Goblins, Fireworks and UFOs: New Year’s Eve on the Danube

As New Year’s Eve preparations go, starting the big day by running the risk of missing the entire thing as a result of a delayed or cancelled 3pm Ryanair flight from London Stansted airport is certainly the preferred method. Wasting no time after a lucky on-time arrival, we jumped straight into a Bolt taxi - heading to our sanctuary for the trip - Mama’s Design and Boutique hotel on Chorvátska - very close to the action but a tranquil escape from the revellers. Central Europe is where Bolt, a major ride-hailing app reigns supreme - no fuss, easy taxis on demand, for very little.

Totally unsure as to what Bratislava has to offer as a New Year’s Eve experience, heading to Hviezdoslavovo square very quickly reveals that you have made the right choice. Facing the grand Slovak National Theatre lies a sea of eagerly awaiting locals. Food stands flogging every type of sausage known to man and cheap local beer and wine enhances the anticipation. A massive NYE digital countdown clock dons the Slovak capital’s name, while the sound system belts out the weirdly familiar sounds of Omega’s 1973 Eastern European classic “Pearls in her hair”, or Gyöngyhajú lány, in the band’s native Hungarian, all complemented by a glorious light show.

Soak up the (strangely nostalgic) atmosphere before setting the tone for the evening in the Old Town’s best kept secret - the Goblin bar. Heading down a backstreet, you will find a wine cellar-esque doorway leading down to a dingy, bustling basement. Not for the faint hearted, this bar is rather inconveniently cash-only, offering inside smoking, very little oxygen, €2-ish beers and cheap shots - the perfect recipe for a total disaster. Hazy pints and hazy memories. Packed with locals, a shocking number of Brits escaping the fireworks back in London and a number of weekend warriors visiting from nearby Austria and Hungary, Goblin Bar is a great venue to kickstart your night.

After almost forgetting the main event due to the lack of light and oxygen in the bar, it's time to head off. A quick meander around the old town reveals a bustling and active nightlife, blissfully lacking the over-the-top chaos of the event back in London. The anticipation of a capital about to explode with New Year’s energy is prevalent, nonetheless. Leaving the epicentre of the old town, the vicinity is strewn with impressively cool coffee shops, bars and restaurants and all your go-to American hotel chains, with locals frantically buying up bottles of questionable local champagne from supermarkets ahead of the big countdown.

Peering across the iconic Danube to the residential south of the city, Petržalka, Bratislava’s infamous UFO bridge sits imperiously, lit-up and overseeing the event. A true architectural icon, the SNP Most (as it is officially referred to) is the symbol of Bratislava, and one of our favourite sights in Central Europe.

Heading back over to Hviezdoslavovo square, it was disappointing to hear that the “official” fireworks display was not going to take place, in a move that appeared to break from age-old tradition in the city. That said, the unofficial firework handlers seemed to be undeterred and hard at work.

Before long, the clock strikes 12 following a countdown and the huge “Bratislava 2023” display seamlessly transforms into “Bratislava 2024”. Fireworks explode above the Danube and Bratislava castle, illuminating the mediaeval streets that have erupted with applause, cheers, the exchange of giddy chatter in Slovak and English, and a feeling of a city united in joy and drunkenness. Blue Danube blares out from the sound system while locals spilled out from the bars into smoking areas - and the flow of beers showed no sign of stopping. Here’s to new places, new beginnings and the start of the Caravan Media journey!