Rosie and The Operator have finished their detour to Vienna and are visiting Bratislava the Capitol City of Slovakia. We are driving the short one-hour distance from Vienna to Bratislava and stopping at the Danubiana, a modern art gallery on the banks of the Danube River.
Its still wet, grey and unseasonably bone chilling with a misty, spring drizzle. Rosie is disappointed with the weather, but, it is what it is and we only have one opportunity to visit these places so we have to make do with what the day presents.
Halfway between Vienna and Bratislava is The Danubiana Modern Art Gallery. It is such a beautiful gallery, large, sprawling and filled with the most amazing light.
Rosie is not that keen on modern art…but felt so reinvigorated for the genre after visiting. She loved the huge pieces that took up space from the floor to the ceiling and was surprised that most of the local Slovakian pieces on display were actually painted in the 1920s – 70s yet still felt so vibrant, modern and relevant.
Outside they have a huge area for the installations and sculptures. This is normally Rosie’s favorite part of a gallery visit but the weather put a dampener on that and we whizzed around the grounds in super quick time. This would be a fantastic place on a summers day, today the Danube was the same colour as the sky and a swirling, fast paced highway of grey water.
Bratislava is the Capitol city of Slovakia and, with a population of 424,000 is the countries biggest city . Rosie would say it also has the distinction of having the cutest and most compact old town of any capitol city she has ever visited. Most people come and go from the town spending only half a day here. It is possible in that time to see all the main sights, but why hurry? When you are in a place so beautiful all you really want to do is linger, absorb and take your time. Print off this Old Town Walking Map and this is all you need to discover Bratislava
As we entered the city we noticed how beautifully leafy and green it is and how sprawling and big the new town is. The perfect lines of Bratislava Castle and its formidable fortress walls look down over the city from its hilltop vantage point above the Danube. It is a beautiful sight to behold as a first impression…and as for the UFO…you know this place is going to have a few quirky surprises in store if they have built an observation deck that looks like a UFO in the middle of the main bridge!
Trams and buses rattle and rumble around the periphery of the old town whilst the rest of the modern world speeds along with them as they live their day to day lives. Step into the middle of the ring road, onto the cobbled streets of the old town where there is no traffic and the pace of life slows to an amble, and, you really have stepped back in time.
Yep, relaxed is definitely how this fella feels. Meet Cumil, one of the most photographed points of interest in Bratislava. The statue, which sits at street level, is of a sewer worker emerging from his manhole. It is a light hearted tribute to the Communist era worker as he stops to pause and take a moment, there is no need to hurry to get things done, he is taking his time and watching the world go by. Or, as some also say…he is just pausing and looking up the skirts of the ladies as they walk by.
Cumil has plenty to watch around here as the streets and alleyways are lined with more cafe, bars, restaurants and shops and the area is buzzing with locals, interesting people and quirky places.
We start our sightseeing at the pink Primates Palace where the current Mayor of Bratislava currently has his office. This building was built in the 18th century by the church and was the personal residence of the Arch Bishop of Bratislava. Walk through the main doors and it has the most beautiful courtyard with a fountain sculpture of St George slaying the Dragon.
Next door is The Old Town Hall whose history dates back to the medieval beginnings of the town in the 13th century. It is the oldest city hall in the country as well as one of the oldest stone buildings still standing, But wait, the Town Hall also has another accolade as being the oldest museum in the country, having been functioning as one and displaying the history of the city since 1868.
Stepping through the wrought iron gates (above) and into the courtyard (below) the age of the building is more apparent. The blocky, thick plainness of the exterior is embellished with beautiful colonnades and wrought iron added in another age.
The clocktower, is seen from all over town and is just stunning. It harkens from 1376 and has been standing tall and true since the day it was built! It’s the first place we head to get a birds eye view of the town below and beyond.
We are not super high, but wow what a view it is over the town square and out to the castle. We were the only ones out on the balcony and we had it all to ourselves as we wandered around the circumference and took photos.
Below is the Main Square of Bratislava which throughout history has always been the main marketplace, area for public gatherings and the buzzing center of the town. Believe it or not…the Danube disastrously flooded in 1850 covering this entire area and the rest of the town in water up to the first floor.
Coming down from the tower we toured through the museum and were really surprised by the quality of it and how everything (for once in Slovakia) also had an English explanation to it.
The old official council chambers were last renovated in the 15th century and were amazing in their faded glory. The small compactness of them was quite endearing with the lack of scale and grandeur. They just seemed so real and usable.
Here in the town hall was another door with the most incredibly fascinating, elaborate locking mechanism. This door lead to the Town Hall strong room where its treasures were stored back in the day. Rosie was severely told off by the eagle eyed museum security lady when she tried to turn the key to watch the mechanism move….oooops.
