Brati-Smashed Bratislava

Finally arriving in Slovakia, we only had time to experience it through it's capital of Bratislava. Not a representative experience of the country but a lovely day out nonetheless. 

Not only is Bratislava a capital of modern Slovakia it was also the capital of Hungary, of which Slovakia was a constituent part, during the period of Turkish occupation from the 1520s to the 1680s. So important was the city in the Hungarian empire that it was the coronation place for the Hungarian monarchy even after Budapest was added to Austria.

On the way into the city we were caught up in a marathon, and ended up awkwardly walking alongside the runners, but made it to the Cunil. This cute statue of a sewer worker, described by a tourist guide as the number one attraction in Bratislava, was adorable but perhaps not that ground breaking, if you mind the pun. This was a remnant of the soviet control from 1945 to 89 glorifying the key workers of the city, cool move from an otherwise uncool regime.

The culinary genius of the Slovakians represented in soup in a bowl made of bread. Still in awe of this.

One of the biggest stops of the day was in the old town hall, from which this photo was taken. This town hall was in the centre of the defensive city region, whose walls can now be seen in the modern street plan. The interior of the walled town was dotted like a pincushion with the towers that the local aristocratic burghers had built, nothing like a vote of confidence in their town walls ay?

After a succession dispute following Sigismund of Luxembourg's son's death in the 14th century the town was pitted against it's castle which indiscriminately shelled the town from the hill. I think I know who's side I would have liked to be on in that conflict.

We were joined on the day by some English friends. Although it doesn't look like these two have a braincell between them, you're not going to get far on those bikes!

While not overwhelming, the soviet influence on the city could be felt all over and especially in this statue to the soviet war dead who liberated, sort of, the city from the Nazi empire only to add it to it's own. 

Parked very close to the city, in the evening we wandered onto one of the famous bridges and got a lovely view of the city after dark. On the left you can see the UFO bridge, the longest single tower suspension bridge in the world. Centrally you can see the lit up castle, and on the right the beam of light is the world war two memorial overlooking the city.