Bratislava Archives - Bratislava Guide

Eating in Hacienda in Bratislava – Worth the money?

Posted on October 11, 2018 by Bratislava Guide

Hacienda is a restaurant located in the heart of Bratislava, easy to spot, and with lots of tempting food on the menu. But, is it worth the time and the money?

We recently wrote about our dinner in Los Mexikas in Bratislava which was a total disaster. But, what about our stay in Hacienda in Bratislava?

The first impression of Hacienda is way better than the Los Mexikas impression. The place looks nice both from the outside and on the inside, and the menus make you hungry!

The prices of the restaurant are just average, not very cheap, but not at all that expensive either. In other words, if you want to eat dinner in Bratislava at an average price, Hacienda might be a good option for you!

The food we were served in Hacienda Bratislava

The menu in Hacienda is packed with food that most people will like, meaning that families can easily visit the place and find something that they will like and enjoy at the menu. We ordered a hamburger and a quesadilla.

hamburger in hacienda — The hamburger in Hacienda in Bratislava

The hamburger, as you can see in the picture above, looked nice and everything was fine. It wasn’t a hamburger I would travel to Bratislava to taste, but as an average hamburger, I would judge it to be just fine. If you want a better burger, then there are for sure other places worth visiting in Bratislava, and there is also Lucky 7 Burger in Budapest.

There were lots of different quesadillas at the menu in Hacienda, and they all looked very good. As you can see at the picture above, it looked nice on the plate, and the taste was just the same.

The judgment on the quesadilla was quite similar to the hamburger judgment. It was a great thing to eat for dinner, but not a taste and an experience we would return to the restaurant to taste several times. But, if you like a good quesadilla, it is a sure winner if you pick it from the menu.

The price level in Hacienda Bratislava

How much did this experience cost us? It wasn’t bad at all. The prices for most main courses were between 8 and 20 Euro, with most costing around 10 Euro. In other words, not bad prices at all, and not at all more expensive than most other restaurants in the center of Bratislava.

We have no problem recommending Hacienda as an option for a family dinner in Bratislava. It might not be the best restaurant you will ever visit, but there are for sure a hundred times worse restaurants you could pick!

Conclusion: Hacienda is a safe bet for a safe and good dinner in the Slovakian capital!

Los Mexikas in Bratislava – Worth a visit?

Posted on October 2, 2018October 2, 2018 by Bratislava Guide

A little while ago, I got the chance to visit Los Mexikas in Bratislava. It is a Mexican restaurant located in the heart of the city, and I actually read some good reviews of the restaurant on TripAdvisor before making the visit.

We were fairly hungry and ready to eat as we arrived in Los Mexikas in Bratislava. It was a windy and grey afternoon, so we had to sit outside. The first shock came before entering the restaurant. The pictures of the food on the outside had terrible quality, and my companion said that a restaurant with such pictures of the food outside, is a restaurant to avoid. But, I had read some good reviews, so I convinced my companion to join me for a dinner in Los Mexikas. But, I had to agree… the pictures portraying the food on the outside looked terrible!

Safely on the inside, we got a menu and sat down to eat. The interior was okay, but nothing special. The waiter was really eager to help us out (in a way I would say too eager). We looked through the menu and noticed that the prices were very similar to all the other restaurants in Bratislava (that looked way better). My companion wanted to leave the restaurant again, but once again, I convinced her to stay with me!

Time to order and eat in Los Mexikas

After a while, we ordered our food, and it was quickly served. I don’t like to be negative, but to be honest, the taste in my mouth felt somewhat similar to the quality of the pictures of the food on the outside… I like Mexican food, and I want to be as positive as possible at all times, but this was food that was hard to like and to enjoy.

The picture above might look okay, but the taste wasn’t at all as good as what it looks like on the picture. I am not sure what was missing, but it simply wasn’t a tasty and good experience.

After eating parts of our food we asked for the bill, paid, and left. Considering the fact you can get high-quality food for the same price elsewhere in Bratislava makes me say that I would never return to waste money in Los Mexikas again. Maybe we were unlucky? I don’t know. All I know is that I had to say sorry to my companion as we left, and she could smile at me and say “I told you so!”

Your thoughts of Los Mexikas?

Have you been to Los Mexikas in Bratislava? How did you enjoy the meal? Were we unlucky, or did you have a similar experience as we did? I would love to hear your thoughts about Los Mexikas!

Visit the Devin Castle in Bratislava

Posted on September 13, 2018October 14, 2023 by Bratislava Guide

Devin Castle is one of the most popular places to visit among tourists coming to Bratislava. But, how can you get to Devin Castle? What will you see once you get there?

The fabulous Devin Castle is located on a hill next to the Danube, about 13 kilometers from the city center of Bratislava. It is easy to get to the castle using public transportation, by car, by taxi, and by boat. But, if you decide to pay Devin Castle a visit, what can you expect?