Below ground level, in the town hall prison and dungeons they had the most incredible display of ancient torture equipment and the most detailed pictures on how the pieces were used. The stories on who they were used on and how long it took to get confessions….so, so, so disturbing and stomach churning. There were knew wicked pieces that Rosie had never seen before ( she does like to visit a good torture chamber) and could not believe ‘good Christians’ used such apparatus on each other…..
In the square, in front of the town hall, the café terraces were being bravely set up, it was a little chilly with the threat of rain later in the day so there were not many people lingering. Rosie could imagine how lovely it would be to stop, sit and people watch here on a warm sunny day as the people flowed past.
Up the street we wandered to St Michael’s Gate, the only preserved gate left in the cities fortification walls which dates back to the 14th century. It just looked so impressive viewing it from up the street with its green copper onion domed roof. The ancient buildings all different in style and colouring lining the street leading up to it were also magical in their age and degrees of upkeep.
We walked up Kapitulska St, one of the oldest in the town and one of the most treacherous with loose uneven cobblestones. This lane is lined with medieval houses fifty percent renovated, and the rest are in various states of renovation, disrepair and down right demolition states.
Rosie picked her doer upper…The Operator wasn’t impressed. This street looped around the outside of the town square and came up behind St Martins Cathedral. This three nave 15th century Gothic church is the coronation church of the Slovakian kings and high on its steeple is a gilded replica of the coronation crown which weighs 150kg…reminding the nation of its former glory.
Like most things we have encountered in Slovakia…the church was closed. The remaining old fortification walls that still flank the church are still big thick and intact here on this side of town. Instead of invaders, the walls today keep out the modern city and the giant ring road which surrounds the old town flows around the outside of them. Tall, modern, pastel coloured houses line the ring road and look down into the old town.
Walking around the church the small squares are just perfect with so many wee vignettes. The buildings are original and quite surprising in their designs and unique shapes.
Rosie and the Operator wandered down to the Danube to have a closer look at the mighty river thinking there might be a nice area to sit and have a coffee riverside. We turned around and walked back…the river was essentially a parking lot, choked with enormous tourist riverboats parked side by side.
Back onto the leafy and lively Hviezdoslav Square we strolled, we sat at the same bar that BJ and Gee sat at nearly a year earlier when they visited this beautiful town. We had a beer and made a worrisome mistake when ordering some cheese and bread to go with it. Rosie thought she was ordering grilled cheese and ended up with cheese marinated in brine, peppers and chilli in a mason jar! For a mistaken order, it was delicious! So creamy, soft and flavourful without being to hot or sour…go figure.
Hviezdoslavs Square is adjacent to the Danube embankment and the ring road that surrounds the old town. This strip of leafy green pedestrianized area is lined with cafes, bars and restaurants.
The Statue of Danish Childrens Author Hans Christian Anderson…who once visited Bratislava…Lol
Statues and fountains abound in the leafy shade and a small open air market was doing a roaring trade in souvenirs. Rosie particularly loved the dried citrus mixed with cinnamon and spices that gave off the most beautiful aroma reminding Rosie of Christmas. At the end of the Square, just past the market, sits the graceful National Theatre built in 1886.
Just out of the town center is the pastel blue and white wonder of St Elizabeth’s Church that looked like a fondant icing decoration on top of a cake, so perfect and round edged, with matching interior you could just eat it all up!
On a hill, high above the town is the Slavin Monument. A huge memorial cemetery to 6845 Russian soldiers who died in 1945 liberating Bratislavia. In the green leafy park stairs lead up to the towering 40 meter pylon where an 11 meter sculpture of a soldier holding the flag of liberty stands proudly.
Behind are the mass graves of the soldiers and a panoramic view out over the city from their final resting place.
Walking back to our apartment after a long day on her feet, Rosie was chuffed when she discovered a wee enclave of street art. They were huge pieces painted on the sides of buildings many stories high. You know this is Rosie’s favorite type of art and having entered Bratislava on an artful note it was a nice way to also end our visit here.
Farewell to beautiful Bratislavia! If you are coming here to visit, please make it longer than a half a day. Stay overnight in this captivating town, you will have no regrets. Everyone who spent half a day here…wishes they had stayed longer.
Tomorrow Rosie and The Operator are driving to the supercity of Budapest. We have been waiting a long time to get here, somehow our trips keep getting cancelled or pushed aside so Rosie cannot wait to explore this huge city.
Let Rosie and The Operator show you around more of Slovakia.
Kosice – Medieval Gem and the Second Largest City in Slovakia
Carpathian Wooden Churches en route to Bardejov with the most beautiful Town Square in Slovakia
Spis Castle and the Walled Medieval City of Levoca
Check out our entire 24 Day Eastern European Road Trip under the Europe tab on the Menu.
