly, it was completely dark. The colorful buildings of the main plaza, including St. Clare's Church, were nicely lit.

I walked back to the guest house, anxious to board a train to Budapest the following day.

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My travel to/from Bratislava by train was made possible by a Global Eurail Pass, courtesy of Eurail.com.

Dave Lee

Dave is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Go Backpacking and Feastio. He's been to 66 countries and lived in Colombia and Peru. Read the full story of how he became a travel blogger.