On our third day in Vienna, we visited Bratislava, the capital city of Slovakia. Bratislava is about 50 miles away from Vienna. Our bus took about 1 hour to get us there early in the morning.
Slovakia is a country that separated from the old Czechoslovakia; the other half of the old Czechoslovakia becomes the Czech Republic. Slovakia as an independent country is fairly new. It was only established in 1993, although its people Slavs have been around its present-day territory since the 5th and 6th centuries. The country is a big player in car manufacturing with many auto assembly plants set up by major car brands, such as Volkswagen, Peugeot, and KIA.
Bratislava sits on the bank of the Danube. We crossed over the river via the Slovak National Uprising Bridge. The top of the bridge column shaped like a UFO.
(Click on each picture to get the full-size view)
Our tour of Bratislava would only cover its Old Town area. We met our local guide at the corner of a plaza. The St. Martin's Cathedral is in the background
The street signs looked confusing and daunting at first. I didn’t read up on any tour info for the city and had no idea where we would be going and seeing.
Thankfully our local guide (in brown overcoat) was very knowledgeable and eager to explain everything.
Pharmacy Salvator is a Neo-Renaissance building and formerly a real pharmacy. It was built in 1904 with a façade that features a stone statue of Christ the Saviour.
Across the street from the pharmacy is the imposing St. Martin's Cathedral. The Gothic building once served as the coronation church of the Kingdom of Hungary from the 16th century to the 19th century. Empress Maria-Theresa held her coronation in this church also.
Our tour would walk around the Old Town. With cobber-stone streets, the area looks quaint and tasteful.
The front door of the Pállfy's Palace has intricate carving.
On the side of the front door is a plaque commemorating Mozart giving a performance there when he was six years old.
Another house has a plaque commemorating Franz Liszt. Many composers visited the Bratislava when the city was once the center of Hungary. Another Hungarian composer Béla Bartók also had frequent presences in Bratislava.
Michael’s Gate is the only remaining gate of a once walled city.
Another view of Michael’s Gate.
Close-up view of Michael's Gate
The fortification of the walled city consisted of a moat too. To the right of this picture is a barbican above the Bratislava water moat.
The Old Town Hall in the Old Town is the oldest city hall in Slovakia. Next to the clock tower is the Jesuit Church.
A bronze statue of Napoleon's soldier playfully leans over a bench in front of the French Embassy in the Main Square. Our local guide’s story about the statue is that the Slavs were not happy with Napoleon so the statue actually is aiming his rear toward the French Embassy to show Slav’s displeasure with France.
Another whimsical statue in the Old Town, the statue of Man at Work.
A feminine and flowery bicycle.
Two ugly and fanciful gargoyles perch atop a store entrance.
Primate's Square, where the mayor’s office is located.
Primate Palace, the mayor’s office
The courtyard inside the Primate Palace.
On a quiet street in the Old Town is this Clarissine Church.
Hviezdoslav Square, a long rectangular plaza with government offices and embassy buildings on its side.
At one end of the Hviezdoslav Square is the Old National Theater.
In the middle of the square stands a statue of Mr. Hviezdoslav, after whom the square is named.
From the other end of the Hviezdoslav Square, we got picked up by our bus to go back to Vienna
Looking from a highway overpass outside the Old Town, the remnant of the old city fortification is visible on the left.
We signed up for an optional Mozart and Strauss concert for the evening. At nightfall, our bus took us through the Ring Road to a concert hall.
The illuminated Vienna State Opera looks glorious.
The well-lit Austrian Parliament is magnificent.
The Austrian National Theater (Burgtheater) looks splendid at night.
The entrance to the old concert venue. It wasn’t a stately looking concert hall but rather a small setting. I figured this might have just been the place for those lesser nobles to entertain themselves when they didn’t get invited to enjoy the fun at the imperial court.
It was an almost sold out concert. We found in the audience tourists from another Gate-1 tour group, and Viking river cruisers. This really is a touristy thing but I am glad I did it. The concert performance wasn’t bad either.
The orchestra after the performance.
Singers and dancers after the performance.
Before this trip, I have never heard of the name Bratislava, and only had a very slight idea what Slovakia was. Now thanks to this trip I have a better understanding. I love traveling.
Enriching and nourishing both body and brain,
Benefits from a well-executed travel plan.
No more sitting at home all day with a resulting back pain,
Gate-1, you’re my new best friend!
-Joe
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