Where to Go with Children in Bratislava
No time to travel? Do you live in Bratislava and find yourself spending more and more of your free time close to home? Or are you planning a trip to Bratislava and do not know where to spend a memorable day?
We have put together some suggestions for exploring the remarkable city of Bratislava with children.
Devín Castle, Bratislava Zoo, Bratislava Castle, the Time Out children’s zone at Aupark, the Radosť Štrkovec play area, the UFO Tower and the KidsHouse sports and entertainment centre are all covered in this article. Has something caught your eye? All the details are below. Enjoy!
1) Devín Castle (hrad Devín)
Opening hours :
Summer season: Tuesday–Sunday
April–June, 10:00-18:00
July–August, 10:00-19:00
September, 10:00-18:00
Winter season: Tuesday–Sunday
October, March, 10:00-17:00
November–February, 10:00-16:00
At first glance Devín Castle may look like an unremarkable castle, but its setting and its sheer distinctiveness will make you think again. Thanks to the combination of unique historical monuments, a position at the confluence of the Danube and the Morava and the surrounding countryside, Devín Castle is well worth the visit. All the more so if you make it to the top: on the other side of the river you can see Austrian territory and a host of wind turbines — a wonderful view. Entry costs €6 for adults and €3 for children, students or pensioners. There is also an excellent option for families, a family ticket covering 2 adults and children up to the age of 14, priced at €12.
2) Bratislava Zoo (Zoologická záhrada ZOO Bratislava)
Opening hours:
APRIL – SEPTEMBER 09:00 – 18:45
OCTOBER – MARCH 09:00 – 16:45
NOVEMBER 10:00 – 16:00
DECEMBER – FEBRUARY 10:00 – 15:25
From wild boar to white tigers. The zoo is a wonderful place for anyone who loves animals or has a taste for the more unusual ones. The zoo is home to Dinopark — an exhibition of life-size dinosaur models, the first of its kind in Slovakia. At ZOO Bratislava you can also see 185 species, 1,104 animals in total. Around 320,000 visitors come to the zoo every year. An adult ticket costs €10, a child ticket (ages 3 to 15) €7, and entry is free for children under 3. Families are better off buying a family ticket (2 adults + 2 children), which costs €27.
3) Bratislava Castle (Bratislavský hrad)
Opening hours:
November to February: 9-00-16-00
March 9-00 to 17-00
April 9-00 to 19-00
May 9-00 to 20-00
summer 9-00 — 21-00
September 9-00 to 19-00
October 9-00 to 17-00
When looking through photographs of Bratislava you will have noticed a snow-white castle standing on a hill of the Little Carpathians. Bratislava Castle, also known as the “upturned stool“, is one of the main symbols of the city. After a large-scale reconstruction in 2010 it is now the pride of Bratislava and its interiors house valuable historical exhibitions. On the way to the royal palace you first come to Leopold’s Courtyard and, a few steps further on, to the Court of Honour. In the Court of Honour you will see two imposing Baroque triumphal gates and strict symmetry. As the saying goes: “If you have not been to Bratislava Castle, you have not been to Bratislava”. Entry to the castle grounds is free. There is a charge to go inside the castle itself.
4) Time Out children’s zone at Aupark (Detská zóna Time Out, Aupark)
Opening hours: 09:00-21:00
On the second floor of the AUPARK shopping centre you will find the appealing TIME OUT children’s zone, where children aged 3 to 10 can enjoy themselves. Parents can do their shopping in the meantime without stress or worry about their child. The children are looked after by experienced instructors who keep them entertained in the maze, on the slides and with other games. There is also a large open-air playground in the recreation area behind Aupark. Here you will find various climbing frames, slides, roundabouts and plenty of other fun attractions for children.
Prices: up to 60 minutes – 5.5 euros
61-90 minutes – 7.7 euros
91-120 minutes – 9.9 euros
121-150 minutes – 12.1 euros
151-180 minutes – 14.3 euros
Each further extra hour – 7 euros.
5) Radosť Štrkovec play area (Areál hier Radosť Štrkovec)
Opening hours:
Summer season: April–October: Monday–Friday 08:00-21:30 Saturday–Sunday 08:00 – 20:00
Winter season : November–March: Monday–Sunday 09:00-16:00
This is the largest play area in Bratislava. The centrepiece of the whole site is a playground with its own emblem — a concrete camel (by Rastislav Miklánek, academic sculptor) — which has become a popular attraction and a place for families with children to spend their free time. Toilets are also available for parents with children during the summer opening period; the keys can be collected from the site attendant. There is also an amphitheatre on the grounds, used mainly in the summer months, in cooperation with CULTUS Ružinov, a. s. (the borough’s organisation), for various cultural and community events. Entry to the site is free.
6) UFO (UFO Tower)
Opening hours: 10:00-23:00
The suspension bridge is a unique piece of architecture: it rests on just two supports, which stand not in the middle of the river but on one bank of the Danube. It is often called the most interesting architectural monument of the communist period in Bratislava. The left pillar contains a lift that takes visitors up to the “UFO”, where what awaits is not aliens but a superb view and a smart café-restaurant with an original, refined menu. The ideal time to visit is just before sunset, so you can enjoy the view of Bratislava by day and then under the street lights. An adult ticket costs 9.9 euros; for children taller than 111 centimetres and up to the age of 15 it is 6.9 euros. Children under 111 centimetres go in free.
7) KidsHouse sports and entertainment centre (Športovo-zábavné centrum KidsHouse)
Opening hours: Monday – Friday: 14:00 – 20:00
Weekends and public holidays: 09:00 – 20:00
Across more than 1,800 m² we have put together a range of unique attractions for your children that you will not find anywhere else in Slovakia. The concept of the children’s centre is divided into two main parts:
1. Winter games (for older children)
Every visitor can represent their own country!
- a mega cannon battle at the Fun Shooting Arena
- a thrilling descent from the top of a frozen glacier covered in permanent snow
- tobogganing on artificial grass across two floors of the children’s centre
2. Summer games (for the youngest children)
- climbing and racing around the playground: slides, climbing frames, a Lego corner
- a corner full of colourful balls
- an electric car track
- a jumping track
The best party for children and teenagers needs an original programme, surprises, memorable moments, new experiences and good food, so that everyone can enjoy it whether the party is for little ones or older kids. The centre’s philosophy is built on combining the best work by its entertainers, original party scripts, and a mix of experience, activity and emotion.
Prices:
- child entry (per hour started) – 4 euros
- adult entry (per hour started) – 1 euro
- quarterly child membership (unlimited entry for three months for one child accompanied by one adult) – 199 euros
- group entry for a child (applies to nurseries, primary schools, secondary schools, universities, clubs and camps) – 3.5 euros
We have listed a handful of places, but there is no way to cover the potential of them all in a single article. Bratislava really does have a huge number of places worth visiting. We hope this post has been useful!