We try to go away for New Year (as its always an anti climax at home) and this year went to Bratislava and I cannot recommend it enough! This is small city that knows how to party - and tidy away! We arrived three before New Year and our expectations were low. The buildings were beautiful and there was lots to see but thought New Year might be a bit of an anti climax. However the morning of New Year's Eve they set to work and by the evening there were three states set up (live music, cheesy disco and another stage that had a countdown clock and counted in teh New Year with fireworks and classical music!). It was amazing! If you want to go somewhere for New Year and are on on a budget you could not do any better! Fireworks beat Paris, Rome and Prague - plus the beer and local fizzy wine is cheap! A must for New Year!

The Bratislava is a small city, but intersted for me :D, becouse I was born near and I live in Bratislava currently today. From Bratislava into Vienna it's 40-50.km and into Budapest near too, so Bratislava could be good point of trans midle europe trip.

bratislava and bratilava castle are among the cutest smaller capitals of europe, stay in the city center for a few days, it is really terrific and without the touristic hasstle as Prague, without the focus on money and status as in vienna.

this acstle is nothing special really, under renovation at the moment with a huge 'euro' sign on it, there is a great castle about 30minutes out of town which is all ruins, that is worth the day out there!!

Recently rebuilt and still quite void and empty of stuff... just housing a beautiful but small museum. Still very cheap. I would recommend to go there only for the beautiful view (photo included)