A Day Trip to Bratislava

A Day Trip to Hungary and Slovakia from Vienna, Booked on Klook I signed up for a day trip to the capitals of Hungary and Slovakia through Klook. It was a small group tour with six people, including a Thai family and an Australian. Our guide and driver was a charming Slovak man named Simon, who was very polite and made for a pleasant experience during this European trip. Budapest: ❤️❤️❤️ - Two-hour drive to Budapest : The city isn't very large, and the main attractions are along the Danube River. On one side is the Parliament Building, which looks like a cathedral and is even more stunning when viewed from across the river. Next to the Parliament is a church, their national cathedral, which you can climb to the top of. However, buying tickets requires a long queue, and online payment is quite cumbersome, so we didn't go inside. - Hungarian National Museum : I took an Uber to the museum. The building itself is quite impressive, with Greek-style colonnades and a grand entrance. I was hoping to learn about their national history, but the content and quality of the exhibits on the second floor were just average. On the first floor, I stumbled upon the archaeological section, which was quite new and well-presented. It featured contemporary archaeological artifacts and was the highlight of my visit.😁😁😁 - Danube River Walk : Our guide led us on a walk along the Danube. The riverside is picturesque, with a collection of artworks. There are sculptures of shoes left behind by Jews who were forced to jump into the river by the Nazis, a poignant reminder of the past. There were also notes about the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. It was a somber experience, especially with the news of Israel's attack on Iran's nuclear facilities that day. - Fishing Fortress : The last stop was the Fishing Fortress on the hill across the river. It's located next to their old castle, with several beautiful churches and a viewing platform offering a stunning view of the river and the cityscape.😻😻😻 Bratislava: - Two-hour drive back to Vienna via Bratislava : Bratislava is a small city with a castle on a hill. We took a quick tour around it. The viewing platform offered a decent view of the city, including the UFO building, distant factories, and wind turbines. Slovakia is close to Vienna, and due to lower wages, many factories are set up here. We also spent an hour wandering through their medieval old town, which happened to have a local market. We even got to enjoy a free opera performance. On the way back to my hotel, Simon played a Chinese song for me. It had a style reminiscent of Lao Lang's music. I didn't recognize the song, but Simon said he understood some of the lyrics. He mentioned that he would be returning to Slovakia later. He explained that the magnetic pull of Vienna is strong; Slovakia lacks many good industries and opportunities. That's why he started his own travel company to cater to tourists in Vienna. #IntersectionOfHistoryAndModern #Vienna #Budapest #Bratislava #Hungary #Slovakia #Europe