BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA

       A Delightful City   

Driving to Bratislava from Vienna we drove through a medieval town and through its narrow old gate and part of the ancient city wall. It is said that Bratislava is a small city with a big heart.     

Bratislava is the largest city in Slovakia, serves as the country’s capital. and is the seat of Government of the Slovak Republic. It is situated in the center of Europe in the southwestern part of Slovakia, once part of Czechoslovakia. The town spreads like a fan on both banks of the Danube River at the foot of the Low Carpathians, where we saw many vineyards as we rode along. This is great wine country. In this  city of young people you can feel the excitement of their energy.

Austria borders Slovakia on the west, Vienna is only 35 miles away. Hungary borders on the south and the Hungarian border is only 16 K distant. Crossroads of ancient trading routes, it has been home to Celts, Romans, and Slavs. The reign of Maria Theresa is regarded as the golden era in the city’s history. She was crowned in St. Martin’s cathedral, when the city was known as Pressburg, as were10 other kings and 8 royal partners.  Pressburg was the capital of the Kingdom of Hungry for over 300 years. Actually the country was part of Hungary 900 years. In 1919 after World War I, the city was renamed Bratislava and made capital of the province of Slovakia.

During the time the city was called Pressburg or Pozsony, it was one of the most important cities in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Today Bratislava, one of Europe's youngest capitals, is the most-rapidly growing urban region in Europe. The rich mix of cultures and nations not only left their mark in the language, but also in the customs, cuisine and lifestyle. People lived together in peace and harmony. Just like the Viennese, the people enjoy promenading through the streets of the city center taking time for coffee in one of the many cafés. That part of the city, combining elegance and charm, is called Korzo. There is a saying that a true Pressburgian speaks four languages,: Slovak, German, Hungarian, and Mishmash,  a combination of two or more languages in the same sentence.

Bratislava is in a triangle of three capital cities. Vienna is a merely 35 miles away, Prague 380 miles, and Budapest only 120 miles. Bratislava is the gateway to Slovakia both practically and symbolically. Due to its position on the border between  mild and warm climatic zones, it ranks among the warmest spots in Slovakia. The city of music has a population of 450, 000.

The main square in Old Town is the historic heart of the city. The old city is packed with museums and palaces. The town gate is 14^th century and the clock is 16^th century. There is an old cannon ball still in the wall of the town hall and there are several others around the city. The fountain in the main square dates to 1570. Old palaces house museums or libraries for the three universities that 70,000 student attend.

Many beautiful monuments survive in the old town yelling its past under Hungarian rule, and Bratislava's numerous museums are surprisingly rich. Franz Liszt visited Bratislava 15 times, and the opera productions of the Slovak National Theater rival any in Europe. Bratislava isn't as popular  a tourist destination as Budapest and Prague---yet! Cruise ships are beginning to make stops.

The square castle-fortress, perched high on the hill overlooking the Danube, dominating the city skyline, was a favorite residence of the Hapsburg Queen, Maria Theresa. It was built as a frontier post of the Roman Empire from the 1st to the 5th century. Since the 9th century it has been rebuilt several times, most recently between 1953 and 1962. After moving the court to Vienna, the castle became a general seminary, i.e. an educational institution for outstanding scholars. Later the castle was used by the army. An 1811 fire destroyed the castle-fortress and reconstruction did not take place until the 1960s. It now houses the Slovak National Museum, Historical Museum and Music Museum. It also contains the reception rooms of the president and parliament of the Slovak Republic.  President Bush and Russia’s Vladimir Putin met in Bratislava in February 2005.

            The 11th-century Gothic cathedral was restored in the second half of the 19th century.  The ruins of the former royal palace of Hungary overlook the city from a hill. The Franciscan church dates to the 13th-century as does the town hall edifice, The University of Bratislava was founded in 1919.      

I noticed some changes on my second visit three years later. The one kiosk in the square had increased to about 25, plus more kiosks were on another street. Souvenir items are now readily available when before they were just about non-existent. The very clean city is free of litter and graffiti. making it easy to view  the wonderful architecture.

A major industrial center, Bratislava is known for building VW cars and historically the manufacture of furniture, chemicals, tobacco products, musical instruments, woolen goods, and leather products. Kia and the high tech industry are also active here. Today the city is experiencing another boom. The city welcomes tourists, business people, and investors who are attracted to the blooming city and its lively atmosphere.