1 destination · 10 things to do

Slovakia

Bratislava is the small capital that surprises people. An hour from Vienna by train, bus or fast catamaran, it packs a white castle on a hill above the Danube, a compact car-free old town where Habsburg kings and queens were once crowned, a pink palace where Napoleon’s peace with Austria was signed, an Art Nouveau church painted entirely in pale blue and a 1970s bridge topped by a flying-saucer restaurant and viewing deck. Ten kilometres upriver, the ruins of Devín Castle stand on a cliff where the Morava meets the Danube, and downriver a modern art museum sits on a peninsula in the middle of the river. This guide books the tours and day trips worth booking, including the classic Danube trip from Vienna, points you to the free sights and viewpoints that need no ticket at all, and matches you to the right hotel, from a riverside five-star with a rooftop spa to a characterful boutique stay and a good-value base below the castle hill.