Train to Bratislava
Vienna and Bratislava are not far apart (The closest together capital cities in EU) at all and have fairly good connections between each other by train, coach and boat. Although I was tempted by the boat, I'd heard it was not particularly scenic so just went by train - there were two each hour from Vienna Hauptbahnhof so I did that. I went fairly early but not exceptionally so I was hoping to spend the day there in a fairly relaxed manner. Due to the fact that the Schengen agreement exists and that neither Austrian or Slovak government is run by the type of idiots that regularly politick about how terrible other Europeans are and then have to break their own rules to get rich people in, the journey was simple and without border control, which helps the relaxation.
The train ride was fairly pleasant and I enjoyed the scenery including quite a lot of wind turbines. Having not seen many, I found them quite interesting and was struck by the way that they rotated at different speeds. I guess it makes sense, but I'd never thought of it before. They have a bad reputation amongst the usual suspects in the UK but I think they are quite pleasing, aesthetically, and clearly have a positive effect on energy production. Anyway, I kind of wished that I'd spent as much time looking carefully before the journey as I did during the ride as I soon ended up in Bratislava, but not the main station. I was not just at the wrong side of the city, some might say I was on the wrong side of the tracks.
PetrzalkaVienna and Bratislava are not far apart (The closest together capital cities in EU) at all and have fairly good connections between each other by train, coach and boat. Although I was tempted by the boat, I'd heard it was not particularly scenic so just went by train - there were two each hour from Vienna Hauptbahnhof so I did that. I went fairly early but not exceptionally so I was hoping to spend the day there in a fairly relaxed manner. Due to the fact that the Schengen agreement exists and that neither Austrian or Slovak government is run by the type of idiots that regularly politick about how terrible other Europeans are and then have to break their own rules to get rich people in, the journey was simple and without border control, which helps the relaxation.
Bratislava, like many major cities, has a river running through it and, common to many cities, the two sides of the city develop quite differently. In the case of Bratislava, the Danube split the city into north and south with the north being where the city itself really is and the south being an area "for redevelopment".
I was at Petrzalka Station but by a relatively happy coincidence, I was quite interested in this side. The south side had been extensively redeveloped under the communist regime of Czechoslovakia and so had a lot of housing blocks[1]. As I have said before, I do have an irrational soft spot for socialist era housing and so I quite enjoyed being a little lost in Bratislava. And I was that, lost I mean. I got the bus which I thought (more hoped) would take me over the bridge to the more touristy north. It didn't - I just ended up in a slightly different part of lost. I did eventually get over the bridge and I did also enjoy looking around but I cannot, in hindsight, say it was the wisest, or safest, thing to do.
Old Town and Castle
Once I came to a more central part of town and got off the bus, I noticed that a little crowd had formed around a building so I had a look. As I went to have a look, some familiar music started up - the French national anthem. It is safe to say I did not expect this. I stayed for a bit and watched the salutes, anthems, presentations and stuff which was a little odd. Nobody seemed to know what it was for[2].
Bratislava is not well known for its sights, or much at all from my point of view, but I have heard of people going for weekends away and stag dos[3] and the like. As far as I could tell, the castle was the only real sight and the old town was pleasant. Not bothering to consult a map, I went towards the area that seemed right and came to a cobbled road with tram lines. I think it was part of the old town but at this point, I felt I should make my way to the castle as that would be busy later so I could avoid the crowds.
It was a steep climb and a little out of the way from the town but I needn't have bothered hurrying though I was glad I'd bothered coming. There were very few people there and fewer still once I got inside. The castle is situated on a Hill (hence the steep walk) close to the banks of the Danube so there is a great view over the city and, as it is not the biggest of cities, beyond. The castle grounds and entrance are quite nice but nothing particularly special though I believe that a beautification process is underway both internally and externally. Inside was not particularly busy and I would guess a lot of the reason for that was how closed it looked. As I walked into the courtyard, the doors were closed and when I opened one to go in, I was told, or more accurately motioned, in Slovak to go to the ticket office. I did that, but I couldn't find it - it was not the biggest entrance but there was no clear ticket seller. Unless, could it be that?
Yep, it was behind a closed wooden door that looked like it was a caretaker's cupboard.
The inside of the castle has been transformed into a selection of museums and gallery spaces that were within some very nicely restored rooms. The exhibits were not, however that interesting and I spent some time in a room dedicated to Slovak war medals. This was not time well spent. The other exhibits about the country and area were a little more interesting but nothing amazing. The little bit on clocks seemed a bit out of place but I liked it. The website is not particularly up to date either – I think they need some advice to be honest.
