Bratislava and Vienna: Christmas Markets!

On our way home for Christmas, we decided to first head east instead of west to spend a few days in Bratislava, Slovakia and Vienna, Austria with some good friends.  We left after work on the Friday before Christmas and landed in Bratislava late in the evening.

We stayed at Marrol’s Boutique Hotel:  highly recommend for anyone traveling to Bratislava.  It was charming, the breakfast delicious and the service could not have been any better!

After a delicious breakfast, we set out to explore the city on foot.

One of the highlights of traveling in Central/Eastern Europe this time of year is the abundance of Christmas markets.  Bratislava was no exception.

We decided to go back for a second round of mulled wine.  John returned with mulled wine for me and what John was told was a traditional Slovakian Christmas drink.  Those are pork rinds floating on the top!

Of course we had to try it…

After a few drinks in the market, we met up with Peter, a friend of mine from high school (he was an exchange student in Kentucky).  It was so great to see him so many years later!!!

He even let us crash his office Christmas party.  We ended up having an AMAZING time and making more friends in Bratislava.

The next morning, we checked out of our rooms in Bratislava and prepared to head to Vienna.  But, not before enjoying some Christmas cookies!

Peter and his friends were kind enough to give us a ride to Vienna from Bratislava!  It is a 45 minute drive and he and his friends made a day of it.  So thankful for the ride and friendships that span years and continents 🙂

Vienna was STUNNING.  And all dressed up for Christmas it went from stunning to magical.

First stop:  Demel Cafe for some coffee and sweets!

By the time we stepped outside, night had fallen.  But we were just getting started!  We really enjoyed the Christmas vibe!

We couldn’t visit Vienna without enjoying some classical music.  Fortunately, there was a Christmas concert our first night there.  We lucked out because it was a variety show.  We got to see choral music, an orchestra, ballet, opera, etc.

Next stop:  Katie’s birthday celebration!  It was a bit delayed, but we finally got to celebrate this awesome lady!

We finished the celebration at Das Loft a top-floor bar with panoramic views of the city.  The session ended with road beers–albeit classy (Belgian Trapist) road beers.

The next day, the Hills were off to Prague and we had an extra day to enjoy Vienna.

We had a bit of last minute Christmas shopping to finish–the next morning we were boarding a plane bound for Kentucky!

What an incredible trip!  We experienced amazing Kentucky treatment, two very different but equally intriguing cities, and made some great memories (many unexpected) with dear friends.  A lovely start to our Christmas holiday!