Bratislava, Slovakia: a Coronation City

Before this trip, I confess I knew little about Bratislava--let alone that it had been the coronation city for 19 monarchs.  After the Hungarian Magyars conquered in 997, today's Slovakia became Upper Hungary and was not fully independent until the Velvet Revolution separation of Czechoslovakia into The Czech Republic and The Slovak Republic in 1993, almost 1,000 years later.  Bratislava or something like it is both the city's old and new name (Bretislav gave his name to the town in the 5th century).  The Hungarians called the city Pozsony;  the Austrians and Germans called it Pressburg.

When the Ottomans conquered  most of Hungary, the Hungarian kings and queens were crowned in Bratislava.  Under Austrian rule, several  Habsburgs were crowned there, including the Empress Maria Teresa and Joseph I.

It's easy to follow the coronation route through St. Michael's gate to St. Martin's cathedral by following the metal crown images embedded in the street.  However, don't forget to look up, as you just might not see the faces, probably turned to stone by some disapproving monarch, watching you or miss the narrowest building (one room wide) in Europe crowded against the arch.

It's a bit of a walk up the hill to the Castle (we used the bus), but I must say the sight blew me away (literally).  From the top, you can see across the Danube to both Austria and Hungary, but the wind was so strong that day, we had to huddle together to keep from being blown there. (A guide said Vienna and Bratislava are the two closest capitals in the world--only 35 miles apart)  They have just fixed up the castle's exterior and are now working on the interior, so it was closed and had to go on the "come back later" list.

Even higher than the Castle Hill, we  ascended to the Slavin Monument for a magnificent view over the city and a glimpse of the "Small" Carpathian Mountains.  A prominent monument stands there to honor the Red Army soldiers who were killed in battles against the Nazis.  Napoleon also conquered the city, leaving some cannon balls embedded in buildings.  Some residents found it a badge of honor to have suffered damage, so several homes along the coronation route subsequently had cannon balls added to their  exterior even though they did not face the direction of the attack.   There's at least one French soldier who decided to stick around that you just might find staring over your shoulder in the old market square while you check out the souvenir huts covered with historical facts, admire the grand architecture of the surrounding buildings, and head into a Schokocafe (Chocolate Cafe) for their specialty, hot chocolate.  My kind of town!


Bratislava has its share of beautiful churches (St. Martin's) and important Baroque (the pink Primate's Palace) and Neo-Classical (Opera House) buildings, but it was its fun and lighthearted atmosphere that really set it apart.  Around the squares, there were several quirky statues for photo-ops, mimes, a one-man band, lots of cafes, and people out and about enjoying themselves.  It was easy for tourists (they use Euros, lots of ATMs, many speak English), but it was not over-run with them.


We ended the afternoon with a performance in the tiny Ifju Szivek Dance Theater of the colorful Folkdance Bratislava dancers and musicians in their Carpathian Gateway performance.  The founder, Sally Cory, is an Australian woman who has devoted herself to going into villages to collect authentic music and dances from rural regions before they are lost.  The performances did not have that touristy polish, but brought the genuine flavor of a pleasant country gathering.  Having done some folk dancing in high school, I was pleased that the traditions are being kept alive.


 That evening, back on the boat, we had a remarkable performance of classical and folk music by the Pressburger Duo: Peter Ninaj (piano and accordion) and Robert Puskar who played the violin, sang, and made amazing sounds out of a variety of folk flutes--including a Slovakian Fujara flute.  In former years, our musician friends, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Liszt (see prior post), also made beautiful music in this delightful town.

Click link for slideshow:
Bratislava

Music: Fedor Poljakin, Le Canari, The Pressburger Duo
More information:
http://www.slovakia.org/bratislava.html
http://www.danube-river.com/