#Hviezdoslav Square Bratislava

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Hviezdoslavovo Námestie - Bratislava, Slovakia

[sebpeter]

Slovak's National Theatre

[etuska-blog]

Bratislava

Hviezdoslav square - heart of old town - https://goo.gl/maps/63y3pDa4LiPwNeXd6.

directly there (almost in front of the hotel), you can see the National theater (historical building). https://goo.gl/maps/tT5jc7VMH5Mh5dRX9

The fountain in front of the theater is the Fountain of Ganymedes - the kid who was seduced by Zeus turned into Swan (greek mythology).

the square has a lot of historical buildings and at the other end of it, there is a bridge (from the 70's in functionalist style) with the object at the top - called a UFO.

2. Castle - (https://goo.gl/maps/pmxDSsUpc48MGPAL8)

from the end of the Hviezdoslav Square, you can pass under the bridge and right behind it, you find stairs (on the right side). Take the stairs and follow the signs to the castle. It is about a 10 min walk. Castle is not very interesting inside - but the courtyard is pretty and it offers nice views. The part of the city on the other side of the Danube (a lot of panel houses) is called Petrzalka - it was built in the 60's/70's by communists and served as a "dormitory" part of the city - no companies, only houses. then everybody was commuting to the other side of the Danube).

3. on the parallel street to Hviezdoslav square, you will find St. Martin's Cathedral - the place where some of the Austrian Kings and Queens were crowned (it is symbolized by the golden crown placed on the top of the tower) - location: https://goo.gl/maps/DXS6qa5YUe1T83R67

description here: https://www.visitbratislava.com/places/st-martins-cathedral/

4. Main square - https://goo.gl/maps/JLu8C1xw7RryLmJk6

nice historical buildings and the building of historical town hall.

if you pass under the tower on the front side of square, you get to another square - https://goo.gl/maps/cmVmUdztHVtfVu6x8 Primacialne namestie, where you can see pink palace - former seat of bishop (symbolized by the hat on the top of the building). Inside, there is a mirror room and exhibition of tapestry.

5. Blue church - must see!

description - https://www.visitbratislava.com/places/blue-church/

location - https://goo.gl/maps/XVtdDbH1hsoaNS1A8

it is around 10-15 min walk from the center - but is beautiful. It was built in Hungarian Secession style at the beginning of 20th century. It is blue also inside, if it is still open, just have a look also at the interior (it should be open cca till 19:00). The building next to it is High school - built in the same style.

6. Michael's gate - considered as starting point of city center, you can walk to the top of the tower for a view - https://goo.gl/maps/Ah4HBvswE3mEY7xB8

7. Grassalkovich palace - nice building, seat of the president (there it is not possible to visit inside).

https://www.visitbratislava.com/places/grassalkovich-palace/

https://goo.gl/maps/dGv7Bbt1MfxCzpV48

Statues;

there are some funny statues in old town:

"Staring man (Or man at work) - https://g.page/man-at-work-bratislava?share

Schone Naci - https://goo.gl/maps/KswDUvgfG2DrsfRF9 - historical person; old Austrian man greeting people in Bratislava streets

Hans CHristian Andersen - https://goo.gl/maps/pi8GtZVrwV6nsuBN7

Food:

Dinner/lunch/Slovak food

my favorite restaurant with Slovak food - Bratislava city brewery - https://g.page/bratislavskymestianskypivovar?share

They brew their own beer; the food is great (you should try "bryndzove halusky" (national dish) or pork knuckle (it is amazing); or ribs; or basically anything they have).

Roxor - best burger in town - https://g.page/roxorburger?share

Iassai - great sushi, asian fusion - https://goo.gl/maps/GqXG1QQS9NT5LFBp9

Verne - https://goo.gl/maps/PNdVEwt2DK8cvfSS9 - on your square; nice for lunch/ afternoon snack

Flagship - https://goo.gl/maps/ax9SBZEURTDm16cb7; also Slovak food,the restaurant is huge (building of former hospital, later cinema).

Nice promenade with lot of restaurants and bars - https://goo.gl/maps/g6ZMqo9NMtbZgXiU7

Cakes:

Le Miam - https://goo.gl/maps/zD28k92qwJi1N2H27 - French patisserie, owned by real French - cakes are amazing

Best cheesecake - Pollito cheesecakes - https://goo.gl/maps/ASseFhb9KWrCG9zh6

Nice place for cakes - https://mondieu.sk/home-en/ - great hot chocolate; delicious cheese cakes; - they have several shops in old town (e.g. https://goo.gl/maps/KkjJSjxa7yh6hzs18 or https://goo.gl/maps/okHVeej9tgKD1DCi8).