History of Devin Castle

There has been buildings and fortifications at the present spot since the Iron and the Bronze age. The hill on which the castle is located is more than 200 meters above the sea level, and it has a strategic location with splendid view. It is on the border between Austria and Slovakia, and on cloudless days you can enjoy a magnificent view from this place. This is something that people have known for centuries, and has increased the importance of the castle even more.

The castle has been occupied by all sorts of people and nationalities, especially between 13th and the 17th century.

After the Siege of Pressburg in 1809, the retreating forces of Napoleon destroyed the Devin Castle. It might be that they considered it still a threat, and that was the reason for destroying it.

Today we can see the remains of the castle, and also see the result of quite a lot of renovation work. Some archaeological diggings testify of remains of a Roman tower dating from the 1st century, testifying of the importance of this location throughout history.

Visiting Devin Castle today

As you visit Devin Castle today, there are two areas to visit. You have the area down by the Danube, and you have the castle itself on the top of the hill. You should visit both! To visit Devin Castle, you need to buy a ticket. The other part is free to visit and it offers a stunning view as well.

For a very thorough guide on what to see as you visit Devin Castle, visit this site.

The most popular part belonging to Devin Castle is the so-called Maiden’ Tower. This is not located together with the rest of the castle, but down by the Danube. This is a castle that has given name to legends throughout the centuries. This is were imprisoned daughters were willing to jump to spend their lives with whomever they might truly love.

How to get to Devin Castle?

It is very easy to get to Devin Castle from Bratislava. If you have a car, simply type the information in your GPS, and you will get to Devin Castle quickly.

If you want to use public transportation, get to the New Bridge (the bridge with the UFO on). On the side of the bridge which is in the Old Town, you will find the stop of bus 28. Get on this bus and travel to the bus stop Devin. The bus travel time is about 20 minutes. Make sure to have your tickets in order before you get on the bus!

A third option is traveling to Devin Castle by boat. This is a scenic experience, and the boat ride takes about 1 1/2 hours. You will then have somewhere near 2 hours by the castle before the boat will take you back to Bratislava again. You can see the full boat schedule here.

The price for a return ticket with the boat is 13 Euro per adult (as of September 2018).

Can I visit Prague on a day-trip from Bratislava?

Posted on May 29, 2017September 13, 2018 by Bratislava Guide

Are you bored in the capital of Slovakia and look for options for day excursions from Bratislava. Are you considering a day-trip to Prague from Bratislava?

Most travelers would agree that Prague has lots more attractions and famous sights to offer its visitors than Bratislava. For that reason, most people have already been to Prague, but they have yet to discover the beauties of Bratislava. But, if you still come to Bratislava and would like to do a day trip to Prague, then it can be done quite easily.

There are bus companies operating buses between Bratislava and Prague, for example, Orangeways and Flixbus. You can do a quick Google search for those companies to book your tickets right away. There is, however, better options, and the best option is for sure your own private car. If you use a bus you will have to use time getting to the bus station in Bratislava first, then you need to get from the bus station in Prague to the city center, and as you leave Prague in the evening you will have to repeat those actions again. For that reason, a private driver or your own private car is far more convenient.

Driving from Bratislava to Prague

The distance between Bratislava and Prague is 328km. Almost the entire road is done on highways, and the quickest route passes by the city of Brno, another Slovakian city you might consider to visit. According to Google Maps, the travel time from Bratislava to Prague with your own car should be a bit more than 3 hours, without stops. If you want to stop and have something to eat along the way, then the travel time will, of course, be even longer.

You should of course not forget that when you actually arrive in Prague you will also need to find a place to park your car, and often you spend a long time doing so (unless you have planned where to park your car in Prague), so our recommendation is that you plan this beforehand in order to save time and get the most out of your day in Prague.

Visit the Prague Christmas market on a day trip from Bratislava – Source: Fotolia

What to do in Prague on a day trip?

You will find lots of advises concerning your day trip to Prague in the Prague Guide. There you can also check the list of what’s on in Prague, in case you would like to travel to Prague to check out a concert, a festival or some other cool program.

Our general suggestions for a day in Prague would include walking across the Charles Bridge, visit the Old Town square, eating a Czech Goulash and taste some local beer, and maybe do a river cruise on the Vltava River.

We hope this information will help you out. If you have further questions or comments, just use the comment field beneath.

Norwegians coming to Bratislava in 2012

Posted on December 14, 2011October 17, 2022 by Bratislava Guide

Bratislava is a popular city among people from many nations, and in 2012 a new nation will start visiting Slovakia and Bratislava in a much more frequent way. Norwegian, the Norwegian airline, will in fact start with direct flights from Oslo to Bratislava as of March 2012, which for sure will bring Norwegians to our fantastic capital. So, it is just to prepare for nice Norwegians to visit. And, if you read this and come from Norway, why not check out our Norwegian Bratislava Guide?