Europe 2019 - Day 32 (Part 1)

7 June 2019, Friday

Today we go to Bratislava, Slovakia. It is only about 4 hours away by bus. 

We arrived at about 1 p.m. and made our way to our hostel, which was an uphill walk and the sun was scorching. I was sweating profusely by the time I reached the reception and the host I think felt so sorry for me that she gave me cold water to drink. And then she said, “but Malaysia is hotter, no?” Yes, but then I don’t go walking under the sun uphill for fun in Malaysia. 

The history of Slovakia is similar to the Czech Republic. First it was inhabited by Celtic tribes, including the Boii. They were then pushed out by Germanic tribes, and then taken over by the Romans. Then came the Slavic invasion in the 6th-7th centuries. Then the Hungarians, followed by the Austrian Habsburgs. Then the marriage to the Czech Republic after WW I and the amicable divorce in 1993. Slovakia was under Soviet influence for a long time, and in many ways I thought the effects of communism had not worn off as quickly as it did in the Czech Republic, because my impression is that the country is now slowly opening up to other cultures and embracing tourism (for example, many of the tourist sites were still being renovated or under construction); whereas the Czech Republic is far advanced in cultural diversity and tourism.

First we went to the tourist information centre in Old Town Bratislava to get information on the interesting places to see. Right beside the centre was a place called Primate’s Palace. It is a classicist palace built in the 18th century in which the Peace of Pressburg (Pressburg is contemporary Bratislava) was signed between the representatives of the French and Austrian emperors after Napoleon’s victory at the Battle of Austerlitz. It also serves as the seat of the Mayor of Bratislava. 

Walking around in the vicinity of Primate’s Palace we saw the Fountain of St George and the Dragon, and a bust of Franz Floridus Romer - a catholic priest, archaeologist, art historian, university professor etc. I’m really not sure of his importance, but there was a bust of him there. Then to the Old Town Hall is the former seat of the city council, and since 1868 is the seat of the Bratislava City Museum, the oldest museum in Slovakia. It has a tower measuring 45 metres tall. 

Then we saw a curiosity here in Bratislava, the bronze sculpture of Čumil the Sewer Worker. It is the sculpture of a man peeping out of a manhole. It’s anyone’s guess what he’s up to; either he is resting after cleaning the sewer or is looking under women's skirts. After the statue had lost its head twice due to inattentive drivers, it was decided to place a unique road sign next to it - Man At Work.

Then we walked to Michael’s gate, which is the only preserved gate of the city fortification system dating back to the 14th century. It has a tower which is 51 metres tall and can be seen from all over Old Town. We saw another church called the Church of St Stephen the King, and also the Zero Kilometre point in the city of Bratislava.

We also stumbled upon the Gates to the City - the place where once stood the municipal fortification gate with a tower and forehand which was built here in the 13th century. The part of the gate that we saw formed a bridge over the moat, dating from the 17th century. Walking a bit further, we arrived at a spot which was marked in commemoration of the first witch burnt to death in Bratislava. 

Then I saw a very interesting building in terms of architecture, but it was under construction or something and not open to the public. Later when I did some research I found out that it is a neo-Renaissance building and former pharmacy built in 1904, known as Pharmacy Salvator. The pharmacy itself was founded by archbishop Georg Lippay in the 17th century and changed owners and locations several times before settling in this custom-built structure where it continued to operate for another 102 years before being shut down in 1996.  The building's facade features a stone statue of Christ the Saviour. Since 1963 the building is a culturally protected monument and it is one of the more striking examples of neo-renaissance architecture in Bratislava. I think in time to come it has the potential to become a tourist attraction. I’m glad I found it before the tourists come flocking to it.