# Bratislava - Ahoj, zlatíčko!



## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

I made a short trip to Bratislava last week and one day to Wien. I made a lot of pictures, well around 400 pictures. I'm not going to show them all but I will give a nice tour around the city.

I want to say that I just make pictures with a digital camera, Don't expect anything fancy, this is just my trip report 

Bratislava was a nice surprise, it felt small and big at the same time. Sometimes I had the feeling I was in big city , the next I felt like i was in some provincial backwater town. I liked that mix.

Anyway lets get started!


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

The hotel is first up. It was a chain hotel from Mercure but it was really nice actually. The room was big and cozy the bathroom was even bigger. We(me and my gf) had plenty of space.

Staff was exellent and fluent in different languages, breakfast was really good one of the best I ever had to be honest. above all, the room was really cheap.




























It was around 7PM. I made the follwing pictures all with my cellphone so quality won't be good 
We still had to get some food so we decided to walk towards the old town wich was a 15 min walk from our hotel.




























Catched the first glimp of the Pressburg Castle in the distance from the Hodžovo námestie square where the presidential palace is the most prominent building.


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

From the Hodžovo námestie we walked directly into the old town. The first picture below is where the midieval walls and moat used to be. The tower is only midieval city gate still standing. The rest are demolished.










There was water once between these old buildings but now it where private garderns.









The midieval city gate:



























The city was full of poorly lit alleyways but I never felt unsave or anything. It all added to the charm of the old town.









By now I was parished and we took the first (touristic and medium quality) food we could find.










Goulash with bread









The local beer (I liked it and drank at least two every evening) and apfelstrudel!


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Wonderful, very nice photos from Bratislava


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

The area around the central square: Hlavne namestie
again sorry for the bad quality, afther this post it's day pictures wich are better 









These where brothels on the upper floors...















































As I strayed around without a map searching my way back to the hotel I ran across this legend in the architecture forums of SSC:










some modern highrise:


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Was there in 2009 as a daytrip from Vienna. The old town is really nice, and there are some nice skyscrapers as well.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

The city looks great. Nice shots.


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

The next day we went for a loooong walk across the city 

The busy street near our hotel.









The highrise I spotted the other night:










some of the mix of architecture present outside the old town:




























Namestie Slobody; a monument fountain in a rather badly kept park. All fontains in Bratislava are empty for winter...










not particulairy in a good shape










...and neither was the park itself...


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## Evahstun (Nov 24, 2015)

very nice, much better than its portrayal in Eurotrip


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

Eurotrip is satire, I hope you realise that


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## Amrafel (Nov 26, 2006)

Finally a Bratislava thread in Urban showcase! :cheers: I can't wait for more pics and comments


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

^^ Check this thread. 

Really a pleasant city for a relaxing trip! :cheers:


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

Offcourse Benonie your thread was way surperior as you pictures are always very beautifull! I don't tend to do much efford in making beautfill pictures and just snap away


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

Some 1930's buildings I guess. I generally like that simple style.











More housing in the urban streets around the old town:


















We reached Hodžovo námestie again.









Presidential guard









In the gardens of the Presidential Palace:



















Urban feel in this part of the city










Some building wich seemed out of place. It was delipitated but would be nice if restored!










We decided to walk around the old town before entering it and I'm glad I did.


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

The old town is the lowest part of the city:










Despite annoyance of my girlfriend I couldn't leave out tram pictures 









Staromestská, an urban highway wich cuts right through the old town. Apparently they demolished a part of the old town for this road.


















Right next to it the only part of the old city walls that are left standing.We couldn't enter the old town here. It was closed off for repair works.


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

^^ In my opinion these last pictures are great as well! :cheers:



joshsam said:


> I don't tend to do much efford in making beautfill pictures and just snap away


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## Amrafel (Nov 26, 2006)

Benonie said:


> ^^ Check this thread.
> 
> Really a pleasant city for a relaxing trip! :cheers:


Of course I know your great thread, Benonie!  However, I still have the feeling that Bratislava is underpresented here in Urban showcase.



joshsam said:


> Offcourse Benonie your thread was way surperior as you pictures are always very beautifull! I don't tend to do much efford in making beautfill pictures and just snap away


Your pictures are great, keep posting


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

We decided to explore the small part of the old town squeezed again the hillside of the Castle first.










Cozey streets wind up the hillside:






































Yep that's me!