After visiting the castle grounds, there was not a lot for me to do so I walked around the old town a little after getting a not particularly great lunch. The old town has a lot more to it than just the area that I had walked earlier so it was not a wasted time and is almost totally pedestrianised so I would imagine it lends itself well to a vibrant, and rowdy, nightlife. Some of the best known parts of the old town are a number of playful statues such as a strange French sailor looking out to sea and a man under a manhole cover. It was interesting to see how popular they were, especially with the older crowd.
Bridge and back
I decided to take the train back to Vienna from the main station and so continued a wander through the town as it became dark and then got back to Vienna. I walked back over the main bridge (called Novy Most) which was really quite striking at night as it seems to have a UFO on the top - for no apparent reason. The walkways are placed on the sides away from traffic so as you walk, you have a wall to one side and the river (and view) to the other so it feels simultaneously open to the elements and claustrophobic. I quite liked the concrete feel but it could definitely be a little intimidating[4] as a way to cross the river even though it was to a very pleasant park.
Old Town and Castle
Once I came to a more central part of town and got off the bus, I noticed that a little crowd had formed around a building so I had a look. As I went to have a look, some familiar music started up - the French national anthem. It is safe to say I did not expect this. I stayed for a bit and watched the salutes, anthems, presentations and stuff which was a little odd. Nobody seemed to know what it was for[2].
Bratislava is not well known for its sights, or much at all from my point of view, but I have heard of people going for weekends away and stag dos[3] and the like. As far as I could tell, the castle was the only real sight and the old town was pleasant. Not bothering to consult a map, I went towards the area that seemed right and came to a cobbled road with tram lines. I think it was part of the old town but at this point, I felt I should make my way to the castle as that would be busy later so I could avoid the crowds.
It was a steep climb and a little out of the way from the town but I needn't have bothered hurrying though I was glad I'd bothered coming. There were very few people there and fewer still once I got inside. The castle is situated on a Hill (hence the steep walk) close to the banks of the Danube so there is a great view over the city and, as it is not the biggest of cities, beyond. The castle grounds and entrance are quite nice but nothing particularly special though I believe that a beautification process is underway both internally and externally. Inside was not particularly busy and I would guess a lot of the reason for that was how closed it looked. As I walked into the courtyard, the doors were closed and when I opened one to go in, I was told, or more accurately motioned, in Slovak to go to the ticket office. I did that, but I couldn't find it - it was not the biggest entrance but there was no clear ticket seller. Unless, could it be that?
Yep, it was behind a closed wooden door that looked like it was a caretaker's cupboard.
The inside of the castle has been transformed into a selection of museums and gallery spaces that were within some very nicely restored rooms. The exhibits were not, however that interesting and I spent some time in a room dedicated to Slovak war medals. This was not time well spent. The other exhibits about the country and area were a little more interesting but nothing amazing. The little bit on clocks seemed a bit out of place but I liked it. The website is not particularly up to date either – I think they need some advice to be honest.
Bridge and back
I decided to take the train back to Vienna from the main station and so continued a wander through the town as it became dark and then got back to Vienna. I walked back over the main bridge (called Novy Most) which was really quite striking at night as it seems to have a UFO on the top - for no apparent reason. The walkways are placed on the sides away from traffic so as you walk, you have a wall to one side and the river (and view) to the other so it feels simultaneously open to the elements and claustrophobic. I quite liked the concrete feel but it could definitely be a little intimidating[4] as a way to cross the river even though it was to a very pleasant park.
The train back was nice and simple, as it had been on the way to Bratislava but the scenery was a little less enticing in the dark.
Bratislava was not particularly special and I doubt I would have visited had it not been in another country and a capital city (I doubt I would have seen it had it been part of Czechoslovakia, for instance) but it was still a pleasant day trip. I am not sure I would want to go there for much longer although the nightlife may be more enticing. Or, it may not. Bearing in mind what I have heard[3].
 |
| Bratislava 2013 - click for photo album |
2. I later looked up what was happening and it seemed to be merely an ambassadorial visit - quite a lot of fanfare for that I think.↩
3. I spoke to someone later on that told me that there were plenty of British stag weekends in Bratislava, and they were not popular with the locals. This is not surprising. I did explain that a lot of British towns can be carnage on weekends with drunkenness and a lot of fighting. He nodded in complete understanding.↩
4. It was intimidating when I crossed and saw a few people around a car under a poorly lit spot. My imagination made me believe a drug deal was taking place - this is pretty unlikely to be honest.↩
No comments:
Post a Comment