What is the Bratislava self-guided walking tour?
The Bratislava self-guided walking tour crosses the Old Town at a pace you set, with audio narration on your phone where a guide would otherwise be. Allow about 2 hours: 31 minutes of that is time on your feet, the route measures 2.5 km, and at 10 stops you stand still and listen. Nothing is timed, and no group moves off without you.
At the Blue Church the narration explains how Ödön Lechner wrapped a church in pale blue glazed tiles, and why it carries the name of St Elizabeth of Hungary, who by tradition was born in the city. In the Primate's Palace it is the Hall of Mirrors that counts, where France and Austria signed the Peace of Pressburg in 1805, weeks after Austerlitz. Later you hear that Hungarian rulers were crowned in St Martin's Cathedral between 1563 and 1830, Maria Theresa among them, and that the bronze worker leaning out of his manhole has been called Čumil since 1997.
- Durationabout 2 hours
- Walkingabout 31 min · 2.5 km
- Stops10
- LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Czech
What you do on the walk
Listen
Every stop brings narration about the place, its legends and the details you would otherwise walk past. The same text sits on screen for anyone who would rather read.
Walk on
Google Maps carries you from stop to stop: 31 minutes on foot over 2.5 km, almost all of it on car-free lanes.
Break off
Sit down for a coffee on Main Square or spend an hour in a museum, then pick the walk up again, the same day or another one.
Eat and browse
Tips for food and shops near the route come with it. Your starting point and the order of the stops are yours to set in the app.
See the route and attractions →
How it works
- Book online Choose the number of people. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
- Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
- Walk when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.
Who the walk suits
A first visit
One walk sorts out the palaces, the gate, the cathedral and the embankment and explains what you are standing in front of.
Anyone who avoids groups
No raised umbrella to follow and no meeting time: you stay where something holds you and move on when you are ready.
Half a day in the city
2 hours and 2.5 km leave plenty of room afterwards for the castle hill, a boat on the Danube or a long lunch.
Good to know
- Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
- No entry tickets needed: everything happens outside the buildings. Going inside is optional and paid separately.
- Family friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Not suitable for wheelchair users and difficult with strollers.
- Groups of up to 5 work best; larger groups split up, one ticket per person.
- Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.
The walk stop by stop: the Blue Church, Michael's Gate, St Martin's Cathedral, the Old Bridge
10 stops · about 31 min walking · start: Blue Church · finish: Old Bridge
The walk opens at the Blue Church, a few streets east of the Old Town. It carries on to the Primate's Palace and up to Michael's Gate, the last of the medieval town gates, then down to Main Square with Maximilian's Fountain and to the bronze Čumil on the corner of Panská. St Martin's Cathedral comes next, and after it the Reduta, home of the Slovak Philharmonic, the monument to Ľudovít Štúr and the Natural History Museum on Vajanského nábrežie. The Old Bridge brings the walk to a close. A different opening stop or another order can be set in the app, and no stop asks for an entry ticket.
Open the route map ↗
1Blue ChurchStart
The Church of St Elizabeth, better known as the Blue Church, was designed by the Hungarian architect Ödön Lechner in the Art Nouveau style and completed in the early 20th century. Its walls, ceramic decoration and glazed roof tiles are all in shades of blue. It is dedicated to St Elizabeth of Hungary, who according to tradition was born in the city.
Read the full story →
2Primate's Palace
This pale pink neoclassical palace was completed in 1781 for Archbishop József Batthyány, and a cardinal's hat crowns its pediment. In its Hall of Mirrors France and Austria signed the Peace of Pressburg in 1805, after Napoleon's victory at Austerlitz. Today the palace is the seat of the city's mayor.
Read the full story →
3Michael's Gate
Michael's Gate is the only town gate that survives from Bratislava's medieval fortifications. Its tower received its Baroque top in the 18th century, crowned by a statue of St Michael fighting the dragon. Just below the passage, a zero kilometre plaque in the pavement gives the distances to cities around the world.
