Little Big City. That's Bratislava's slogan, adorning trams, buses and everything that moves or doesn't in the city. The contradiction is obvious but the reason behind it is clear.

Bratislava is one of Europe's newest capital cities, bestowed that title of Slovakia after the Czechs and Slovaks went through a very amicable divorce in 1993.

Capital city it is, putting it on an equal footing, at least on paper, with London, Berlin, Paris and Madrid.

But that's about where the similarities end. Spend a few days there and you are clear where the 'little' comes from. A city of 400,000, more Nottingham than Rome, it has a charming old town barely a mile wide.

 

Most visitors will spend virtually their entire time in the old town, which has been given a whole new lease of life in the past decade. Once hidden under a grey communist curtain, it now buzzes with restaurants, shops and bars, packed most nights of the week once spring arrives.

At its very heart is the old town hall, housing a museum on Bratislava's history which dates back to its days in the Austro Hungarian empire and before. You van climb a winding staircase to the top of the clock tower, or head down to the basement, a former prison where you are shared the delights and imagination of medieval european torture.

The grand palace is the classic highlight of Bratislava, now used for ceremonial and state occasions. its oppulent interiors are open to visitors and they feature a rare set of medieval tapestries made in England, although no-one knows exactly how they came to end up there!

A castle, extensively rebuilt in more cent times, stands proudly on top of the hill overlooking the old town and also the main cathedral, the comparatively small but striking St Michael's.

There's one feature that dominates the city skyline - and it's a mere 36 years old.

The ruling communists wanted to build a new bridge over the River Danube and they went for impact. That meant bulldozing most of the city's historic Jewish Quarter in order to build it.

Many may not have forgiven them for that - but the result was one of the largest single span suspension bridges in the world, crowned at the top with a spaceship style tower.

 

 

Spot the UFO: The bridge and UFO tower in Bratislava

It reopened in 2005 after extensive renovation, is now called UFO, and now houses an observation desk affording spectacular views. There's also a classy restaurant, serving sky high food at sky high prices.


Bratislava doesn't have a clutch of world-famous attractions but there are charming points of interest, including statues dotted around the streets.

They include one of a Slovak man peering out from a manhole cover - lazing around and looking up ladies' skirts, similar to many Slovak men according to sceptical Slovak women.

 

 

 

Cheeky: One of the main statues.

Another doffs a hat to one of the city's most colourful characters, who had a smile for every lady and was so popular stores gave him goods so he could carry their bags around.

The best day trip is a classic - Vienna is little more than an hour away and you can reach it via bus, train - or even better, down the Danube on a shuttle boat.

It's cheap, friendly, not over-run and it's a great place to spend a few days.