Friday – Day 8 of our Mystery Cruise and we were heading to Bratislava – the Capital of Slovakia.
Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, is set along the Danube River by the border with Austria and Hungary. Bratislava is the largest city in Slovakia. The population is about 450,000 and is the only national capital that borders two sovereign states. The city has several universities and many museums, theatres and galleries plus other cultural and educational institutions. While it doesn’t look very prosperous, it was ranked as the third richest region of the European Union in 2017 behind only Hamburg and Luxembourg City.
It’s surrounded by vineyards and the Little Carpathian mountains, crisscrossed with forested hiking and cycling trails it attracts about a million tourists a year. The pedestrian-only, 18th-century old town is known for its lively bars and cafes. Perched atop a hill, the reconstructed Bratislava Castle overlooks old town and the Danube.
Out walking tour went past a number of places including the American Embassy – which they didn’t want us to take pictures of which I found interesting – so of course I downloaded a picture.
Along the way, we stopped in at Naštartované retro. This café was created by three friends who were tired of meeting in various businesses around Bratislava and so the idea was born to create something for friends and guests where everyone will feel at home.
The concept of the place is very 70’s with lots of Czechoslovak artifacts on the walls and the front end of ŠKODA 100 car displayed inside. All of the items belong exclusively to the 70’s and 80’s period. Normally the place serves high-quality coffee, as well as specialties from the past, such as codfish, spreads, and Russian eggs. The assortment is always complemented by fresh desserts, and draft beer and kofola are a matter of course.
When we entered, there were bottles of local soda as well as the codfish spreads on the tables. It was truly a step back in time, but unfamiliar to all of us but an interesting insight into the locals.
It seems they have a very different take on bagels. First they are not round, more of a crescent shape and often filled with stuff. We stopped and sampled a few and found them very tasty. The place we stopped has been around a very long time – over 130 years!
Throughout the City there are various art installations. These artwork installations just sort of pop out at you as your walking along – very neat stuff.
These art pieces are a stunning contrast to the Communist-era buildings that still dot the city streets.
Having a good time and and adult beverage is also important. I found this quite interesting as I was walking around.
On top of one of the tall buildings, this St George the Dragon Slayer would normally be placed. However, the building is getting some work done and St. George gets to rest in the courtyard until it is once again placed on top of the building. Nice to get a close up of this wonderful building topper.
After our walking tour, we boarded the bus for a motor tour through more of the upscale areas of the city – including passing by various Ambasador’s homes (including the US Ambassador).
At the top of the hill, at the Castle, there is quite a view of the area below.
All in all a lovely day in this city. Getting back to the boat, it was group picture time and a “white party” after dinner.
