We just spent a beautiful day in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. It’s only a 2-hour drive from Budapest, and is the only capital in Europe bordering two countries; Hungary and Austria.

We started the tour at Slavin, at the memorial dedicated to the liberation of Slovakia in April 1945. We took a pleasant walk around the Bratislava Hrad, the castle which looks like an upside down table, the towers of the castle are so similar to table legs. Unfortunately the castle was almost entirely destroyed in a fire 200 years ago, still, the view from the top of the hill over Bratislava is really pretty.

We toured the quaint little old town, visited St. Martin’s Cathedral and the gorgeous Cardinal Palace topped with a giant  cardinal’s hat. We discovered the town’s unique statues, the Man at Work, the Paparazzo and of course Napoleon’s soldier, too. We also enjoyed a traditional local lunch on the main square before returning to Budapest.

 

The wine region is very often named Budapest’s vineyard because of its closeness to the capital city. It was officially formed in 1997 although local wine production originates from the Middle Ages. Due to calcareous clay soils the region is famous for the production of high acid sparkling wines.

Because of the region’s ecological environment the most important characteristic of the wines are their imparting, vibrant acidity. The best-known white types are Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Pinot Gris. Red wines are still an exception in the region but you can taste some interesting Pinot Noir and Cabernet, too.

Local winemakers are absolutely charming and would be happy to offer you not only their best selection of wines but a light lunch, too, join my “Etyek Wine Tour” to see and taste more!