Slovakia

At 9:00a, our QuietVox headsets set to the channel designated by Silvia, our guide for this morning’s included tour, we set off on a stroll around Bratislava. Described as one of Europe’s “most intimate capitals,” Bratislava was, for a period of time at least, the Coronation City of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. As a matter of fact, our meandering walk — designed to take in the highlights of Old Town — followed, in part, the Coronation Route … marked with brass crown medallions set into the pavement.

The two-hour tour was fast-paced, but Silvia made enough stops for photos and commentary that it was also an easy one. The only building we entered was St Martin’s Cathedral … and that was just a relatively quick look-see. This was definitely more of a “quantity over quality” tour vs our preferred “quality over quantity” DIY tours. To be expected I suppose since we had no more than three hours in Bratislava … the last hour of which was free time.

Our feet first carried us to the Opera House … housed in aHabsburg-era Neo-Renaissance style building that dates back to 1886. Then, we walked the length of Hviezdoslav Square ... named for a Slovak poet, dramatist, translator, and briefly a member of the Czechoslovak parliament. Here we found what seemed like an oddity to us … a statue honoring Hans Christensen Andersen. When we asked Silvia about the author’s connection to the city, all she could say was that he had visited Bratislava in 1841. But she was able to point out the “most photographed naked man in Slovakia” … an etching on the back of the Andersen statue depicting the naked emperor in the author’s story, “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” 😄

As we continued our walk toward the Cathedral, we passed two memorials. The first was the Plague Memorial … an ornate column erected in the aftermath of the devastating plague that struck Bratislava — indeed much of Europe — in the 17th century.

Next came the Holocaust Memorial, erected in 1996 to mark the spot of the Neolog Synagogue, which was demolished by the Communist government in 1969 to make way for the highway connection for the “UFO” Bridge. A single word — “Pamätaj,” which means “remember” in the Slovak language — is mirrored at the other edge of the pedestal with the Hebrew word that carries the same meaning. The words are intended as a reminder not to forget the 105,000 Slovak victims of the Holocaust.

With the memorial located in the same square as the cathedral, it was a quick walk to St Martin’s. It was crowded inside … several groups from the Rinda; as many or more groups from land-based bus tours; independent travelers here and there as well. The present church was consecrated in 1452 and named for Bratislava’s patron saint. It was here — after the Ottomans conquered Hungary — that ten kings (and seven wives) and one queen were crowned Imperial rulers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Since there would be no free time for photos, I wandered around a bit as I listened to Silvia on the QuietVox describing the equestrian statue group that depicts St Martin, in typical Hungarian hussar dress, dividing his cloak to give part of it to a beggar as protection from the cold.

Leaving St Martin’s through a back door, we continued toward the center of Old Town. We peeked into narrow, alley-like streets for photo-ops that included the Bratislava Castle and Michalská Gate, the only one of the original four gates into the city that has been preserved. We also learned about the traditional pastry called bajgel, aka the Bratislava rozky. Ooops! Forgot to sample the pastry, but we made up for that oversight at Konditorei Kormuth … which I will write about separately.

Eventually, we arrived at Hlavne Namestie, the main square in the heart of Old Town … home to three of the city’s landmarks … with two others nearby. There was no time then to go into the Old Town Hall, which dates back to the 13th century. But Mui and I managed a quick look-see later when we passed by the square again on our way back to the ship.

Silvia used the time here to talk about the Roland Fountain in the square, which was installed in 1572. Many believe that the statue atop the column depicts King Maximilian. Makes sense since he commissioned it. Thus, that is another name by which the fountain is known. But the most popular moniker is the “Peeing Boys Fountain” … for the statues of four young boys that are seemingly “taking a wee.” I’m not sure if the ‘boys’ were part of the original fountain, or a later addition, but these statues — two of which are holding hands — caused quite a stir amongst the residents in 1794 and were removed. Fear not, the boys are back! They were restored to the fountain following the 2019 reconstruction of the landmark.

While Silvia was answering questions, Mui and I went to check out one of the three quirky statues that my research had suggested we keep an eye out for. Installed in front of the French Embassy, the statue depicts a French army soldier, bent from the waist, his arms resting on the back of a bench. Is it Napoleon mooning the French Embassy? Or is it Hubert … a soldier who fell in love with a local girl, stayed behind when the French army left, and started producing a sparkling wine named Hubert that has since become one of the most popular brands in the country. There doesn’t seem to be a consensus on which story is real, so I’ll let you decide which one you prefer.

We came across the two other quirky statues after we left Hlavne Namestie. First, right around the corner, we found “Schöne Náci,” a famous local dandy … with a whimsical personality and impeccable attire … dedicated to spreading joy and warmth around Bratislava. The story goes that he had a habit of greeting women with a kiss and handing out flowers.

The last statue was a little further down the road … “Čumil, Man at Work.” Čumil, is the Slovak word for “watcher.” The reason for the name becomes apparent when you realize the statue depicts a man partially poking out of a manhole, his head resting on his folded arms. He’s a peeping Tom of sorts! In fact, the smile on his face is attributed to the fact that he is looking under the skirts of passing women! Apparently Čumil was being run over by drivers. He is, after all, rather low-to-the ground. The solution was to add a“Man at Work” sign … which simply served to increase the statue’s popularity with both the locals and visitors.

Thus, we wrapped up the tour. Silvia bid us farewell and set us free … reminding us not to be late returning to the Rinda. We had an hour to spare before all aboard … which we put to good use with a bit more sightseeing, but more importantly, with relax-time at Konditorei Kormuth. But that story is for the next footprint.Read more