Just outside the gates of Bratislava starts the mountain range of the Little Carpathians, providing plenty of opportunities for hiking (and sports). Yesterday public transport took us some 20 minutes from our place right to the foot of the south-western edge of the mountains. Even at ten in the morning the temperatures were past 30°, which promised a sweaty hike ahead. The area is beautiful and - at least mid-week - very quiet with hardly anybody else around.

With amazing forested hills just outside the door, there was no way we wouldn’t go for another hike today. This time we benefited from frequent local trains that run up-and-down the eastern side of the Little Carpathians. With countless stops to choose from, we opted to exit at Svätý Jur (Sweaty You). Through a small village the road leads straight up into the mountains and soon we found ourselves once more surrounded by forest.

Austrian Airlines has a connection Tegel to Vienna every two hours. Vienna itself doesn’t tempt me, but from the airport it’s less than an hour by bus to Bratislava. Very convenient. We arrived in the early afternoon and checked into a holiday appartment just next to the Danube. Not the worst view I ever had. The Slovak capital gives off a nice and relaxed flair. People are friendly and the streets clean.