Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, is situated just an hour away from Vienna, Austria! This makes it an ideal day trip when you pay a visit to Vienna!
TRANSPORTATION
Tickets can be bought at Wien Hauptbahnhof for the price of €18 round trip train. This is a great deal as it also includes a day pass for all public transportation in Bratislava. The train is available once an hour and the journey is only an hour to and fro. From Bratislava-Petržalka Station there are a few buses available to take you across the Danube River into the old town of Bratislava.
In Bratislava itself the city is well connected through the tram system and
buses. It’s easy to get a hang of and the trams are frequent.
FAQ
Bratislava is far northwest of Slovakia and it is the capital city. The main language is Slovak.
We arrived on a Monday and al shops were open by 11am. However, the citizens are not very friendly nor approachable in my own experience so be sure to have an itinerary planned out.
Food and drinks are affordable especially compared to Vienna.
Bratislava is also known for their Slovak wine which is smooth and goes down the throat easy.
WHERE TO EAT
I recommend 17’s bar as it was tourist friendly and service was great. It is affordable as well and portions are well-sized.
OLD TOWN
St Martin’s church was very pretty but nothing that stands out.
Michael’s gate was nice to see. I preferred walking in the streets along it.
The blue church is a definitely worth a visit. It has an almost comic-like look which will leave a lasting impression on you.
Cumil, the man at work is a quaint statue not to be missed.
Other than that you should explore the alleyways as well as small and vintage shops with plenty to see.
There’s also the Bratislava castle which we didn’t manage to visit. The castle itself has paid admission but the grounds are free to explore.
Luxembourg will hold a very special place in my heart as it’s my first solo trip! I travelled from Germany to Luxembourg via train and returned via bus the next day. In this post you will read about places to visit, where to stay, how to get around and some things I wish I knew before visiting!
GETTING TO LUXEMBOURG
My preferred mode of transportation will always be train. I took the one hour plus train from Köln Hauptbahnhof to Koblenz Hauptbahnhof and then a 2,5 hour train straight to the heart of Luxembourg. This journey is “free” if you have the Deutschland ticket. There is no additional cost as all public transport in Luxembourg is free for all. They are the first country ever to have this system. The ride into Luxembourg is the most beautiful train ride that I have been on so far! The train track is directly parallel to the river, so make sure you sit on the left side to get a good view of the river and countryside.
TRANSPORTATION IN LUXEMBOURG
Almost everyone in Luxembourg is access by foot, as it is a small country. In the city centre, there are buses as well as trams. The trams stretch out for a distance of less then 10km and the entire journey from one end to the other (Stadion to Luxexpo) is less than an hour.
I struggled a bit to navigate the bus system, as they do not have an app for the public transportation, however I figured it out with the help of Apple Maps (or Google Maps).
ACCOMMODATION
I spent one night at the Youth Hostel Luxembourg for €36 including breakfast. I made my booking via booking.com 4 days before my trip. The hostel is well situated in Pfaffenthal, very near the Bock Casemates. The nearest bus station is Plateau Altmünster with Bus 9,14,15 and the tram station Hamilton is around 1km from the hostel. The place is very clean, as you have to make your own bed with pre-packaged bed sheets and the bathrooms are also in good condition with hot water showers. Don’t expect much from breakfast, which is available from 6.30am until 9am. There are only buns, ham, cheese, spreads, cereal and a coffee machine. Lockers are available for loan with a 10€ deposit which will be returned to you when you check out at 10am. Check in begins only at 1pm.
FAQ
Luxembourg has 3 official languages, that being Luxembourgish, French and German. Most of the signs are in Luxembourgish/French but people are friendly and can often communicate in English. A lot of the tourist attractions do not have signages available in English.
Luxembourg is the richest city of the world and that is reflected in the price of groceries and eating out. I would recommend you prepare food in advance if you’re a budget traveller or find cheap eats, such as the Melting Pot in the Luxembourg Youth Hostel.
WHAT TO VISIT
BOCK DU CASEMATES
You will see such a good panoramic view of the city here. There are also tours to visit the underground of Luxembourg for as low as 8€. I came here for sunset and it was lovely.
PFAFFENTHAL ELEVATOR
Another free experience you shouldn’t miss out on. This glass elevator gives you a full panoramic view of the city and brings you from the valley of Pfaffaenthal up to the city centre.
NATIONAL ARCHEOLOGY, HISTORY AND ART MUSEUM
Entrance is free for the permanent exhibitions. This museum contains 10 floors, 5 of which are below ground level. This is one of the most interesting museums I have been to and the layout is brilliant. However there are not many English translations. Here you can also find artistic postcards for as cheap as 0.90€, but the stamps are 1.75€ each.
GRAND DUCAL PALACE
Located in the heart of Luxembourg. If you’re lucky you may also catch the changing of the guards, which I did!
NATHALIE BONN CHOCOLATE HOUSE
I visited this restaurant/cafe as it was highly recommended by a lot of travellers on TikTok. My opinion now is that it is completely overhyped. One chocolate spoon costs 4€ and with hot milk it is 6.50€. I did not even get the experience of dipping the spoon into the hot milk myself. However there are a variety of different flavour chocolate spoons. I myself opted for vanilla caramel chocolate and it tasted like hot milk which a slight taste of caramel.
NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL
Beautiful architecture. Worth a quick visit.
MONUMENT OF REMEMBRANCE
Located right outside the Notre Dame, this statue of a golden lady is hard to miss. I came here during sunset as well and the view was spectacular as you can see the sun setting.
Overall, the city of Luxembourg is small enough to walk around in the span of 4 hours.
On my second day here, I took the tram up and down Luxembourg and that took me roughly about 2 hours in total.
This city is suitable for tourists as it is very safe and there’s no need to worry about transportation payment as everything is free. It is also a very international country with people from many backgrounds. It is also the only place where I have seen a Tesla as a taxi.
Overall, just taking your time to walk around will give you a feel of the city. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes as a lot of the pathways are still cobblestone!
Taiping Lake Gardens, Perak, Malaysia felt like the most beautiful place on Earth for me. It was the perfect evening. Not too hot, not too crowded. I was surrounded with wonderful company and was kept busy cycling. The 45 minute drive to and from was lovely. The scenery on this highway is said to be the most beautiful of the North-South Expressway.
Took this quick snap during a morning walk last week. I went away for my birthday weekend to Kundasang. The cooling atmosphere was refreshing after a whole week of heat in KK city.
With some fine tuning via lightroom, here’s the outcome of this photo.
Caught this photo right at dusk. The already majestic mountain looks even more striking against the bright blue sky as cotton candy like clouds surround it.
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