Where to start and what to say? More difficult than you'd think. We returned from Prague and Bratislava a few hours ago and have some rave reviews. As expected, Prague was incredible. Maybe even more incredible than expected. And although I had heard good things about Bratislava before planning this trip, I was still pleasantly surprised with just how much I liked that city.
Both cities were full of areas that would have made the dirtiest areas of Oslo and Copenhagen look as clean as my grandma's sparkling kitchen stove, but I expected that out of two Eastern European cities, and unlike in the Nordic cities, I think the shady areas actually added a bit to the charm of Prague and Bratislava. Walking out of the run-down sections into the beautifully-groomed historical areas felt almost magical at times. And seeing what has become of the Communist-era block housing was fascinating. Beyond that, it's impossible to describe what I thought and felt.
I've tried to continue with this post time and time again, and frankly, there's just too much to write. I want to give the details like I've done for our previous trips, but it's overwhelming. Impossible. Both cities were amazing, and although alike in many ways, 100% different.
Prague was massive. Prague must have been very rich at one point, or multiple points as it had an incredible mix of Gothic and baroque. The city had more tourists than any place I have ever seen, and it seemed like they had one tourist shop for every tourist walking the streets. Prague's buildings and streets screamed that there was a history and a story to be told, but the Czech museums did nothing to tell that story. Most of Prague felt safe, but there were also streets that we chose to avoid both day and night, even though they led directly to one of the hotels we stayed in. Prague had our favorite restaurant. A hole in the wall, but with great food and half liters of quality beer that were cheaper than any other beverage on the menu. Plus, it didn't look like the type of place where you'd want to order tap water. Outside of the tourist areas you could still feel the weight of Communism, but the city was so big that if you chose to stay near the center you would never know that those areas existed. So much of what I have said may seem negative, but the good stuff was so enormously good that it far outweighs the bad. The uber-tourist feel got a bit old and made the city feel unnecessarily crowded, but that aside, the city was amazing. Final review, Prague is beyond description, but so far it tops our list. Go there.
Bratislava is situated among the Carpathian Hills with a tiny old city. Half a mile by half a mile, maybe? The Danube runs through and at that point the river is best compared to the Mississippi running along Iowa. It was obviously a much poorer city than Prague with only one dominant structure from the past, a massive castle that towered over the city. If it weren't for the fact that our tourism book told us that the castle had burned down in the early 1800s and was rebuilt starting in 1951, we never would have known that it wasn't the original structure in front of us. As a tourist, there really wasn't much to do from a sight-seeing perspective. The castle, some small but pretty churches, some old city fortifications and the classic narrow streets. At the same time, the old city felt so comfortable. And hardly any tourist shops! I could have spent my entire vacation sitting on a different restaurant patio for each meal, enjoying the great food and watching the people stroll by. It was so peaceful. Even though there were obviously tourists, the streets were never crowded. Hanging out in the city just felt nice. Unfortunately, Miranda caught a killer cold during our main stay in Bratislava, which brought a very early end to our stay in Bratislava. It was better that she got sick in Bratislava instead of Prague, but it was still a bit of a downer. Back to the influence of Communism...If you were looking for the stereotypical signs of Communism, you could find them within just a few blocks of the old city. Final review, Bratislava was quite nice and very relaxing. Don't make a special trip there, but if you're ever passing from Prague to Budapest, or have some extra time in Vienna, make the trip into Bratislava. You won't regret it.
We took a lot of photos and hope to get them up soon, but in reality know that it may be a while.
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