Two-city break at Bratislava and Vienna (From York Press)

Two-city break at Bratislava and Vienna

10:30am Saturday 10th September 2011 in Holiday reviews By Maxine Gordon

MAXINE GORDON enjoys a two-city break on the banks of the Danube.

HERE’S a question worthy of a Trivial Pursuit card.

Q: Which two world capitals are closest together?

A: Bratislava and Vienna.

Just 40 miles (64 km) separate the capital of Slovakia from Austria’s grand centre. Their geographic closeness makes the enticing notion of having a mini-break in two capitals easily achievable.

We made Bratislava our first port of call, checking in to the ultra-swanky Sheraton hotel – a five-star new build in a modern riverside development, about a 20-minute stroll from the city’s historic old town.

We arrived in a heatwave, so the breeze from the Danube as we walked into the centre to explore was welcome.

Formerly part of Czechoslovakia, I was half expecting Bratislava to be cloaked in its communist past. But instead of the grey architecture I feared, the city was elegant, displaying grand buildings with ornate facades, and old trams criss-crossing the labyrinthine streets.

The medieval St Michael’s Gate with its 167ft (51m) tower, is the obvious place to visit for a panorama over the city. It contains a fascinating, if grisly, arms museum, spread over six floors, exhibiting weapons and army uniforms from the past.

The castle affords another great viewing platform, although it was closed for refurbishment during our visit.

Cafés and restaurants are at every turn in the Old Town, and we tried several local beers and snacks – fried cheese and ham rolls (literally a piece of ham rolled into a tube and filled with cream cheese) being two memorable ones.

Dining opportunities abound along Pribinova, home to the Sheraton, a huge shopping complex (including an M&S) and the new national theatre. Several restaurants had piers that led out over the Danube, offering the perfect spot to dine in style.

Travel between Bratislava and Vienna is a cinch. You can take the train or bus, but we chose the boat – booking ourselves on the Twin City Liner, a luxury hydrofoil, which cruised west arriving in the centre of Vienna in less than 90 minutes.

A ten-minute taxi ride later brought us to our hotel, the family-friendly four-star Falkensteiner, a 15-20 minute stroll from Vienna’s bustling cultural centre.

In terms of art, Austria punches above her weight with the superstar painters. Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoshka are just three of the big draws.

Next year marks the 150th anniversary of Klimt’s birth and the city is celebrating with a host of new exhibitions and events. Check out the website vienna.info for all the latest news.

Vienna at the turn of the 20th century was undergoing its own cultural revolution, with the likes of Klimt channelling the wider European Art Nouveau movement.

The Secession Building, with its striking gilt-leave dome, is a true landmark and home to Klimt’s Beethoven Frieze, a fresco widely recognised as one of the masterpieces of Viennese Art Nouveau.

His work, and that of his protégé, Egon Schiele, is spread across various galleries. If you are short of time, make sure to visit the Leopold in the Museumsquarter and the Belvedere, home to Klimt’s most famous work, The Kiss.

The glories of Austria’s past are many, and no visit would be complete without a trip to the Schloss Schonbrunn, the former summer residence of the Habsburgs.

Take the audio tour and learn about the amazing lives of Austria’s leading family; the characters, the intrigue, and their ultimate downfall. The ostentatious interiors are breathtaking.

A visit to Schonbrunn can easily fill the day, with a walk around the sprawling gardens and a visit to its zoo, the oldest in the world and home to some 750 animals, including, our favourite, a panda.

If you have kids in tow, check out the city’s aquarium, Haus de Meeres, contained over nine levels in a former anti-aircraft tower.

Cross the Danbue to Prater, home to a lively amusement park and the Riesenrad, the giant ferris wheel, dating back more than 100 years, which featured in the movies The Third Man and The Living Daylights.

Café culture is another Viennese speciality and one of our many highlights was checking out some of the city’s oldest coffee houses. Our favourite for cake was Café Demel, dating from 1786, in the upmarket Kohlmarkt, a stone’s throw from the Hofburg palace, Vienna’s former Imperial Palace. Try the chocolate-based Sachertorte or the apfelstrudel.

Best for coffee was 1880 Café Sperl on Gumpendorfer Strasse, which brings you a melange (the Viennese version of latte) on a silver platter with a little glass of water on the side.

Fact file

Vienna travel and tourism information at vienna.info

Falkensteiner Hotel Am Schottenfeld, Schottenfeldgasse 74, Vienna

Falkensteiner.com

Sheraton, Pribinova 12, Bratislava

Sheratonbratislava.com