Slovakia

Back in May, I headed to Slovakia to run a Spartan Race, my first ever! I decided to turn it into a holiday (what a better excuse to travel than running!). I stayed in Bratislava, right next to the Old Town. I love going to a place without having researched it and having no idea about the history or the sights. I took a free walking tour first thing in the morning when I arrived and got to see so much and learn a ton about the city's history.
One thing I love about Bratislava is all the interesting and seemingly random statues throughout the city. Wherever you walk in the Old Town, you're bound to run into something interesting.

I saw the famous Most SNP, or UFO Bridge, built during the Communist era, St Michael's Church, where 13 Kings of the Austro-Hungarian Empire were crowned, the Bratislava Castle (which to be honest, was very underwhelming.. at least from the outside), we walked past the old medieval gates of the city, and finishing by the Blue Church, which is probably the most picturesque church I've ever seen! It really looks like a cake or a Smurf church!

UFO Bridge

St Michael's Church

Blue Church

After the tour, I headed back to the old city with the medieval walls. Inside the tower is a museum about medieval weaponry that eventually takes you up into the tower where you have a fantastic view of the Old Town and its narrow streets.

One thing to do if you head to Bratislava is to go outside the city to a neighbouring town called Devin. This town sits at the confluent of the Danube and Morava rivers, two very important rivers in Europe, and just outside the city on top of a hill is the Devin castle. It's only 20 minutes by bus from the city centre and is 100% worth seeing. I was blown away by this castle. Or its ruins, I should say.
This castle saw many many wars and was eventually destroyed by Napoleon. The ruins are really well preserved and you can just imagine this castle bustling with medieval life, watching over the country. From the top of the hill, you can see the shadow of Vienna in the horizon. I must have spent over three, maybe even four hours exploring the area, which extended wall past the castle hill. Definitely the highlight of my trip!

My race wasn't actually in Bratislava, but in Nitra, which is about two hours outside of the city. It's a beautiful town, with a castle on top of a hill, overlooking the city, though it's more of a cathedral than an actual castle...

I am definitely impressed by Slovakia. The people were lovely, the food was amazing and the sights impressive. I will definitely be back eventually to see the rest of the country!