Aug 26 - Day 1 in Bratislava

My final return to Eastern Europe! Today featured a day trip to Bratislava, Slovakia. It’s pretty much a must-go if you’re in Vienna, as Bratislava is only 60 kilometers from Vienna! It was once under Habsburg rule (of course!) and served as the place where the kings of Hungary were crowned. Bratislava is the country’s largest city, and while it is not impressive in size, it has a great atmosphere and beautiful location on the Danube! Its Old Town square is delightful and everything is inexpensive. Slovakia, which has been cut up and placed with various empires and states over time, finally became independent in 1993 with the “Velvet Divorce”, when Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Slovakia is a member of the EU (since 2004), but its currency has not yet switched to the Euro. The country definitely looks like it is prospering!

We took a train, which takes only about forty minutes and offers nice views of the countryside. Upon arrival, it was great to just be in a place that was so small that you knew you could wander anywhere and not get truly lost.

However, before long, we found ourselves on the way to Bratislava Castle. Sadly, the castle is not an original, but was rebuilt in the 1950s after lying in ruins since it was destroyed in the 1800s. It’s not a stunning castle, but it has a great view of the communist housing block in Bratislava. The guidebook claims that since they are all so similar looking, many residents experience a great deal of hilarious situations in finding their apartments - especially late at night! We went through the castle Historical Museum – our initial goal was to find the Hockey Hall of Fame, but it turned out it was not in there (after miming hockey to several museum workers who did not speak English and getting a confused look).

Nevertheless, we did get a chance to see some really extraordinary Albrecht Dürer engravings and woodcuts. I particularly enjoyed seeing his Hercules woodcut print, since he did so few pagan works, mostly specializing in religious, self-portraits, or animals. The museum also holds the crown of the Hungarian kings – so, really, the crown of the Habsburgs. It certainly reminds one of the crown of the Holy Roman Emperor, as it emphasizes the Christian aspect, with imagery of Jesus and religious iconography.

After viewing the artifacts, which also included a large collection of Biedermeier furniture, we walked a bit more around the city and grabbed a delicious and inexpensive meal! I found Bratislava to be a great walking city, and there were some fantastic surprises to be had just from drifting about. We came across a great square which featured a massive chessboard (pretty much the closest you can get to that live action Harry Potter chess match) and it was very fun watching some friends play! The walkway also had a Plague Column, but it is far less opulent than the one found in Vienna.

The final stop in Bratislava satisfied my craving for some communism, as we spent some time in the KGB Bar. It’s pretty much a local bar, but with some quite excellent Soviet mementos (pictures of important party members, a statue of Lenin – with a cigarette in mouth) juxtaposed with a large American flag. Communism is most definitely a joke there, as it was in Prague. I don’t think many people are wishing for the old days of being a part of the Eastern Bloc. The pub definitely was a good time to be had!

I had only planned on staying till early evening, but I enjoyed the city so much that we did not leave until around 10 at night. We had to run to catch our train, but I still caught a glimpse of the beautiful city at night with the President’s Palace, the massive bridge, and the castle all gorgeously lit up. We managed to just catch the right train and it was back to Vienna and no return to Eastern Europe for me in the near future (unfortunately). I finished the night off with a relaxing time at the Strandbar Herrman (http://www.strandbarherrmann.at/), a fun bar right on the Danube Canal that has lounge chairs! I definitely recommend it, especially on warm nights.

I had a wonderful time in Bratislava today, but it saddened me to realize this was my final day trip from Vienna. However, I’m so glad to have some uninterrupted time in Vienna before I must leave!