The alternative city break that Brits should try in 2024 – with castles, hot springs & some of Europe’s cheapest pints
EUROPEAN city breaks are perfect for beer drinkers, with some of the best booze in the world produced right on our doorstep.
However, there’s one city that people often don’t think of, despite it having some of the cheapest beer in the continent, as well as plenty of tourist attractions.
Bratislava in Slovakia is a relatively small for a European capital, but it has a lot for visitors to explore along its streets.
Chief among them is its incredibly affordable beer selection, with pints averaging around £1.60.
Such is Bratislava‘s pull for beer drinkers, food and drinks blogger Global Treats described it as “heaven” for those who like a pint and said beer was cheaper than water in some places.
They wrote of the city: “Bratislava is heaven for beer lovers.
“This is the city where beer is cheaper than water so a night out won’t break the bank.
“Expect to pay under two Euros for a large beer in most bars. Craft beer will be more expensive.”
Beer isn’t the only popular drink in the city either, with honey wine a special local tipple.
It’s traditionally sold during the winter at Christmas markets, where it’s often drunk hot.
Visitors to the city can go to the Medovina distillery where the honey wine is brewed, so they can taste it and learn more about the bees and the brewing process.
The best place to enjoy a drink in Bratislava is the city’s old town, which is described as an “historic neighbourhood filled with charming narrow lanes, burgher’s houses and nobles’ palaces”.
It’s also the perfect part of the city in which to try local dishes like bryndzové halušky, described by Flash Pack as “gnocchi-like dumplings served with sheep cheese and a sprinkling of bacon”.
It has thousands of five-star reviews on TripAdvisor, as well as winning a Travellers’ Choice Award this year.
One wrote: “Very beautiful. Especially charming during Christmas market, where you can feel the holidays atmosphere, to taste delicious food, sausages, beer, boiled wine, desserts etc.”
Another said: “Lots of architecture to see and loads of weird and wonderful bars. A great place for beer drinkers to go.”
One of the most famous buildings to visit in the city is Bratislava castle.
It has four corner towers and stands on an isolated rocky hill of the Little Carpathians, directly above the Danube river.
The fortress is more than 1,000 years old, although it has since been restyled twice, in both the 16th and 17th centuries.
The castle is also home to the Slovak National Museum with collections highlighting the development of society in Slovakia from the Middle Ages up to the present day.
However, one of the main reasons people visit is the view of the Danube and the rest of the city.
One visitor wrote on TripAdvisor: “The first thing you see of the city is the wonderful castle on the hill. The views from the castle as wonderful and the castle itself is pretty good too!”
After a day spent exploring, visitors might want to relax, which they can do at the nearby geothermal pools, a short bus ride away in Galeria Thermal, Bešeňová.
The resort is home to four outdoor geothermal pools, which are open all year round, with water temperature ranging from 27C to 39C.
There’s also a swimming pool, a relaxation pool, with three swimming lanes and a wave pool while there’s another thermal pool with a swim-up bar and underwater massage jets.
Galeria Thermal also has the “Harmónia sauna world”, where people can book themselves in for massages and treatments.
Return flights to Bratislava can be booked with Ryanair for less than £75, while Wizz Air also offer cheap flights from the UK.
A room for two in the city can be booked from around £30 per night.
Meanwhile this European city was named the world’s cheapest holiday destination.
And these are some of the best budget winter city breaks.