Now independent Slovakia, separated from the Czech Republic by the "velvet divorce" of 1993, is just starting to be discovered by the mass tourist market. Its pretty capital, Bratislava, is a traveler's gem, and conveniently located less than an hour from Vienna. It has a special place in my heart after I lived there for a year, but at a minimum, Bratislava is worth a day trip from Vienna.
On such a day, you should spend the morning exploring Bratislava's center. Its Old Town is not as well-preserved as those in Western Europe, but that's part of the charm. Perfectly-sized for direction-impaired people like me, it's probably impossible to get lost: following whichever little alley you stumble into inevitably leads you back to a familiar square.
At some stage your walk will pass the St Martin Cathedral on the western edge of the town centre. In fact, the Old Town used to continue right up to Bratislava Castle, but unfortunately the 1970s building of the Nový Most bridge necessitated the demolition of much of the Jewish quarter which linked the town to the hilly approach to the castle.
St Martin's visiting hours are a bit haphazard, but if you can't get inside, a circumnavigation on foot is just as delightful. Crane your neck to spot the crown resting on a pillow atop the tower: a friend who worked in the cathedral assured me the pillow is nearly ten feet long on each side, but you won't believe that when you see it.
Bratislava Castle, beamed briefly to the world when Presidents Bush and Putin met there in 2005, is more impressive from the outside than in, but if you're feeling fit it's worth the steep climb up there for the intriguingly contrasting views. With one short glance you can gaze over the prettily-tiled roofs of the Old Town, the brown flow of the Danube River and on the far shore, the endless identical blocks of flats where almost a third of Bratislavans live. Various museums are resident in the castle, including the Slovak National Museum.
Finish the day with a Slovak meal in the Old Town. The popular local dish, bryndzové halušhky, is a heavy concoction of potato dumplings with a sheep cheese sauce. Trying this for lunch is a sure way to impress Slovaks you meet in the future, especially if you can pronounce its name!
