Germany/Austria Trip #5 - Bratislava

On the final day of our tour we had the great privilege to visit Bratislava in the country of Slovakia. This historic city is only 35 miles from Vienna, and it is the capitol of the nation that was created when the former Communist country of Czechoslovakia was divided into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. 

As we approached the border we did not know what to expect. Actually, it was a rather simple border crossing -- much easier than passing from the USA into Canada. Our bus driver had to purchase a transponder (for about $100) that will allow him to travel back and forth into Slovakia in the future. The only problem is that our bus driver was from Italy and he may never return to Solvakia.

As we were approaching the city our tour director told us to notice the large non-descript apartment buildings and the somewhat modern and impressive bridge crossing the Danube River. She mentioned that the communist governement was pretty proud of the bridge, but the impressive tower rising above the bridge was used for spying on the citizenry. 

Since the fall of communism the city leaders have attempted to spruce up the drab apartment buildings with colorful paint. Still the legacy of communism is evident everywhere, even after more than twenty years since the iron cutain came down.

As we entered the city we could see that the city buildings and infastructure are in various stages of disrepair. Our first destination was the historic castle built in the 10th Century on the high hill overlooking the city. The castle is being rennovated and is not ready for visitors to see the interior, but we were able to tour the exterior and grounds.  

After leaving the castle our bus took us into the heart of the city. It is obvious that the Slovakians are rebuilding and trying to come into the 21st century, but they have much to do.

Here is a typical impressive historic building in disrepair that is representative of what we saw during our morning in this interesting city.

Standing on the doorstep of a building in the town square was this mountain shepherd who was playing his musical instrument that our guide told us is a traditional instrument of the mountains. The instrument is called a Fujara, and is a very large flute that has a mellow and deep sound. He was a very accomplished musician and was also very accomodating for picture taking.

As we were walking through the historic section of the city we encountered a parade that was being led by these characters. We're not sure what was going on, but we know that many children were marching in the parade and they were decked out with green hair and costumes that resembled these personalities.

The parade culminated in a boulevard where a stage was errected and these lumanaries began to entertain the crowd with folk songs and interaction. Evidently the sign "Narodny Festival" means "National Festival" and the celebrations of that Saturday morning were especially designed for families and children. It was a very festive mood, with food vendors and other kinds of street vendors selling all kinds of things.

As we were meeting our bus for the ride back to Vienna I got this good telephoto shot of the "spy tower" on the bridge. It is obviously not a tourist attraction, but a reminder of the oppression that still blights this up and coming country from the former Communist Bloc of Eastern Europe

This final picture was taken on the grounds of the Bratislava Castle and overlooking the city. We truly had a wonderful time, although it was a whirlwind trip, and would recommend this part of the world for travel. It is truly an area where there is a need for the gospel.