The Ham Nomads

21 Jul 2015. <SK> Bratislava —

Bratislava — until 1919, Pressburg. We said goodbye to Tom and Lauren, who are flying back to the UK tonight for Tom's graduation. We then went in by tram, got off at the Capuchin Church (Kapucinsky kostol), then walked round to the Tourist Information Office, where we got a map and a book on Bratislava, and directions to a coffee shop, 'Mondieu', just a block away, where we had a wonderful morning tea to start the day. We started reading the book, and found it had a superb walking tour in it, so we decided to make this our agenda — but to rework the tour so it started on the eastern outskirts of the old town, at the Blue Church. The entire old city has been pedestrianised, and so is perfect for touring by foot, but the Blue Church (which we especially wanted to visit) is outside this area, so not technically part of the walking tour in the book — but it's only a couple of blocks away, so that was our first port of call.

The Blue Church (The Church of Saint Elizabeth, Kostol svätej Alžbety) is an incredibly beautiful Art Nouveau building, sky-blue from top to toe, and inside as well.

We then walked a couple of blocks back into the pedestrian area where, in the courtyard of a later building, is the birthplace of Johann Nepomuk Hummel, student of Mozart and a well-regarded composer in his own right. His Trumpet Concerto is a part of the standard trumpet repertoire to this day!

A little further on, on the Primaciálne námestie (Primate's Square) is the Primate's Palace. We went in here to have a look around — the primate certainly lived in a grand fashion. There is a room of tapestries that had been wallpapered over, and only rediscovered in 1903 when the wallpaper was being removed during a renovation. This treatment was actually a boon to the tapestries as, having spent decades in darkness, the dyes are remarkably fresh. In a room downstairs was an exhibition about the Coronation reenactment that was held this year— Bratislava (Pressburg) was the site of 11 Hungarian coronations (11 sovereigns, 8 spouses) over the years, and on the last Saturday in June each year, one of the pageants is reenacted, using over 200 actors, with the whole town (and loads of tourists) swelling the cheering crowds. For the actual coronations, one of the city's fountains was supplied with wine rather than water, and a good time was had by all. This tradition is still maintained, except that in place of a huge barrel of wine, 200 liters of wine are used nowadays!

From Primaciálne námestie you can see the back of the Old Town Hall (Stará radnica), and when you walk around to Hlavné námestie (Main Square) you see it in all its splendour!

A hot day, so they were handing out
chilled drinking water in the square!

We then walked down Sedlárska ulica and past one of the quirkiest statues you will ever see. It's called Čumil (Man at Work). Actually, the antics of tourists trying to take photos are as interesting as the statue itself.

Further down this same street, where it broadens out into a large square, is the Old Slovak National Theatre, an imposing building.

Suzie and friends!

We then walked back up to Hlavné námestie, where we met up with the statue of Napoleon's Soldier, leaning on the back of a wooden seat.

Napoleon's soldier, and another of the quirky statues in Bratislava

In the same square, beside the Old Town Hall, is the Jesuit Church, and then up the same street (Františkánske ulica is the Franciscan Church (Františkánsky kostol), the oldest existing religious building in Bratislava, dating back to 1297.

Jesuit Church

Franciscan Church

A little further on, we came to St Michael's gate, the only one of the original four city gates that is still intact. Outside a restaurant just inside the gate is a small cannon, presumably once part of the ciry's defences. The Gate, by the way, is in two parts, with the inner and outer gates connected by a short street that goes through a right-angled turn — just another way of making it difficult for attacking troops to get into the city!

The Inner Gate

The Outer Gate

We're still a long way from home!

We were feeling hungry and parched — it was not a cool day — so we strolled down a block or so and found Pub Talk (an Irish Pub), where we had lunch, Warren appropriately washing his down with a pint of Guinness!

Near the pub is the Royal Hungarian Chamber (1756), now the University Library building. This is where the Hungarian Diet met in the 19th century.

We walked back up to St Michael's Gate, turning left into Baštová ulica, the narrowest street in Bratislava.

We walked round to the Church and Convent of the Poor Clares, no longer put to liturgical use, but instead a concert hall.

A bit further on, we came to De Pauli Palace, where Franz Liszt gave his first concert, at the age of 9, in 1820.

On the other side of the street, a little further down, is Pálffy Palace, where the six-year-old Mozart gave a concert in 1762.

Opposite the Pálffy Palace is the Universitas Istropolitana, founded in 1465, and now the home of the Academy of the Performing Arts.

Just down the street is a bulding full of restaurants, the Keglevich Palace. Ludwig van Beethoven was the piano tutor of Babbette Keglovich, the Count's daughter, and he gave a concert here in 1796.

Round the corner and you come to St Martin's Cathedral. This is undergoing some renovation at the present, so we didn't get inside. This was where the 11 Habsburg sovereigns and 8 of their royal spouses were crowned. Franz Liszt conducted his own Coronation Mass here in 1884.

An interesting wall near the cathedral

Beyond the Cathedral, you pass by part of the old city wall as you go up to Bratislava Castle. The Castle has been in renovation mode for decades — it was completely burnt out in 1811, and remained a burnt-out hulk until restoration work started in 1953, which is still going on.

View of the 'UFO Bridge' from the Castle

One of the Castle Gates

Just outside the old town, looking up to the Castle

We left the castle, running into Tom and Lauren on the way out, and walked back into the old town, up through St Michael's Gate, out to the Capuchin Church, where we caught the tram back to the campsite. A very full day!

Distance driven — today, nil; to date, 24,337 miles ( 39,167 km )