2008-10-21

UFO and Novy Most in Bratislava

If you drive along the foreshore of the Danube River in Bratislava, Slovakia, one of the most noticeable things will definitely be the Novy Most, or New Bridge. It’s quite high-tech looking and not at all in keeping with the surrounding Bratislava Castle or Old Town, not to mention the fact that most of the historic Jewish area was destroyed to build it back in 1972. But it’s now here to stay, and you might as well get something out of it. Or at least know in advance the good and bad sides!

Personally, I’ve only ever used the Novy Most to walk over the Danube to head into suburban Bratislava, either for a stroll or to go shopping. But the tall end of it contains a structure that looks like a UFO suspended on top of a tower, and quite appropriately has a restaurant named UFO. There’s also an observation deck above the restaurant where you can see across Bratislava as well as into nearby Hungary and Austria.

However … most people who’ve been there seem to agree that the meals and service in UFO aren’t really up to scratch. They might have a really funky website but that seems to be where it ends. Visiting the observation deck is probably the best use of your time there. Better to know in advance than discover this after the fact, because the bridge is so prominent that you can’t miss it.v