Slovakia

Bratislava, Slovakia. Slovakia is the eastern half of what used to be "Czechoslavakia". I don't think I'd ever even heard the name 'Bratislava' before I came here but it's the capital of Slovakia and a very enjoyable place. It was once part of the USSR and many relics of the old Soviet system remain; this giant UFO/bridge/restaurant is one such reminder. Hard to believe Vienna is only 30 miles away!

The view from the "UFO" bridge/bar. Great scenery and a nice cold Czech beer!

Bratislava, Slovakia. The historic center of this capital city is as cute and "European" as any of the big tourist destination cities, minus the tourists. Less crowds and far lower prices make eastern Europe well worth checking out.

Bratislava, Slovakia. One cool thing they did here was to fire up this laser each night. Strategically placed mirrors mounted on street corners bounced this laser beam down winding streets all over Old Town.

Bratislava, Slovakia. Nice art & architecture in the main town square.

Bratislava, Slovakia. The view from the tower window, overlooking town square (lower left) and the former royal castle (upper right).

Bratislava may not be one of the biggest capital cities in Europe, but it might be the quirkiest. Strange sights can be found all around town, best discovered by doing a guided walking tour. These are free, and begin each morning at the town square (as in most major European cities). The guides are knowledgeable, funny, and work for tips.

Some local weirdness:

Top left: a locally famous bronze statue of a worker climbing out of a sewer.

Top right: A multi-tasking musician.

Center: The world's narrowest coffee shop, as wide as the doorway all the way through. A good place to meet girls like her!

Worst. Portrait artist. EVER.

Slovakia. I took Eurail through eastern Europe on this multi-country trip instead of my usual way of flying or driving. It costs more and it's slower, but there's some great rural scenery along the way.