‍It was with some trepidation that I looked out of the window of my hotel to check the weather.  I had allocated just one day – today – to explore Bratislava, and the plan was to do so on foot, and preferably without the need for an umbrella.  I judged the weather to be a “6 out of 10 day” as there were heavy clouds covering most of the sky, but with substantial patches of blue sky between.  It was obvious that the weather was going to be changeable, however, as the clouds were low and moving very quickly across the sky, driven by strong winds.

‍By the end of the day, I had managed to complete a 10.6-kilometre walking tour that covered most of the city centre.  Starting at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, I walked southwards through the narrow, outrageously picturesque streets of the old town to the ultra-modern SNP Bridge that spans the Danube River.  Built by the Communist regime between 1967 and 1972, the bridge has a spectacular flying saucer-shaped observation deck offering panoramic views across the old city and Castle to the north, and the newer high-rise residential and office buildings to the south.

‍Observation towers like this are a natural magnet for me, so up I went.  I managed to get some great photos of Bratislava’s skyline, although perhaps 80% of my time was spent waiting for heavy clouds to clear, snapping some quick photos as the sun burst through for a few seconds, and then waiting for the sun to appear over another section of the city that had been overcast.  It was a good test of patience.  Fortunately there was a café serving good coffee to keep me hydrated during the long, overcast waits.

‍After finally getting a fair collection of photos from the bridge, I returned northwards to explore Bratislava Castle.  Originally built in the 9th century and renovated between 1956 and 1964, Bratislava Castle is less ornate than many other European castles of its era.  It stands on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Danube River, and dominates the old part of central Bratislava.  Like its exterior, the interior is fairly plain (apart from the Baroque chapel), and for me the best part of visiting the castle were the excellent views available from several of the castle towers.  The views from the castle gave quite a different perspective of the old town than those from the SNP Bridge, and indeed offered superb views of the Bridge as well as the nearby National Council of the Slovak Republic Building.

‍I returned to the hotel by taking a more roundabout route than I had used in the morning, crossing the old town from west to east and going beyond it to see the Blue Church of Saint Elizabeth.  The Blue Church is beautiful, although by the time I reached it the sunshine had been completely replaced by heavy grey clouds overhead, which made the building look much duller than it would have been in good light.

‍Despite the challenges of heavy clouds and intermittent drizzle, I was happy with my day’s exploration of Bratislava, which I felt provided a good overview of the city’s central historic zone.