The Foreigner's Guide to Slovakia

It’s that time of year when the Christmas markets around Europe are starting. In the five years I lived in Slovakia, I’ve visited vianočné trhy – Christmas markets in Bratislava and Nitra but almost all the larger towns and cities will have one, usually from the weekend beginning with Advent until December 24th.

Even after visiting several popular Christmas markets in Vienna, including the most popular outside of the Vienna City Center at the Rathaus, I’ve decided that I prefer something different. I’m not saying I’m immune to the beauty and grandeur of Vienna, particularly at Christmas time, but sometimes the abundance of kitsch found at the extraordinarily large booth displays, so crammed with people that you can hardly make your way through can start to wear thin after a while, leaving you wanting to be somewhere a little less commercial and a little more quaint.

The atmosphere at the Christmas market in Bratislava is more to my taste. Certainly there are plenty of people to be rubbing shoulders with, but the ethnic food, Christmas items found in the booths, including many hand made specialties from wood, metals, and ceramics, along with the festive atmosphere, makes Old Town Bratislava a great place to be.

This year’s Christmas market opens on Friday, November 28. I’ll be home this year in California, but oh boy, do I wish I could go.

What to see: My advice is to take a quick walk around the perimeter of Roland Square (it’s not that big) to get the layout and scope out possible food and drink booths to visit later. Of course, if you are like me who loves to oooh and ahhhh over crafts and bright and shiny trinkets, you will want to take the time to visit almost all of the booths at your leisure.

As Roland Square seems to get more crowded every year, the city has started to add more booths on Hviezdoslav Square, in effect extending the location of the Christmas market. Without a doubt, Roland Square is still the the most popular spot to be. Also, in the small square adjacent to Roland Square where the Old City Hall is, there are also a few more booths and a nativity scene display. If you’re not careful you might miss it.

What to eat: There are plenty of food booths, many that have grilled meats and sausages served in toasted bread rolls. You can also find more traditional Slovak foods like lokše – something like a potato pancake filled with various foods such as duck, goose, poppyseeds, or served plain with butter. Then there’s the sweet stuff like štrudla, palacinky or other kinds of jam-filled cakes and breads.

What to drink: Well, there are several kinds of mulled wine called varené víno, which comes in both red and white wine varieties. Then there is punč which is basically fruit punch with rum, though you can get a non-alcoholic version that is also good. Then there is medovina, which is wine made from honey. All are best served hot to keep you warm.

Where is it: As I mentioned above, the main portion of the market takes place in Roland Square in the Staré mesto – Old Town. Roland Square is actually just a nickname and the official name is Hlavné námestie – Main Square. See the map below:

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