Bratislava

Bratislava is a nice place, but it was quickly clear that we were going to see pretty much all there is to see there in a very short time. The city is growing rapidly in business and industry. Tourism is a minor component of the economy, and the old "Historick Centrum" is pretty small and compact.

As mentioned, until recently the Centrum was a slum. After the end of the Communist era the government set about restoring properties here to their rightful owners, and encouraging restoration. A few properties have ownership still in dispute, and they continue to look as run down as everything did here 20 or 30 years ago.

We took a self-guided walk suggested by the Rick Steves travel book. We had already seen most of the area pointed out, but we did learn a few new things. For example, there are several buildings where cannonballs can be seen still embedded in the exterior stone work. Most of these are left from the Napoleonic Wars, during which the city suffered even more than in WW II.

Also pointed out was the wide variety of architectural styles standing next to one another. Part of the restoration of the area has included art, especially some whimsical sculptures that we had seen, but not paid much attention to. Perhaps the funniest is a characture of a Napoleonic officer that has been placed in the main square, immediately outside the French embassy. I hope the French ambassador has a sense of humor.

We also saw a Holocaust memorial on the site where the city's main synogogue once stood. The city's primary church was unavailable due to a wedding about to take place, but we were able to pick up some features of the exterior. We also saw the Communist-era bridge with a restaurant and observation deck known as "The UFO."

Finally, we walked along a pleasant green space near the U.S. Embassy, and then down river just a short distance beyond the Centrum to see a modern new development of shops and high-end condos. This is the Bratislava that is quickly emerging.

But we saw all of this in only about an hour and a half, then we were done. So we jumped on a train to Vienna a day earlier than originally planned. The trip is only a little over an hour. When we emerged in Stephenplatz, the center of old Vienna, the contrast was clear: Thousands of people were swarming in this city, eating and drinking, shopping and touring. Bratislava is sleepy, Vienna is a happening place!

After checking in a our "pensione" (sort of a budget, old-fashioned hostel) just a block from Stephenplatz, we found a sidewalk cafe for some lunch, then explored a bit and visited Stephensdom, the cathedral. Here, too, a June wedding (by the look of things, a VERY expensive wedding) precluded a full tour. But we did get to stand in the narthex and look around.

Dinner at another sidewalk cafe finished early enough for us to catch a free organ concert at another nearby church. More music and sightseeing in Vienna will be in store for tomorrow.