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4Main Square
Main Square, Hlavné námestie in Slovak, has been the centre of Bratislava's Old Town since the Middle Ages and is lined with palaces and the Old Town Hall. In the middle stands Maximilian's Fountain from 1572, the city's oldest fountain, topped by the figure of an armoured knight.
Read the full story →
5Čumil
Čumil, a bronze worker peering out of a manhole, has been watching passers-by at the corner of Panská and Rybárska brána streets since 1997. The figure was created by the sculptor Viktor Hulík, and its name roughly means 'the gawker'. It has become one of the most photographed sights of the Old Town.
Read the full story →
6St Martin's Cathedral
This Gothic cathedral, consecrated in 1452, was the coronation church of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1563 to 1830, and Maria Theresa was among the monarchs crowned here. Its tower, once part of the city walls, is topped by a gilded copy of the Hungarian royal crown resting on a cushion.
Read the full story →
7Slovak Philharmonic
The Slovak Philharmonic plays in the Reduta, a neo-Baroque building with Art Nouveau details near Hviezdoslav Square and the Danube. Completed in the early 20th century, it combines a concert hall with festive ballrooms. Its richly decorated façade is one of the most elegant on this side of the Old Town.
8Ľudovít Štúr Monument
This monument on Ľudovít Štúr Square, close to the Danube, honours Ľudovít Štúr, the leading figure of the 19th-century Slovak national revival. He is remembered above all for codifying standard written Slovak in the 1840s.
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9Natural History Museum (Slovak National Museum)
The Natural History Museum of the Slovak National Museum is housed in the large museum building on Vajanského nábrežie, the embankment along the Danube. Its collections cover Slovakia's minerals, fossils, plants and animals. The long façade facing the river is a landmark of the embankment.
10Old BridgeFinish
The Old Bridge first opened in 1891 as the Franz Joseph Bridge across the Danube. It was destroyed in 1945 at the end of the Second World War and later rebuilt. After a complete reconstruction it reopened in 2016 for pedestrians, cyclists and trams, with wide views of the castle and the river.
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Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
Anna– Italy –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Sul sito c’era scritto il costo di 3€ ma in fase di pagamento, l’importo era di 6€, per il resto tutto bene. Consigliato.
Olatz Campos– Spain –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Austria –
Collected on GetYourGuide
War gut und unkompliziert!
Elizabeth– United Kingdom –
Collected on GetYourGuide
United States –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Louise– Australia –
Collected on GetYourGuide
great to hear all the interesting history of Brataslava while walking around. you can do it at your own pace so ideal for everyone who wants to do this walking tour
karen– United Kingdom –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Slight problem. With the app we down loaded from the email but live chats sorted it straight away
Aleksandr– Armenia –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Very good and informative tour. The app sometimes stuck. And it would be nice to have sound/voice as well.
Czech Republic –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Some text didn’t match to locations and photos. Poor experience. Not worth at all
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
F?r 2 Personen kostet die App 5 Euro … das ist nicht viel. Allerdings erh?lt man sich nur Zugriff auf 10 Sehensw?rdigkeiten, zu denen man sich mit Google Maps navigieren lassen kann. Dort angekommen, kann man sich von Siri den Infotext vorlesen lassen. App ist etwas buggy, funktioniert aber. Kann man machen, wenn man mal nicht selbst ?ber die Stadttour nachdenken will
Martina –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Attivit? davvero carina! Permette di visitare i luoghi pi? interessanti della citt?, svelando nozioni che altrimenti rimarrebbero sconosciute! Molto comoda da utilizzare attraverso la sua App, ha reso la giornata piacevole con una sorta di caccia al tesoro tra le vie del centro di Bratislava!
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Die Route der Sehensw?rdigkeiten verl?uft kreuz und quer durch die Stadt. Die Vorlesestimme klingt nicht angenehm. Die Burg ist leider keine Sration auf der Route.
Klara – Italy –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Era la prima volta che usavo questa applicazione. Devo dire che mi ? piaciuta molto. Un modo diverso di vedere una citt? a basso costo, in totale autonomia e scoprendo cultura e curiosit? in modo divertente. Sicuramente la user? ancora nei miei prossimi viaggi.