Nice place for wine - https://goo.gl/maps/rJpM7BDwQ1wTdAEW9 (La Putika) - more branches in the town, just look for it by name;

or Wine not - http://www.winenot.sk/ - on the main square

Cocktails - Old fashion bar - https://goo.gl/maps/Aa9PJDjuerxAdbxy6 (you have to enter not very appealing looking gate and take stairs up - but the bar is quite impressive)

Cocktail bar - Michalska Cocktail Room

Cuba libre bar - https://goo.gl/maps/JnDp8jN6TK5cmbba7 - still old town

Sky Bar - https://goo.gl/maps/69WE8ghgeNohSbUr8 - very close to Main square

[golicit]

Bratislava, Slovakia

The Bratislava Castle, overlooking the Danube

The D&O Diary’s Eastern European sojourn continued earlier this week with a very brief stop in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, which is located about a two-hour train ride from Budapest. With a population of only about 450,000, Bratislava is small, but it has a rich history and interesting setting on the Danube, only about 30 miles downstream from Vienna.

  The city has called itself Bratislava for only a short part of its long history. Until 1921, Bratislava was part of Hungary and known as Pressberg (in German) or Pozsony (in Hungarian). From 1583 to 1783, while Budapest was occupied by the Turks, the city served as the Hungarian kingdom’s capital. In 1993, Bratislava became the capital of the newly formed Slovak Republic.

  The most visible sign of the city’s long history is the Bratislava Castle which rises above the old city on a hilltop overlooking the Danube (as shown in the picture above and the first picture below). The Castle was substantially enhanced by the Austrian Empress (and Hungarian Queen) Maria Theresa in the late 18th century, but in 1809 the castle was largely destroyed by Napoleon’s troops. The partially destroyed castle was used variously as a barracks and a military depot for many years and was not fully renovated until the late 20th century.

        Following World War II, Bratislava was occupied by the Soviets. The former Czechoslovakia was an Eastern Block country and so the city was  within the Iron Curtain. Even though the Soviet occupation ended  several decades ago, vestiges of the Soviet occupation remain. On the far side of the river opposite Bratislava’s central district, there are countless tall featureless concrete housing blocks. Connecting the city’s two sides is the Most SNP (the Bridge of the Slovak National Uprising), now called the New Bridge but popularly known as the UFO bridge owing to the unusual observation deck known at the top of the cable-stayed bridge’s sole bridge tower. The bridge connects the city to highways leading to Budapest and Vienna, but unfortunately on the river’s north side, the bridge leads directly into the city’s historic old district. The massive and noisy roadway cuts through the old town like an angry knife.

  The New Bridge (in the foreground), with its odd UFO observation deck, viewed from the top of the castle hill, with the Danube flowing south and eastward toward Hungary.

  In recent years, the city’s old town has been beautifully restored. At the heart of the old town is Hviezdoslavovo námestie (Hviezdoslav Square), a long shady plaza with several fountains and lined with restaurants and cafés. The plaza is about as pleasant a location for a morning coffee or an afternoon beverage as you will ever find anywhere. The pedestrianized streets leading off of the plaza are lined with renovated buildings and more restaurants and cafes. During the warm weather that prevailed while we were in town, the old town’s quiet streets provide a very pleasant venue for strolling and people-watching.

  Sidewalk cafes under the shady trees in Hviezdoslav Square

    In the old town

    St. Michael’s gate in the city’s old town, the last remaining gate in the from the lower city’s defensive wall

    St. Martin’s church in the city’s old town. Eleven Hungarian monarchs and eight royal consorts were crowned here between 1563 and 1860. Literally at the church’s front door, the Soviet’s built a massive freeway — it kind of detracts from the otherwise peaceful atmosphere.

  The best thing we did while in Bratislava was to visit Devin Castle, which is located just a few miles upriver. Devin Castle was not mentioned in our guide books; we just happened to notice it on the city map we picked up at our hotel’s front desk and after a little Internet research we thought it might be worth a visit. We took the No. 29 city bus from under the New Bridge about 20 minutes west of the city (for a fare of 90 cents each) to the village of Devin. Here’s what we concluded after our visit: it would be an absolute crime to visit Bratislava and not visit Devin Castle.

