Day 8 (July 13, 2018):

What a day!  And what a great city Bratislava is.  It stands in the shadow of its world-renowned neighbour, Vienna, just 80km away.  While Vienna steals all the limelight, Bratislava has so much to offer. We started our exploration at 9:30AM and walked all day, finally calling it quits at 8PM.  The photos capture our highlights.  

We head to the opposite side of Slovakia late tomorrow morning, to see Kosice, the largest city in eastern Slovakia.

Hope you enjoy the pics of Bratislava!

Bratislava has an unusually high number of public art pieces.  Take these bronze pieces near our hotel:  a tightrope walker being encouraged by her guy!

For a city of 460,000, Bratislava boasts an impressive opera and ballet theatre.

The Primate's Palace..

The Hall of Mirrors in the Primate's Palace, where Napolean and Austrian Emporer Franz I signed a peace treaty in 1805.

Statue of Knight St, George slaying the dragon, in the courtyard of the Primate`s Palace.

The Roland Fountain is the most famous fountain in Bratislava. It is located in the Old Town, in the Main Square.

The Slovak National Theatre.



Hviezdoslav’s Square is actually more of a boulevard than a square. This is the statue of Slovak poet, Pavol Hviezdoslav, for whom the square is named.

Michael's Gate is the only city gate that has been preserved of Bratislava's medieval fortification. Built around the year 1300.

Church of the Clarisstine Order, with Bratislava Castle looming above.

The city walls, sporting the Slovakian flag, have undergone extensive repair.  Bratislava is no stranger when it comes to fortifications.  The walls were originally built in medieval times.  During WWI, an artillery fortification system was built, followed by a system of bunkers and fortifications by the First Czechoslovak Republic.  Then World War II aircraft raid shelters and fortifications were built by the Nazis during WWII. And finally, the Communists built Cold War-era city defenses -- including a system of 8,602 air raid and nuclear bomb shelters capable of holding over 760,000 citizens, which is far more than the number of people in the city. 

The photo is deceiving:  this is St. Martin's Cathedral, and it is HUGE!  Dating back to 1452, it has been used to crown 11 kings and queens.

And finally, we made it up the hill to the "pièce de résistance" of Bratislava:  Bratislava Castle. Because of its size and location overlooking the Danube River, it has been a dominant feature of the city for centuries. 

Entrance to Bratislava Castle.

The Baroque Gardens at Bratislava Castle.

Crown of St. Stephen, crowned Hungarian King, on Christmas Day, in the year 1000.

A Torah at the Museum of Jewish Culture, where there are exhibits documenting local Jewish history, culture and the Holocaust.  Over 70,000 Slovakian Jews died in the Holocaust.

At the Museum of Jewish Culture:  A Jewish burial cart.

This 1972 creation is called the UFO.  Appropriately named, as it resembles a UFO.  It stands 95m above the Danube.  The views are quite spectacular.

Looking up at the UFO!

View of Bratislava Castle and the Danube from the UFO.

Looking south from the UFO.  Hungary is only 18km away, and Austria is only 6km away.

Another view from the UFO viewing deck:  the endless Communist apartment blocks of Bratislava, as we have seen in all 17 (of 20) former communist countries in Europe.

Looking east at the Danube from the UFO viewing deck.

We walked back to Bratislava on the "New Bridge", often called the UFO Bridge!  Neat to look down on two river cruise boats.

This is the Slovak Radio Building, built in 1983 during the communist era.  It has been named one of the top 50 ugliest buildings in the world.

Psychedelic, man!

The aptly-named Blue Church.  And guess what colour it is inside?  Yes:  BLUE.

That reads, "Toronto - 6,981km".  That's even further  away than the South Pole is from Bratislava!

The last church of the day: Kostol sv. Štefana Catholic Church.

That is goulash.  Now, I know what you're probably thinking:  "goulash" is a pasta and ground beef mix that your mom made, right?  Well, in these parts, goulash refers to thick beef in a spicy gravy, that you soak up with dumplings.


Arriving back near the hotel, a jazz festival was filling the evening air.  A nice topper on a great day!




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