Atlanta, GA

Day 5: Bratislava, Slovakia/Vienna | Jewel of an Empire After breakfast this morning, we drove by big bus to Bratislava, Slovakia’s capital, and joined our local guide, Juraj, for a walking tour of its Old Town, once a jewel of the Austro- Hungarian empire. Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, is set along the Danube River by the border with Austria and Hungary. Founded before the 10th century, the city was known originally as Pressburg. When Czechoslovakia was created in 1919 after World War I, the city was renamed Bratislava and made capital of the province of Slovakia. It’s surrounded by vineyards and the Little Carpathian mountains, crisscrossed with forested hiking and cycling trails. Almost 500,000 people reside in Bratislava, the political, cultural and economic center of the country. Bratislava is quite a green city due to its location at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains. Numerous parks in and around the city offer unlimited recreational possibilities. Bratislava is the largest city in Slovakia. Bratislava is known for building VW cars and historically the manufacture of furniture, chemicals, tobacco products, musical instruments, woolen goods, and leather. Perched atop a hill, the reconstructed Bratislava Castle overlooks old town. You can see views of both Austria and Hungary from the castle. After our tour we enjoyed a 5 course lunch at Albrecht restaurant and met the Chef. We enjoyed a free evening at our hotel in Vienna. Jim had a massage and Christian went to the work out center. We decided to eat light so we stayed in and had room service. Hotel Sacher Wien | Meal B L