New Year’s Eve in Bratislava is as unpretentious as it gets—the frat party to the black-tie balls of Vienna, just an hour away. The Slovak capital’s medieval Old Town hosts more than 10,000 people for concerts, open-air dance parties, and a fireworks show over the Danube River. It’s divided into a “concert zone” for those more interested in live local music and “party zones” for socializing. Jumbo screens broadcast the celebrations in other capital cities worldwide. Just be prepared: New Year’s Eve here is a noisy affair, as tradition dictates the use of a rehtacka, or wooden noisemaker, to chase away the negative energy of the past year.