One-Day Tours: Beautiful Places Near Bratislava
One-day trips are a great way to recharge and add another excursion to your travel collection. We have put together a few interesting places in Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Austria that you can visit on your own or with the whole family in a single day, returning to Bratislava in the evening.
Červený Kameň castle
The “Red Stone” castle stands on the south-eastern slope of the Little Carpathians near the village of Častá in Slovakia. Its history goes back to the first half of the 13th century: in 1240 the Hungarian queen Constance, widow of the Czech king Přemysl Otakar I, built it on land she had received as a wedding dowry.
You enter the castle grounds over a stone bridge across the moat. In the inner courtyard there is a fountain, and above its basin are a stag and a wooden wheel — the emblem from the coat of arms of the Pálffy family, who owned the castle for many centuries.
What to see inside
Inside the castle you can walk through the bedrooms, drawing rooms, dining room and knights’ hall. The interiors span periods from the Renaissance to Art Nouveau. It is well worth going down into the cellars, which served as a storehouse and as part of the defensive system — one of the largest underground castle spaces in Europe.
The castle grounds regularly host knights’ tournaments, festive celebrations and falconry displays. Check the castle’s official website for the current programme and opening hours before you set off.
Smolenice: the castle and the Driny cave
About an hour’s drive from Bratislava, in the Trnava region, lies the small village of Smolenice, which has several interesting places to visit.
Smolenice castle
The castle was built in the 14th century as a watchtower, and was later refurbished by two noble families. From the 33-metre tower there is a panoramic view over the village, the surrounding Little Carpathians and the English-style park. Inside is a museum with furnishings and rare objects of the period; several rooms and the interior of the three-storey tower are open to visitors. In the gallery between the second and third floors there is a photographic exhibition on the life of the Pálffy family.
The Driny cave
This is the only cave in western Slovakia open to visitors. Inside are frozen flowstone formations, narrow passages, waterfalls and underground lakes. More than ten species of bat live here.
The temperature in the cave does not rise above about 7 °C even in summer, so be sure to bring warm clothes and closed shoes. Opening hours and ticket prices are on the official website of the Slovak Caves Administration.
Where to relax nearby
Smolenice has a mead house with a guest terrace and a view of the castle. Next to it is a large playground on a beekeeping theme — a handy place to take a break with the children over coffee and a honey dessert. There are more ideas for family outings in our article Where to take a child: entertainment centres for kids in Bratislava.
Lednice castle in the Czech Republic
Lednice castle is one of the most beautiful and elegant historic monuments in the Czech Republic. Its history is bound up with the Liechtenstein family, who owned these lands with their parks and buildings for more than 600 years. The original historic furniture survives inside, along with a wooden staircase made without a single nail.
On the grounds there is a lake with small islands and buildings, among them a minaret. Its exact origin is unknown: according to one version the Liechtensteins built it simply because they liked it — the area around the castle has buildings to suit every architectural taste, from Chinese palaces to Roman obelisks.
Rooms worth seeing
The Hunting Hall holds a collection of mounted tame eagles that family members hunted with. The African Hall gathers trophies and objects the Liechtensteins brought back from the continent: animal skins, traditional clothing, household items and jewellery.
The bathroom deserves particular attention, with its washbasin carved from a single block of pink marble. The heating engineering is interesting too: the wood-burning stoves were located only in the lower part of the castle, and warm air was carried upwards through a carefully designed system of ducts. The French garden and the extensive English park round off the complex.
Olympia Park in Brno — a trip with children
Olympia Park in Brno is an all-round leisure park for the whole family, about an hour and a half from Bratislava by car. It sits next to the Olympia shopping centre on the southern edge of the city and covers around 5.3 hectares.
There are playgrounds for the very youngest and for older children, with the age each attraction is designed for clearly marked. Children enjoy the tulip carousel, the cable ride, the digger in the sand, the water play area and the art installations — the silent telephone, the giant egg and the wooden forest.
The main attractions
The park’s main draw is a railway about 1.6 kilometres long. The ride takes roughly 15 minutes and includes boarding at a station building with a covered platform, a visit to the rotunda with a track for model locomotives, the depot and the model repair workshop. There is also an 18-metre open-air climbing wall, an interactive playground and a water corner.
A cycle route along the Svitava and Svratka rivers runs next to the park. If you are coming by car, bring your bikes: there are snack bars, playgrounds and other attractions for children along the path.
Hallstatt in Austria
Hallstatt is a picturesque Austrian village that grew up around salt mining. Today it is a UNESCO site and has an exact replica in China: visitors were so taken with the atmosphere that they built the same village at home.
The journey from Bratislava to Hallstatt takes around four hours (about 373 km), so if you set off early in the morning you can see the main sights in a day and be back the same evening.
The Skywalk viewing platform
The Skywalk viewing platform stands about 350 metres above Hallstatt and can be reached by cable car — it is roughly a two-minute walk from the upper station. From the platform there is a view over Lake Hallstatt and the Dachstein mountains. There is a restaurant nearby serving local dishes.
The salt mines
The Hallstatt salt mines are considered the oldest in Europe — they are thought to be around 7,000 years old. In 2002 the oldest wooden staircase in Europe was discovered here. There is a special several-hour tour with a lamp and helmet on which you are shown the most ancient shafts and finds. Children over 4 are admitted; the temperature inside is low (around 7–8 °C), so bring warm clothes.
The ossuary in St Michael’s chapel
This is not a tour for the faint-hearted: human skulls are stacked from floor to ceiling around the room. The chapel was built in roughly the 12th century and holds more than 600 skulls with names written on them and painted decoration. According to historical sources, local people began bringing the skulls of deceased relatives here once the cemetery was full.
How to plan a one-day trip
For the places in Slovakia and the Czech Republic your own car is the most convenient option, but you can also reach Brno and Vienna by bus — see the details in our overview Passenger transport companies in Slovakia.
Before you set off, check the opening hours and whether you need to book: castles and caves run seasonal timetables, and tickets for popular tours are often sold out well in advance. For caves and mines, bring warm clothes and closed shoes whatever the time of year. If you are planning a summer trip and want to combine it with time by the water, take a look at our round-ups Summer swimming pools and beaches in Bratislava and Thermal spas in Slovakia.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa to travel from Slovakia to the Czech Republic or Austria?
Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Austria are all in the Schengen area, so no separate visa is needed for such a trip provided you have a legal basis for staying in Slovakia. Take your identity document and your residence permit with you — border checks are possible.
Which trip suits a family with small children?
Olympia Park in Brno is designed precisely for families with children. Smolenice is also a good option thanks to the playground next to the mead house. The salt mines in Hallstatt, however, admit children only from the age of 4.
How long does the journey to Hallstatt take?
About four hours each way by car (roughly 373 km from Bratislava). The trip is feasible in a single day, but you need to set off early in the morning.
What should I take when visiting caves?
Warm outer clothing and closed shoes with non-slip soles. The temperature in the Driny cave and in the salt mines stays at around 7–8 °C all year round.
Do I need to book tickets in advance?
In high season and at weekends, it is advisable. Always check current prices, timetables and booking rules on the official websites of the sites themselves, as these change.
Important. The information in this article has been gathered from publicly available online sources and is accurate at the time of publication. Conditions and rules change. Before making any decisions, check the current information and consult a relevant specialist.