Today we stopped in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia since 1993 and earlier the capital of Hungary (remember what I said about Hungary being on the wrong “team” most of the time?). Clearly Slovakia got the best bits and Bratislava is a lovely (and large intact) city. Like so many other parts of this region, Slovakia was passed around like yesterday’s newspaper. The heyday for the area was in the 18th century under the leadership of Empress Maria Theresa — the only female ruler and, in fact the last Hapsburg. She was responsible for a lot of the architecture that is there today. One notable exception was Bratislava Castle that that was successfully captured (and destroyed) by Napoleon. Ultimately, the castle wasn’t reconstructed until the 1950s. Actually, the name Bratislava was actually “born” as it became the second largest city in Czechoslovakia after WWI. Interestingly, Bratislava was nearly named “Wilsonov” after Pres. Woodrow Wilson after he supported Czechoslovakian requests to have a Danube port in their new country. The worst destruction of their architecture actually came during Communist occupation when they destroyed a lot of old buildings to make way for a highway. Today, Bratislava is booming with lots of new construction in the “new “ city and robust tourism in the “old” city (easy day trip access from both Vienna and Budapest).
We only had an afternoon to walk around Bratislava and decided to pass on the castle (with its panoramic views) to spend more time walking in the old city. It is made up of an amazing network of interesting squares and twisting lanes (it would be easy to get lost if it wasn’t so small!). In visiting St. Martin’s Cathedral, a couple of things struck us – how austere the cathedral was for having played such a significant part in Austro-Hungarian history and what a hack job the Soviets did in destroying classic old architecture and history to put in new roads, warehouses, etc. (the church is literally on the edge of the biggest highway in the area). We also appreciated the main square that apparently is the place to see and be seen. Bratislava apparently is only behind Vienna when it comes to coffee culture. It is expected that you will stay at least 30 minutes with your coffee and there are correct and incorrect ways of ordering. So as not to offend anyone by doing something wrong, we ordered a beer!
That evening we were entertained by a local Slovak group that included singers/dancers, violin, bass, and even a hammer dulcimer. It was like Russian folk dancing meets Appalachian clogging. But, as I understand it, a lot of Russian folk dancing originated with the Slavic tribes that migrated there. Anyway, Glen was asked to dance and, being the shy and retiring type, immediately jumped to the floor! After that festive evening, it was time to head to Vienna!
I am a traveler and sometimes clay sculptor, following a long career working in consulting. My work allowed me to travel the world extensively and I was hooked. Today, I travel with my wife/best friend to explore new places, meet new people, and learn new things.
