Bratislava 2004
Ann’s sister, Karen, was at the time a university lecturer & living in Bratislava, so obviously a good excuse to visit. She has a nice centrally located flat. This photo shows Karen & Ann in the nearby gardens of the President’s Palace.
Bratislava Castle is on a hill dominating the city & the Danube. Though there have been fortifications & a castle on this site for a very long time, what you see now, is not that old, it was re-built in 1957. Never mind, it is still a very pleasant walk up to it. There is a nice café round the side of the Castle with the best views of the city.
One of my earliest memories when I first visited in 1994, was this view of the expanse of identical residential tower-blocks, south of the river. Communist- brutalist architecture at its worst. The modern bridge over the Danube has a good restaurant on the top.
The city Museum is quaint & rambling building. The photo below shows one of the internal courtyards of the museum complex, part of the old Town Hall.
Michalska Gate Tower. The last remaining medieval gateway into the city. It was largely rebuilt in the 18th century. If you don’t have a head for heights, don’t climb up it – the rickety railings on top would not pass most Health & Safety checks! However the views are splendid.
St Martin’s Cathedral. This small cathedral has a lot of history associated with it. The Hapsburgs used it as their coronation church.
Strolling round we came across this strange hotel – a backpacker’s dream hotel ?
Karen & Ann on the long steep climb to Castle Devin.
Settlements here date back to 5,000 BC. There is an underground museum showing lots of ancient artefacts.
The castle’s strategic importance lies in the fact that it stands at the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers.
