Top: View of Bratislava's Old Town with in the foreground St. Martin's Cathedral; Bottom from left: The Old Town is the place to be for the best restaurants and coffeehouses, (C) Most SNP has become a landmark and is often called the UFO Bridge and (R) Bratislava Castle is largely newly reconstructed but offers magnificent views of the city. Selma Roth Saudi Gazette When entering the city of Bratislava, nothing reveals the cosmopolitan splendor this tiny Slovakian capital knew in former times. Endless blocks of high-rise flats and prefabricated panel buildings reveal its Soviet past, but do not give credit to the variety and beauty of civilizations that have lived in this strategic spot, which combines a charming and mostly pedestrian old town with a meandering Danube river and the Small Carpathians as the perfect backdrop. As such, the little town of less than half a million inhabitants deserves more than a fugitive one-day trip from Vienna. (The Austrian and Slovakian capitals are just 64 kms apart, but do not, as many people think, win first place in the world's closest capital cities. This honor goes to the Vatican and Rome, followed by Kinshasha in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Brazzaville in the Republic of the Congo. Bratislava and Vienna rank third in this list. Looking for something unique about the Slovakian capital? It's the only capital in the world to border two other countries, Austria and Hungary.) Rather, take your time to explore Bratislava and its green surroundings. You will most likely want to wander around in its Old Town and nearby forests for at least a couple of days. A long and rich history Bratislava is located at a crossroads of civilizations, and its history goes a long way back to the fifth millennium B.C. when the first settlements in the territory of today's city were established, according to archeological research. The later medieval town was founded on the site of a former Celtic oppidum, a fortified town. The area bordered and was influenced by the Roman Empire from the first to the fourth century A.D., after which the Slavs arrived from the east and established their own empire. Subsequently, the territory, which became known under the German name “Pressburg” and the Hungarian name “Pozsony,” became part of the Kingdom of Hungary in the 10th century. The advance of the Ottoman Empire constituted a permanent threat to the city and led to numerous skirmishes between the two civilizations in the 16th and 17th century, but the Ottomans failed to conquer it. They did, however, defeat parts of the Hungarian Kingdom, and Bratislava was designated the new capital and coronation city of Hungary in 1536. Many city monuments are a reminder of this prosperous time. The first time the name Bratislava was officially adopted was only in 1919, when it was incorporated into the newly formed country Czechoslovakia against the will of the city's representatives. The population drastically changed from predominantly German and Hungarian prior to the First World War to 90 percent Slovak following the Second World War. It became part of the Eastern Bloc, and the Soviet influence remains clearly visible up to today. By 1989, the city together with Prague became the center of the anti-communist Velvet Revolution. Following the Velvet Divorce of Czechoslovakia into two separate republics, it became the capital of the newly established Slovak Republic in 1993, after which the city entered another prosperous period. What to see Bratislava's Old Town, or Staré Mesto as the Slovaks call it, is the most interesting part of the city. Here, you will find the characteristic cobblestoned streets of the medieval city center, Bratislava Castle, numerous churches, many historic monuments, as well as Baroque edifices next to pastel 18th century buildings. The Gothic St. Martin's Cathedral is the city's largest and one of the oldest churches. The coronation-church of several Hungarian kings is one of the city's must-sees, as is the Old Town Hall, which houses the Museum of City History and Music as well as the city dungeon. Most other interesting museums are also located in the Staré Mesto. They include the Municipal Museum and the National Museum. Several palaces can be found in this area as well, including Primate's Palace, currently the seat of the mayor of Bratislava, and Pállfy Palace, which is home to the Bratislava City Gallery. But apart from the mainstream museums and galleries, Bratislava also has various quirky museums like the Pharmacy Museum or the Museum of Clocks. From the medieval city center, it is a short walk up to Bratislava Castle, which hosts temporary historical exhibitions but is mainly a great spot for picnics and from which you can see Hungary, Austria, and the Danube river. For the best views of the city, however, continue walking up the mountain to the Soviet War Memorial at Slavín, located at the highest point of the city. Bratislava's Old Town is also the place to be for the coziest restaurants and coffeehouses, as well as souvenir shops. It borders the Danube, with on the other side of the river the Petrzalka borough with its Soviet “panelák,” Slovak for “panel houses.” The two boroughs are connected by “Most SNP” with its enormous UFO-like looking tower and observation desk on top built during Communist times. The tower houses a restaurant as well with pretty views of the city. The Petrzalka borough can be interesting to visit if you'd like to see what a Soviet-style neighborhood looks like, but there is not much to do in the purely residential part of the town. Outside the city Good weather days are a perfect opportunity to take a boat ride up the Danube to Devín Castle, located about 12 kms from the city center in the suburb bearing the same name. The castle, strategically located on a cliff at the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers, was an important center of the Slavic state in the 9th century but had been already settled since the Neolithic Era. The ruins are important in archeological terms, but climbing the castle also offers a splendid view of the rivers and surrounding hilly landscape. The site can also be reached by bus from the city center, or even through a two to two and a half hour hike in the forest. The small Carpathians mountain range starting right outside Bratislava offers plenty of outdoor activities, such as scenic and well-indicated hiking and biking routes. Maps can also be obtained from most bookshops. How to get there The easiest way to get to Bratislava is by flying to Vienna International Airport. From there, you can take a (direct) bus, train (not direct), or taxi to the Slovakian capital. There are no direct flights from Saudi Arabia to Vienna, but several airlines offer tickets with one stopover.
