After months of traveling and exploring many of Europe’s major cities, this impossibly charming little place remains one of my favorite capitals in the world.  The word hidden gem only begins to describe the allure of this city.  We visited Bratislava on a whim while staying in Vienna, and we were mesmerized. Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia, and is located along the border with Austria and neighboring Hungary.  We took a one-hour bus ride from Vienna (only 37 miles way!) and arrived in the center of the sunny 18th century old town without any idea what to expect… and the blanks filled in quickly! The old town is adorable and full of little passages and cobblestone side-streets.  Wandering around those little alleys is so much fun, and it is common to emerge from a dilapidated passageway into a bright and spectacular backstreet… ^^^…shared only by the nuns attending their errands. The contrasting nature of the buildings in Bratislava offers a feast for the eyes and makes for an unbelievably photogenic city.  The graffiti-covered walls, Communist …