SLOVIKIA

              Bratislava

The first time I rode by Slovakia on the way to Budapest  I remember seeing a lot of communist-era concrete apartments in the distance . They really are ugly, but they did provide quick housing for a lot of people. Now 65 years later they are deteriorating and hopefully will be torn down and replaced with something more pleasing to the eye. I also remember seeing acres and acres of sunflowers. That was a pretty sight.

Slovakia became an independent nation in 1993 after the ‘velvet divorce’ which separated the Czech Republic and Slovakia from Czechoslovakia which itself only came into being in 1918 after WW I. Bratislava is one of the youngest capitals in Europe and few people know that during the10^th century when it was called Pressburg or Pozsony  it was one of the most important cities in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.  A newcomer on the European map Slovakia is one of ten young democracies. A member of the European Union, it went on the Euro (€) in  2009. Bratislava,  the capital of Slovakia,  has a history that goes back to Celtic and Roman times.

Slovakia is a country of natural beauty with nine national parks, over 100 medieval castles, many historic towns, 150 castle ruins and unique structures and churches. More than 4000 caves are registered in the country, but only a dozen of them are open to the public.

It seems every city along the Danube was in the crossroad of the east-west trade route. Although Celts, Romans and Slavs have inhabited the area, the golden era was during the reign of Maria Teresa. She was crowned queen in Pressburg, as were ten other kings over a period of 300 years.

The country now is taxing consumption rather than income with a 19% VAT tax which actually increased the tax coffers. The gross national product increased 8% in 1996 and continues to rise. In 2000 the unemployment rate was 21 %, by 1997 nationwide it was 9% and in the capital city only 2%.

I fell in love with Bratislava during my first happen-chance visit, so I jumped on the chance to visit the quaint city again three years later. The second time I indulged in a rich chocolate dessert, saw new and different parts of the city and had great fun in photographing some of the city’s whimsical statuary.      

I also learned that the Maximilian Fountain was built in 1572 in the Austrian stone workshop of Andreas Lutringer, with a financial contribution from Hungary's King Maximilian II. However, it is better known as Roland’s Fountain. It consists of a massive 9-meter  diameter circular tank that houses  a 10.5-meter-high column topped by a statue of a knight in armor. Many believe the statue represents the knight Roland, a legendary defender of the city's rights. Others consider the  statue  to be Maximilian II.

To this day, a legend still attaches to the fountain. The knight normally stands with his face turned towards the town hall. However, once a year, precisely at the stroke of midnight at New Year, he turns and bows in the direction of the former town hall, honoring the twelve councilors who in the past gave their lives in order to save the city. He is also rumored to come to life on Good Friday when he moves in broad daylight from his pedestal and waves his sword, Durandal, in all four directions, to show the town that it still enjoys his protection. However, it is said that when he does so he can be seen only by a born-and-bred citizen of Bratislava, one with a pure heart who has never harmed anyone. Aren't legends fun?