Josh Friedman takes you to Bratislava, Slovakia, which is in the middle of Europe geographically and politically. Bratislava is quaint and located between popular European tourists destinations, yet Slovakia is often overlooked as a country, as well as a place to visit.
Geographically, Bratislava straddles the Danube River, and it nearly straddles Austria and Hungary. Politically, Slovakia straddles the core of the European Union and the Visegrad group – two forces within the EU that oppose one another and frequently clash on major issues, such as handling refugees. Unlike its Vicegrad neighbors – the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland – Slovakia uses the euro currency, and its prime minister is angling for Bratislava to keep pace with Berlin and Paris in its adoption of European Union schemes. But unlike France and Germany, Slovakia does not have a population that is warm to the idea of multiculturalism.
During this brief tour of Bratislava, take a look at a castle with a view of two neighboring countries, as well as a popular old town and a communist-built bridge over the Danube River that has earned the name UFO.