Dog friendly
Traveling to historical monuments and exploring major European cities can be a challenge if your partner on the road happens to be a four-legged friend.
Bratislava provides enough parks and green areas to allow your furry companion a place to roam and perhaps you’ll get to know those nooks and crannies you would otherwise have never learned about. If you love nature, both you and your dog will have a wonderful experience visiting Bratislava.
If you’ll be using public transport while in Bratislava, make sure to buy your dog a ticket, too. A dog carried in a bag that you can put on your knees can travel for free, but biggerdogs must have a discounted ticket. If you order a taxi, tell the dispatcher that you’re traveling with a dog as some taxi drivers do not take four-legged passengers. You’ll need to do the same thing when you book a hotel. Most of them welcome dogs, but it’s better to ask ahead. Don’t forget to pack a leash and a muzzle.
Outside of the city center dogs only have to be on a leash, but your pet will need to wear a muzzle when travelling bypublic transport. Dogs are not allowed in most museums and galleries as well as anywhere in and around Bratislava Castle, but they are gladly accepted at shopping centers and in most cafes and restaurants. It is quite common that a bowl of water and sometimes even some dog food is available. In shopping centers dogs are prohibited only from entering food shops.
If you want to take a guided tour, feel free to tag your pet along with you. You can even take a ride together on the old-time red Pressburger bus. Near the center of Bratislava there are attractive green areas your friend will certainly appreciate. If you happen to be in the city center and just want to dash off to a grassy area, either cross SNP Bridge to Janko Kráľ Park on the other side of the Danube or enjoy the waterfront lawn behind the Eurovea shopping center. This is especially nice during the summer when you don’t want to sit in a heavily air-conditioned mall or leave your dog lying on a scorching restaurant pavement in the Old City.
Some of the restaurant terraces at Eurovea reach the lawn and are a comfortable place for you to have lunch at. Walking along the embankment on the Petržalka side of the Danube is enchanting in any season: it is refreshing in summer, there are colorful leaves to admire in autumn and the frost on the grass and frozen tree branches in winter. Another beautiful place for a walk is through the woods at Železná Studnička, where dogs are allowed to roam to the fullest. Here you can admire the natureand enjoy Kofola, the local cola drink, or hot tea at the snack bar.
If you fancy history, take a walk through Bratislava’s Horský Park. This little park recalls this residential area’s former glory when the city’s 19th century high society would come here for picnics. There is Horáreň teahouse right behind the bus stop. . You can take a pleasant walk along the Morava River below the ruins of Devin Castle, where the former Iron Curtain used to be.
If you are interested in entering the area around the castle ruins, unfortunately your dog will have to wait outside. A beautiful place for you and your dog to go on excursion is nearby Sandberg, Central Europe’s largest site of prehistoric fossils.
Whether you enjoy being outdoors, shopping or seeing historical monuments, neither you nor your dog will be bored in Bratislava.
