We have just returned back from our vacation in Slovakia. We had a great time even though we went there mainly to manage some administration tasks that were long pending.
We left Switzerland a couple of days before Easter to avoid traffic jams and drove right after work in direction of Bratislava. We arrived at the hotel at 1 AM. Usually, we would go to a bar for a drink to celebrate our safe arrival, but this time we went straight to bed as we had to work the next day.
We were so excited to start our holidays that the working day flew by quickly. Before dinner with friends we went to see the Bratislava castle. The castle was renovated some years ago but we didn't have a chance to visit it yet. We couldn't miss it this time.
The Bratislava castle is situated nearby the city center and you can reach it by foot as well as by car or public transportation. It's built on a hill 85 meters above the river Danube and it's surrounded by parks, so we decided to take a walk and enjoy the greenery and stunning views.
The first written mention of the Pressburg castle (its historical name) dates back to 907 when it was mentioned in connection to a battle between Hungary and Bavaria. It had a great importance in the region at that time. After downfall of the Great Moravia Empire the castle was conquered and destroyed by the Hungarians. They also rebuilt it later.
The history of the castle marks important events and its owners came from the wealthiest families of Europe.
Maria Theresa created a representative castle which used to be rather a fortress before. It sustained several disasters until 1811 when it was burned down by accident while it was used as dormitories for soldiers. The castle fell into ruins and remained in this condition until 1953 when the renovation was started. We are lucky that the castle was renovated as there were talks about destroying the ruins and change the purpose of the hill on which the castle stands.
The most important renovation took place in 2008 - 2014 with focus on archaeological and architectural research with the aim to bring it back to its glory from the time during the reigns of Maria Theresa.
Many generations of Bratislava residents were used to the sandy shade of the castle. However, historians and architects confirmed that the original color at the time of its greatest glory was white, therefore the color was changed back to the original during the reconstruction.
Today, the castle is one of the most interesting landmarks of Bratislava and you can see it from almost every part of the city.
Enough of the facts! Let's start the tour!
Our walk started at the St. Martin Cathedral which served as the coronation church for Hungarian kings. The coronation procession is reconstructed every year in September. I haven't had a chance yet to join the celebrations but I've heard that it's spectacular.
From the Cathedral we took the stairs up to the parks. You can see the tower of the Cathedral on the right picture.
After a short walk we reached the castle areal and a sculpture called The Witch. The sculpture of a girl with messy hair and seven ravens was created by Tibor Bartfay who was fascinated by the history of witches in Bratislava. It reminds us of women who were wrongly accused of witchcraft and died in the waters of Danube.
The sculpture is surrounded by archaeological finds dating back to the Great Moravia.
It's a popular place to hang our with friends, go for a run or enjoy a picnic with your family.
I used to live in Bratislava 18 years ago and I must admit that I don't recognize this city. It changed to a modern metropolis with tech districts, well maintained old town, wide job opportunities and a great social life. The castle area is a unique place from where you can see the most parts of the city.
I wish I could afford to buy an apartment in this area 🙂
A few more views to enjoy...
This statue is dedicated to St. Elisabeth of Hungary who was a daughter of the Hungarian King Andrew II. She spent her childhood at the castle and after the death of her husband (She got married at the age of 14), she took a vow of poverty and devoted her life to helping others. She died when she was only 24 years old. It is said that she was born at the castle.
There is also a church in Bratislava called The Church of St. Elisabeth or Blue church dedicated to her.
This is not the most charming part of Bratislava but it's worth to visit the restaurant called UFO which is on top of the bridge. The views are maybe even better than from the castle and it's an amazing experience to dine there as it feels like you were on top of the world.
The top of the bridge is slowly turning around, so you can enjoy 360 degrees views during the dinner. You can also go up to the viewing platform, but be ready for some strong wind and vibrations due to the traffic on the bridge.
Behind the bridge is the biggest residential area of Slovakia called Petržalka.
It looks much better like this but I also wanted to give you the real view of the bridge surroundings 🙂
We are finally approaching the castle!
This gate is a true masterpiece. It's one of the entrances to the castle. We used the left part of the gate. It took me about 5 minutes to take this photo as there were way too many tourists walking around - patience pays off 🙂
The house in the southern bastion also incorrectly called the House of Kat was built in the 18th century for military officers. It was included in the recent reconstruction of the castle.
Looks like the house suddenly disappeared 🙂
The Leopold's gate is another one of the entrances to the castle. It's on another side of the courtyard. There are four sculptures of armor placed on the top of the gate. It's finished with golden details which are my favorite.
It was a public holiday when we visited the castle so we didn't get to see the exhibition. This is how far we were able to enter it. We were sad we couldn't go inside but on the other hand we didn't have that much time so it was not so bad.
Another 5 minutes of waiting to get this shot without tourists. They are hidden behind those pillars. We spent more time waiting than walking!
It was time to leave but we have already planned to return to see the museum and other parts that were closed during our visit.
Spring has started in Slovakia too!
We have enjoyed our short stopover in Bratislava. It became our tradition to meet our friends here on the way to my hometown. We call it our Easter tradition.
We go to the same place for a dinner, then have a couple of drinks in a random bar, and we talk and talk and talk. Saying goodbye to them is never sad as we know that we will come again as we want to keep our tradition alive.
It was good to be at home and I can't wait to share more memories with you!
Thank you for reading!
Cheers,
Martina
