Bratislava’s old town is a little bon-bon, a perfectly formed tangle of twisting cobbled streets, studded with pastel 18th century buildings, castles and churches. But far from simply being a city of yore, the Slovakian capital has an unmistakably cosmopolitan, contemporary feel and quirky personality, best exemplified by its infatuating street art.

Introducing Kumil the Watcher. It’s my favourite piece of local street art, which has cultivated a cultish following amongst art buffs. Installed nearly twenty years ago, Kumil is a road worker peering out from a manhole, all rendered in bronze. After coming close to being beheaded by several cars who inadvertently drove over him, a “Man at Work” road sign was added for Kumil’s self-preservation. The sculpture speaks to the city’s cheerful demeanour, as it emerged from the long shadows of the Iron Curtain. 

A similarly unexpected and unforgettable folly is the UFO Tower – perhaps the Communists’ greatest contribution to the city, in contrast to their swathe of brutalist tenement blocks. Bratislava straddles both sides of the Danube, and rising above the southern bank is the UFO, a futuristic statement tower, crowning the Novy Most (New Bridge), and proud to be the tiniest member of the World Federation of Great Towers. You can zip up the shuddering elevator to the roof-top observation deck, before retreating inside the UFO disc for a drink. Locals advised me not to bother with the food in the restaurant. “The view is great, but the food is lousy.”

You’ll be looking directly across the river to the leading city landmark, Bratislava Castle. The original foundations were laid in the 9th century, although fortifications on the site reach back to before Christ. The castle is now home to the Slovak Historical Museum and the Music Museum, but, to be honest, the prime reason to scale the hill, which strategically lies between the Alps and Carpathians, is for the knock-out view. On a clear day, you can actually see Slovakia all around you, Austria to the west and Hungary to the south east. Bratislava has the unique distinction of being the only capital city to be flanked by three countries. The current building, a boxy four-towered rectangle, is a 1950s reconstruction of Emperor Sigismund’s fifteenth-century castle, which was destroyed by fire in 1811.

But it’s the Old Town where you’ll want to linger most, a showcase of the mastery of Slovak town planners, who somehow jam-packed a whole city’s worth of churches, shops, palaces and museums into a handful blocks. The district is smaller than Prague's Old Town, but uncannily similar, with winding cobblestone lanes hiding gothic churches and elegant residences. I loved the Primates' Palace, a stirring architectural monument, worth an exploratory for the glinting Hall of Mirrors and the adjacent English tapestries which date to the 17th century. The Hall of Mirrors is where Napoleon and Austrian Emperor Franz I signed their peace treaty in 1805. It was only when the palace was being restored in 1903 that the English tapestries were discovered, concealed behind the plaster. The palace also brims with large oil portraits of Hapsburg royalty, including one from 1742 of Marie Theresa at her coronation.

The showpiece entry point into the Old Town is St. Michael’s Gate, with its onion-domed copper tower. Look carefully and you’ll notice that gracing the top is a statue of archangel Michael slaying a dragon. Originally built in Gothic style the 14th century, it was later adapted to Baroque style and is the only surviving medieval gateway, which is adjoined by stately Baroque buildings, including Mozart House, where the six-year-old Mozart performed for the city elites.

It’s a great street to enjoy a restorative plop at a pavement café, where exotically flavoured fizzy drinks are all the rage lavender lemonade. Try it. You might like it. Other essential sights include St. Martin’s Cathedral, with its distinctive blue spire. It’s where 19 Hungarian kings and emperors had their coronation, when Bratislava became the Hungarian capital, following the Ottoman conquest of Budapest.

You’ll also enjoy admiring the neo-renaissance magnificence of the silver-roofed Slovak National Theatre, a beautiful building, bracketed by frothy fountains. An art nouveau landmark for the tick-list is the Blue Church, officially known as the Church of St Elizabeth of Hungary. Just over 100 years old, both the interior and exterior of the church are painted in shades of pale blue and decorated with blue majolica tiles; even the roof is tiled with the soothing blue-glazed ceramics.

Feeling peckish? Here’s a few taste tempters that I happily grazed from across Bratislava. Stop by Koun, at No. 13 Panska, the city’s feted purveyor of ice cream. Crazy flavours include the sublime fig and ricotta mix. At Skalna, you’ll find Kava Bar, an eclectic hangout that looks part-hipster, part Viennese coffee house. It sports an expansive coffee menu, with a fun and quirky décor, complete with vintage cups and saucers. Slovakia’s national dish would have to be Halušky, gnocchi-like potato dumplings smothered with melted sheep’s cheese and a sprinkling of fried bacon. It’s not exactly Michelin-star material, and you’ll easily find the dish on the menus of most cheap and cheerful pubs.

Beyond the city, tale a side trip on Slovakia's wine trail which stretches north of Bratislava through the small Carpathian mountains, which fringe the city. The wine route has morphed tremendously in recent years. Also just outside the city is Devin Castle, Slovakia’s magnificent romantic ruin. Built in 863AD, it has a commanding view of the confluence of two significant rivers that form part of the country’s borders, the Danube and the Morava. It was literally Slovakia’s gateway of Christianity, with patron saints Cyril and Methodius arriving here to launch their epic missionary work.

Despite standing the test of time for centuries, that fearsome French imperialist, Napoleon, was the one who ordered it ruined, as part of his military neutralisation of Central Europe in 1809. I last enjoyed Bratislava as part of Uniworld’s Enchanting Danuve river cruise. However, if you’re free-riding your way through Central Europe, Bratislava is an easy 90 minute train ride from the grand old dame of Vienna.

Mike Yardley is Newstalk ZB’s Travel Correspondent on Jack Tame Saturdays. 11.20am