Where to Live in Bratislava
The following excerpt is taken from The Foreigner’s Guide to Living in Slovakia.
The population of Bratislava is approximately 450,000 and the city is separated into five districts. The following are descriptions of particular areas in each district, and details to consider when choosing a place to live:
I. Staré Mesto – (city center)
The “Old Town” consists of the historical center and the area just below the castle. It’s a very popular area with the expatriate community. Its positive points are that everything is within walking distance and it has good public transportation connections. Its shortcomings are the lack of public parking as well as the fact that it boasts of some of the most expensive property in Bratislava.
II. Ružinov, Vrakuňa, and Podunajské Biskupice – (east and southeast)
Ružinov is another area popular with “expats” as it has good public transportation access and is rather an attractive neighborhood. Most of the possibilities for accommodation are in apartment blocks. The area within Ružinov that is more populated with residence housing is called Prievoz.
III. Nové Mesto, Rača, and Vajnory – (north and northeast)
Nové Mesto is located just east of the Old Town and has the oldest apartment blocks in the city, some dating earlier than the 1920s. Access to public transportation in Nové Mesto is particularly good with many tram lines running through. Rača is located in the north-east of Bratislava at the beginning of the Small Carpathian Mountains and has some very beautiful surroundings of forest and sloping vineyards. It is not popular with foreigners mainly because of its poor access to the rest of the city. The main street that runs through Rača is called Račianska and can be a nightmare to drive, particularly during rush hours. Also in this third district are the areas of Koliba and Kramáre that are more popular with foreigners. Koliba is a hilly area close to Bratislava castle and to the town center with many expensive homes built up very compactly. Many roads in the area are winding and steep, making parking a challenge. Still, the view of the city below is great. Kramáre has both apartments and homes. A large hospital and emergency ward are located there.
IV. Karlova Ves, Dúbravka, Lamač, Devín, Devínska Nová Ves, and the village Záhorská Bystrica – (west)
Karlova Ves is located in the northwest of Bratislava and is desirable to many expats looking for a house or an apartment, particularly for those who have children attending either of the two international schools that are located in the area. It is an attractive area with many tree-lined streets and a surrounding forest.
V. Petržalka, Jarovce, Rusovce, and Čunovo – (south)
Petržalka lies on the right bank of the Danube River and is connected by a series of bridges with the rest of Bratislava. Though the area of Petržalka is not significant in size, it is extremely dense in population with one-third of Bratislava’s population settled there. It is overwhelmingly a concrete jungle of panel blocks and is considered by many Slovaks and non-Slovaks to be an ugly environment. The positives are, however, the lower rent and relative closeness of grocery stores and businesses. Transportation to and from the other bank can be problematic though, as bridges are often blocked with traffic during rush hours and crossing can take some time.
Here are some additional comments I’m adding for this blog:
Where I lived: I lived in Nové Mesto and thought it was quite a sufficient area. My only complaint was that I lived in a block at the intersection of two major roads and never could escape the traffic noise. On the other hand, I loved living close to the Polus shopping center.
Where I would have chosen to live: Believe it or not, if I could have chosen anyplace to live in Bratislava, considering my modest salary, I would have liked to live in Rača. “What?!” Some people who know Bratislava might say. “Rača was once the industrial center of Bratislava. Who wants to live next to factories?” Well, parts of Rača, at the base of the Small Carpathians, are beautiful, and a bit secluded and quiet. Vineyards are everywhere and the forest is close by. I wouldn’t consider Rača if I owned a car, but public transportation via tram is great. Karlova Ves is an even more beautiful area but it is simply, in my opinion, too far from the city center.
1 Comment on “Where to Live in Bratislava”
I have to take issue with your assertion that Raca was the industrial centre of Bratislava, its nothing of the kind, i think you are confusing where Raca actually begins. Raca is a village at the end of the line (roughly between tram stops Detvianska and Komisarky) Probably you are referring to the factories in nove mesto (north of Ruzinov), these are mostly being demolished to give way to developments like Slovany that will change the face of Bratislava. For the forseeable future however i would say that the best place is to stay in the centre. As a foreigner myself I have found that accessing forests and parks is never a problem in Bratislava anyway. However in the cold winter the last thing you want to do is rely on public transport or a car to get to your job on time. The simple fact is that there is tsunami of people coming to Bratislava to live and they all use cars more and more which is making living in the outskirts more and more troublesome. Packed trams in the morning full of coughing people with BO issues is not my idea of fun, and the traffic is a terrible especially when it snows/rains, then all bets are off, and in Bratislava it can snow so hard that your car is invisible without digging it out at times... I have to state my interest because of course i do have some apartments in the centre that i am renting http://www.flickr.com/photos/zuzanavrbova/sets/72157594282508036/ but I chose to invest in the center because this is simply where life is easiest for foreigners, especially around the central tesco in Bratislava. Western goods are easily purchased there and naturally people prefer to live around the center because Bratislava is a peaceful town. The young english-speaking population is centred around that area. Going to a god forsaken suburb like Petrzalka or Dubravka, or Devinska nova ves is a bit of nightmare. Particularly Dubravka as its significantly colder than other parts of Bratislava (has a weird micro-climate). Additionally the brarbarism of naked concrete all around is depressing and there are few amenities as the suburbs were a product of a centrally planned housing estates with an emphasis of low cost of development. Most apartments suffer structural problems ranging from bad wiring, plumbing, paper thin walls, cracks, pathetic insulation, breezy windows and that includes Ruzinov in most places. I live in the centre now and its the best thing i did. The only reason to go further out is if you have a large family and you want a garden and a big car parking space etc. But then you are better off going outside bratislava altogether. Indeed not even the rental prices present much of a difference between say much less well connected Ruzinov or the center itself unless you are on the pedestrian zone (which is of course is bad value for money as you are competing for space with businesses). Additionally the suburbs are drab concrete jungles with less policing or road repair even, generally they feel like a poor relation to the center. Honestly I would not bother anywhere further out than -Ursiniho tram stop on the north east, -the VUB bank building on the east -Aupark to the south (which means frankly all of the deeply depressing Petrzalka) -MAYBE Karlova Ves to the west. Now the west is a funny one because there is the castle but the problem there is that you MUST have a car AND somewhere to park and besically shopping options are zero, tehre is a distinct lack of shopping options to the west of Bratislava. Some places are ok but soon enough Dubravka starts and that is a no no... Now some people may like these places but unless you love concrete and soviet era apartments with rickety elevators or economy minimalism you will not have much fun to say the elast... Just my experiences since I ve been living here for the best part of three years...
March 24th, 2008 at 10:00 AM