            The Castle itself is built on a huge rock promontory located at the junction of the Danube and the Morava rivers. There have been fortifications on the promontory since pre-Roman times. The present Castle was first built in the 14th Century and destroyed by Napoleon’s troops in 1809. From the Castle’s ramparts it is easy to see why it was so strategically important. The castle affords spectacular, sweeping views of the river in both directions – to the South, the direction from which the dreaded Turks might approach, and to the north and west, the direction from which Germans, Austrians,  Hussites, or the French might come. From the viewpoints at the top of the castle, four countries can now be seen: Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia itself.

  Looking west on the Danube, toward Austria and the Czech Republic

    Looking south and east on the river, toward Hungary. This the direction from which the dreaded Turks might approach

  The Morava river (for which the Bohemian province of Moravia derives its name) forms the international border with Austria. During the Soviet occupation, the Morava formed the westernmost edge of the Iron Curtain. During the cold war, Devin was under heavy surveillance, as many tried to escape from the West there by crossing over the Morava. At the junction of the two rivers, a plaque memorialized the many people who dies there trying to escape to freedom. While we were there, a large group of teenagers readying themselves for a kayak tour of the Morava were lounging around the memorial, providing quite a contrast between the former difficult times and today’s more benign circumstances.

  The Morava River, just above its juncture with the Danube

          Because of Bratislava’s proximity to Vienna, it made more sense when we left Bratislava to fly out of the Vienna airport rather than from Bratislava’s airport. The Vienna airport is only about a 45-minute cab right from Bratislava’s center city. We flew out of Vienna to our next destination. As we departed, we were well aware that in our brief visit to Bratislava, we had been fortunate to see something very special.

  More Pictures of Bratislava:

  The Danube River, viewed from the New Bridge. Note: the sky is blue, but not the river

  The city hall located in the main square in the old town

  In 1809, Napoleon besieged Bratislava (then called Pressburg) for 42 days. The city’s terrible ordeal is memorialized by the cannon ball lodged in the city hall bell tower, just to the left of the tower’s gothic window.

  Traditional Slovakian food: sliced pork with slovakian dumplings on a bed of sauerkraut

  More traditional Slovak food: ground salted beef in a potato dumpling on a bed of boiled cabbage. You don’t eat traditional Slovakian food if you are on a diet.

  At a quiet sidewalk cafe in the shadow of St. Martin’s church. Opinions might differ about the traditional Slovakian food but I think everyone would agree that Slovakian beer is excellent, and a tall cool glass of the local brew provides the perfect ending to a long day of touring historic sites

  The post Bratislava, Slovakia appeared first on The D&O Diary.

Bratislava, Slovakia published first on

[simonconsultancypage]

Bratislava, Slovakia

The Bratislava Castle, overlooking the Danube

The D&O Diary’s Eastern European sojourn continued earlier this week with a very brief stop in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, which is located about a two-hour train ride from Budapest. With a population of only about 450,000, Bratislava is small, but it has a rich history and interesting setting on the Danube, only about 30 miles downstream from Vienna.

  The city has called itself Bratislava for only a short part of its long history. Until 1921, Bratislava was part of Hungary and known as Pressberg (in German) or Pozsony (in Hungarian). From 1583 to 1783, while Budapest was occupied by the Turks, the city served as the Hungarian kingdom’s capital. In 1993, Bratislava became the capital of the newly formed Slovak Republic.

  The most visible sign of the city’s long history is the Bratislava Castle which rises above the old city on a hilltop overlooking the Danube (as shown in the picture above and the first picture below). The Castle was substantially enhanced by the Austrian Empress (and Hungarian Queen) Maria Theresa in the late 18th century, but in 1809 the castle was largely destroyed by Napoleon’s troops. The partially destroyed castle was used variously as a barracks and a military depot for many years and was not fully renovated until the late 20th century.

        Following World War II, Bratislava was occupied by the Soviets. The former Czechoslovakia was an Eastern Block country and so the city was  within the Iron Curtain. Even though the Soviet occupation ended  several decades ago, vestiges of the Soviet occupation remain. On the far side of the river opposite Bratislava’s central district, there are countless tall featureless concrete housing blocks. Connecting the city’s two sides is the Most SNP (the Bridge of the Slovak National Uprising), now called the New Bridge but popularly known as the UFO bridge owing to the unusual observation deck known at the top of the cable-stayed bridge’s sole bridge tower. The bridge connects the city to highways leading to Budapest and Vienna, but unfortunately on the river’s north side, the bridge leads directly into the city’s historic old district. The massive and noisy roadway cuts through the old town like an angry knife.

