Bratislava bound

A mini-Prague that's less than two hours' flying time away, Bratislava has come into its own as a new European weekend destination for couples escaping the kids.

Capital of Slovakia and close neighbour of Vienna - only 90 minutes' drive - Bratislava is not just popular with the UK stag party crowd, but is a credible and fascinating weekend destination for those who love good food, great bars and simply wandering.

The Old Town is one of the smallest in Slovakia at just 9.6 square kilometres – tiny by most European standards – but that all adds to the leisurely experience as you won't need to use public transport. The ancient cityscape is reminiscent of Vienna and Prague with their mix of cobbled back streets, wide, airy squares, and architectural styles ranging from the Gothic to the Baroque. And the Old Town comes to a natural end on the banks of the Danube – one of the most impressive and historic rivers in Europe.

Things to do and see

Bratislava is definitely a city for adults. There is precious little to amuse children unless yours like visiting churches, sitting in cafés and soaking up atmosphere in a leisurely fashion. My advice would be to leave the offspring at home and rekindle your relationship in a city that is still relatively undiscovered.

The Old Town is home to lots of little shops ranging from 'traditional crafts' aimed firmly at the tourist, to smart and exclusive boutiques. Over the ultra modern Novy Most (New Bridge) and a short walk through the riverside park is Aupark, a large shopping centre, where you can shop for big-name brands in comfort and away from too much hustle and bustle.

Antiques are popular in Bratislava and for those in search of more unusual objects, paintings and artefacts to take home, there are several antique shops to be discovered in the Old Town.

You can't avoid culture in Bratislava. The buildings are historic and there are several museums of varying quality (history of clocks museum, anyone?) and art galleries. Soak up the atmosphere, history and feel of the place simply by wandering with a good guidebook. It's best not to be too organised and just to wander as, unlike Paris, the Old Town can be pretty much covered within a couple of days. Just don't forget to break up your day with plenty of stops at the coffee and teashops – the Viennese-style café in Hlavne Square serves fantastic speciality flavoured hot chocolate.

Nights out

Be warned: due to cheap flights by Ryanair, the presence of loud but jolly stag revellers from the UK is difficult to avoid in such a small town centre. Don't let this put you off – there are plenty of restaurants and hotels that don't attract this crowd – just be prepared to pay a little more for relative peace and quiet.

But it is the cafés, bars and restaurants that make this a truly cosmopolitan city worthy of your time. Slovak and Central European cuisine is easily found in several restaurants throughout the Old Town – and menus are displayed outside and in English before you take the plunge. Because of its history and location, the food is a mixture of Slovak and Hungarian specialities, from sour cabbage soups and potato dumplings to goulash, excellent fish courses including the popular carp (often eaten at Christmas) and heavenly sweets and desserts.

And it is still cheap – you can see why stag parties love it. Even in an expensive restaurant the bill for two will be around half that of a comparable meal at home. Quality is excellent, wine choice plentiful - try the Slovak wines; they really are superb).

The theatre season in Bratislava runs from September to June and the plays are staged in the open air throughout the Old Town's squares. You'll need to buy your tickets in advance as they sell out. The Opera (again often sold out so try and book before you go) is renowned and attracts audiences from Vienna, with operas often being sung in their original languages. Autumn brings an international jazz festival although jazz can be heard throughout the year in the various bars and clubs and there are plenty of nightclubs for dusk-till-dawn dancing.

Places to stay

As already explained, it's wise to avoid the cheaper hotels popular with British stags. I would rather share my breakfast with parties of elderly Germans rather than hungover Brits. The Radisson SAS Carlton hotel is the oldest and most recently restored hotel and is slap-bang in the centre of the Old Town. The Devin is also close by and is also first class, with full facilities. If you prefer something more classic then check out the four-star Marrol, built in the early 20th century and hosting a stunning classic interior. There are also a Holiday Inn and Ibis which are both up to their usual style and standards.

Updated 2009

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