One of the smaller but more authentic cinemas in Bratislava is Kino Film Europe. It’s located in a grand building on a street, which could be considered a small boulevard, full of old palaces. This one has a unique history – it once was the residence of the Third Reich and later Lenin’s Museum. The building recently got a beautiful new facade.

You can tell by the red carpets and marble inside that it wasn’t just an ordinary house. Some marble plaques with propaganda slogans still decorate the entrance hall. It’s a retro experience. The good thing is that the communists didn’t destroy the original ceiling frescoes but only covered them up so they were saved.

It’s such a unique building people sometimes organize design markets, photo exhibitions or even weddings here. And a cinema was installed in the basement. As the name suggests, their main focus is European cinema, but they screen all kinds of recently released independent movies from around the world, so you don’t even need to speak Slovak. Screenings take place four times a week and cost €4, way cheaper than big multiplexes, and you get to experience that special atmosphere of the building too. Check their program here.

Now and then they have small move festivals like Be2Can in November with movies from international movie festivals in Venice and Cannes. A great way to see independent or festival movies and discover a unique building.