Bratislava, Slovakia
48° 9' N 17° 7' E
Mar 31, 2008 17:09
Distance 56km

earlier Entry 163 of 298 later
You need to upgrade your Flash Player Click here to start downloading FlashPlayer!
Text written in: English

Re-Visiting Bratislava

Bratislava. Monday, March 31st to Thursday, April 3rd.

Going to Bratislava was interesting. I had been there for an afternoon in August 2006. Had a very good memory of the city and was curious if it would still resonate with me. What I liked then was that it was small enough that you could explore it easily, and it had many memorable sites. Well, reporting back, it was nice to re-visit the city, and I was surprised how much I remembered about getting around, as the layout of the city came back quickly.

Bratislava is in Slovakia, which was part of the former Czechoslovakia until 1992, when the country peacefully and amicably split in half. Slovakia is a less progressive, more rural country than its Czech partner. Bratislava has a population of 450,000 and is the capital of the country. The city bills itself as the Big Little City. You can get to it from Vienna in about one hour. It has all the charm of a bigger, older European city, but everything is to scale. The old part of the city has the churches and art galleries, and side-walk cafes. Nice thing is you can do the entire old part of the city in one and a half days. Right next to the old part and on top of a hill is a castle with an impressive view of the city, the Danube River and the surrounding countryside. For special effect, there is a bridge which can only have one name, being the UFO bridge. When you see a photo of it you will immediately understand why.

On Monday afternoon, after checking in we went to the top of the UFO bridge. The weather was outstanding (as it had been all the prior and subsequent days). Got a great view of the area. One thing that hits you is the large collection of Soviet built public housing on one side of the river. This settlement, called Petrzalka, is one of the largest such sites ever built by the Soviets. Just looking at it you get what is wrong with communism.

By Tuesday, the cumulative effect of non-stop moving about was catching up on us. Had a relaxing day, walked about slowly and enjoyed the fine weather. Bratislava is an easy city to walk about in, and there are lots of interesting things which are close to one another.

Well, Wednesday was every bit as active as Tuesday was leisurely. Rented bikes and cycled about 10 K each way to Devin Castle. The ride was not hilly, as we cycled along the Danube River. Instead of hills, there was a strong headwind on the way out. This castle dates back to about 1300. It was in relatively good shape and in a neat location. For me, it was the first very old castle I had seen. To date everything has been palaces, pyramids, temples, churches, religious sites or mosques. It was nice to see old European memorabilia for a change. Also, near the castle was a monument to those killed trying to swim across the Danube and to freedom during the Communist era. It is very easy to forget that 20 years ago this was a very different place, and under strict Soviet control. If you give freedom a chance, it sure produces wonderful results, as you can see in Bratislava. The locals seem happy and keen to get on with life.

Later that day and on Thursday, I completed all the paperwork to work for HCT in Sharjeh and sent it off by courier. Very nice to close that matter and know where I will be working and what I will be doing in September; actually have to arrive in Dubai on August 2 for orientation. I am ready and eager for whatever is next.

And Thursday marked the end of my travels with Jane. What a grand experience,which requires a re-play. Now back to solo travel for two weeks. Will feel different for sure.

Photos / videos of "Re-Visiting Bratislava":

View of old Bratislava and Saint Mathias Church, as seen from the top of the UFO Bridge or Novy Most. The massive housing complex build by the Russians in the 1950's. It is one of the largest public housing complexes ever built by the Russians. Makes you wonder how these Soviet engineers and architects view their profession and skills. View of Bratislava Castle from the top of the Bridge. The palace is sometimes called the upside down table as it has four pointy towers on the four corners, which look like table legs. Unfortunately, the interior of the palace was closed when we visited later. View of the Danube River. Tourist River boats go up and down the Danube River from Vienna to Bratislava to Budapest, and much later and further downstream to Bucharest. The gate entrance at the top of the old part of the town. From here you could walk 15 minutes to the water's edge and bottom of the old part. It would take about 15 minutes to walk across the old part. However the interior was full of interesting nooks and cranies to see. Man at work. There are at least five creative statues like this one throughout the old part. Makes a wonderful impression when you see these works of art, unlike the too many statues of men on horses and looking formal that you see in other European cities. The UFO bridge built by the Soviets in the 1950's. There is a great viewing platform at the top of the bridge, where I took the earlier photos from. One of the many lanes and alleys in the old part. Interior of Saint Mathias church. The crypt below Saint Mathias church. The Bratislava opera house. It took 21 years to finish the restorations of the building. It is the anchor of the large open plaza near the waterfront. As you walk about the town you naturally end up here and have a glass of wine or a latte. The town hall in the old part. Apparently there is a museum there with one of the best collections of tapestries in the world. Maybe next time. Devin Castle. This castle was first built in the 1300's and added to over the next few centuries. For such an old castle it was in pretty good shape. Looking from one of the two wings of the castle towards the other wing. Looking straight down on the Danube River and a small watch tower perched on the rock ledge far below. View of the quaint town of Devin taken from the top of the castle. Another angle of the castle. It was neat that we were about the only people at the site, there were those but you did not see them, so you felt you had the castle to yourself. The 1968 Memorial, which recognizes the many women and men who were killed trying to swim across the Danube River to Austria. The marks on the monument are from bullets deliberately shot at it. There are at least one hundred names carved into the side of the memorial. Biking back with a trial wind. Many of the trees in Eastern Europe had these weird growths on them. At first you think they are bird nests but on closer inspection it appears to be some type of parasite. One of the river boats that goes back and forth to Vienna. Fun statue of Napoleon. He came here to sign one of the many treaties he caused in his conquests and defeats in Eastern Europe. The statute is called Pabaratiz. There is one other fun statue of Hans Christian Anderson, the fellow who wrote 'The Emperor's New Clothes'.
earlier Entry 163 of 298 later
You need to upgrade your Flash Player Click here to start downloading FlashPlayer!