  The New Bridge (in the foreground), with its odd UFO observation deck, viewed from the top of the castle hill, with the Danube flowing south and eastward toward Hungary.

  In recent years, the city’s old town has been beautifully restored. At the heart of the old town is Hviezdoslavovo námestie (Hviezdoslav Square), a long shady plaza with several fountains and lined with restaurants and cafés. The plaza is about as pleasant a location for a morning coffee or an afternoon beverage as you will ever find anywhere. The pedestrianized streets leading off of the plaza are lined with renovated buildings and more restaurants and cafes. During the warm weather that prevailed while we were in town, the old town’s quiet streets provide a very pleasant venue for strolling and people-watching.

  Sidewalk cafes under the shady trees in Hviezdoslav Square

    In the old town

    St. Michael’s gate in the city’s old town, the last remaining gate in the from the lower city’s defensive wall

    St. Martin’s church in the city’s old town. Eleven Hungarian monarchs and eight royal consorts were crowned here between 1563 and 1860. Literally at the church’s front door, the Soviet’s built a massive freeway — it kind of detracts from the otherwise peaceful atmosphere.

  The best thing we did while in Bratislava was to visit Devin Castle, which is located just a few miles upriver. Devin Castle was not mentioned in our guide books; we just happened to notice it on the city map we picked up at our hotel’s front desk and after a little Internet research we thought it might be worth a visit. We took the No. 29 city bus from under the New Bridge about 20 minutes west of the city (for a fare of 90 cents each) to the village of Devin. Here’s what we concluded after our visit: it would be an absolute crime to visit Bratislava and not visit Devin Castle.

            The Castle itself is built on a huge rock promontory located at the junction of the Danube and the Morava rivers. There have been fortifications on the promontory since pre-Roman times. The present Castle was first built in the 14th Century and destroyed by Napoleon’s troops in 1809. From the Castle’s ramparts it is easy to see why it was so strategically important. The castle affords spectacular, sweeping views of the river in both directions – to the South, the direction from which the dreaded Turks might approach, and to the north and west, the direction from which Germans, Austrians,  Hussites, or the French might come. From the viewpoints at the top of the castle, four countries can now be seen: Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia itself.

  Looking west on the Danube, toward Austria and the Czech Republic

    Looking south and east on the river, toward Hungary. This the direction from which the dreaded Turks might approach

  The Morava river (for which the Bohemian province of Moravia derives its name) forms the international border with Austria. During the Soviet occupation, the Morava formed the westernmost edge of the Iron Curtain. During the cold war, Devin was under heavy surveillance, as many tried to escape from the West there by crossing over the Morava. At the junction of the two rivers, a plaque memorialized the many people who dies there trying to escape to freedom. While we were there, a large group of teenagers readying themselves for a kayak tour of the Morava were lounging around the memorial, providing quite a contrast between the former difficult times and today’s more benign circumstances.

  The Morava River, just above its juncture with the Danube

          Because of Bratislava’s proximity to Vienna, it made more sense when we left Bratislava to fly out of the Vienna airport rather than from Bratislava’s airport. The Vienna airport is only about a 45-minute cab right from Bratislava’s center city. We flew out of Vienna to our next destination. As we departed, we were well aware that in our brief visit to Bratislava, we had been fortunate to see something very special.

  More Pictures of Bratislava:

  The Danube River, viewed from the New Bridge. Note: the sky is blue, but not the river

  The city hall located in the main square in the old town

  In 1809, Napoleon besieged Bratislava (then called Pressburg) for 42 days. The city’s terrible ordeal is memorialized by the cannon ball lodged in the city hall bell tower, just to the left of the tower’s gothic window.

  Traditional Slovakian food: sliced pork with slovakian dumplings on a bed of sauerkraut

  More traditional Slovak food: ground salted beef in a potato dumpling on a bed of boiled cabbage. You don’t eat traditional Slovakian food if you are on a diet.

  At a quiet sidewalk cafe in the shadow of St. Martin’s church. Opinions might differ about the traditional Slovakian food but I think everyone would agree that Slovakian beer is excellent, and a tall cool glass of the local brew provides the perfect ending to a long day of touring historic sites

  The post Bratislava, Slovakia appeared first on The D&O Diary.

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