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

We continue the walk, still entering old town but walking around it on the edge 

The main bus station as under the lower part of Novy Most SNP









Novy Most SNP










Lookig towards the old town



















We continued alongside the water wich had a mix of differend styles blended together. Somehow the badly placed 'new' buildings reminds me of Belgium :lol:


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

However we decided to go and explore the old town eventually. The overall majority of the buildings in the old town are in perfect or in near perfect conditions. The old town was for the most part spotless clean. I could tell wich buildings you guys are seeing here but I'm not going to 





































The southern part of Hviezdoslavovo Namestie, the most famous square in town


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Amrafel said:


> I still have the feeling that Bratislava is underpresented here in Urban showcase.


Most people skip this kind of smaller ciyies and only visit the big touristic ones: Prague, Vienna, Budapest...
I always love to pause a few days in smaller, lesser known cities like Bratislava, Ljubljana, Split, Vilnius... They have got a lot of beauty to offer, are less crowded, cozy and also important: much cheaper. :cheers:


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

I agree Benonie. We also went to Wien and the masses of tourists there where auwfull. It really wasn't a good experience actually (besides from the beautifull architecture offcoruse). Bratislava was relaxing and easy going.


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## Amrafel (Nov 26, 2006)

Do you have any more pictures, joshsam?


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

yes a lot actually. I'll try and post some tomorrow  I was very busy last weeks


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

Here we go venturing deeper into the old town. This part mainly had 18th century buildings wich where infact not that old. I guess they replaces the much older buildings that used to be here before. Later on we will see older buildings.


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

This house reminded me a lot of the Belgian guild houses. Apparently this was an important Pharmacy in its days.


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)




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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

We venture into the oldest streets of Bratislava now. Some buildings where allready restored and some where in desperate need of repair. I guess tourists don't go in these backstreets of the old town that much.


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

These two pictures are taken in the same street just 50 meters apart


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## Amrafel (Nov 26, 2006)

^^And this is how it looked like in 1997 movie Peacemaker. It represented bombed house in Sarajevo :lol:


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

Lets continue 

We ate on night at the restaurant in the back. It was in a midieval cellar. Food was good and the restaurant was very cosy.



























Back near the main square:


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

Inside the church:


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

The old city hall:



















the square behind it has a nice palace on it


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

joshsam said:


> I guess tourists don't go in these backstreets of the old town that much.


We've been there! :yes:


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

Next we're walking up to the upper part of town where also the calste is located

View across the river towards the district of Petržalka










entrance of the castle walls:










on top of the hill; The courthouse










Old suburbs on the hillside










The castle courtyard:


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

Petržalka, the biggest commieblock district in Bratislava



















The old and the new bridge. The old bridge was being transformed to a pedestrain and tram bridge only










The garden of the catsle was being completely overhauled


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

General view from the castle lower gardens:





































suburbs on the hills above the city, we will visit some of those later and they are really afluent, big houses and nice cars. But first we'll visit some of the older suburbs wich have also really nice and old homes.


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

We descent from the hill on the other side and walk into the Protestant quarter of the city. It features a lof of beautifull historic homes.

The court at the top of the hill:









A mixed neighbourhood with nice homes called Štefánka and in the back Slavin with Slavin monument not visibible form here but we will visit that later.










Apparently a Protestant Hospital next to graveyard (also Protestant)


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

The yellow building was a big Protestant school if I remember correctly.


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

We continue our walk in the same district:





































Beautifull homes!


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

We returned back to our hotel wich was only half a kilometer from the previous picture but down at the bottem of the hill near one of the cities busiest roads. Rush hour traffic on Šancová ulica near our hotel.


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

You really visited every corner of this cozy city. Great tour! kay:


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

I tried to visit as many as possible on 3 days. Besides that i have large sets of pictures from Vienna where I only stayed one quick day afther Visiting Bratislava. 

All daytime pictures in this thread so far have been made in one day. So yea we walked all day


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## Slartibartfas (Aug 15, 2006)

That somthing different for a change, holidays in Bratislava with a day trip to Vienna 

Great pictures. I think the old quarter just along the remaining wall, as well as the wall itself would have great touristic potential. The city seems to be working on it, especially that one gaping ruin would need some serious effort, hopefully in form of reconstruction. If the wall tower or the walls as such would be open to public this would be also splendid. 

I think there is a lot of progress in the inner areas around the mostly well restored old town. Those streets are increasingly pleasent to the eye as general restoration efforts progress. What I do see as well however is how sloppy maintenance leads to the first signs of dilapidation of previous city renewal projects. That's such a pity. I mean for example the fairly new plasteralready with holes and missing / broken stones or other things in this regard. If the city would invest in slightly less fancy solutions but in return for a solid maintenance program in the long run, this would be a better deal.


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## Amrafel (Nov 26, 2006)

City walls are already open for public, at least during warmer months. It is a more pleasant link from the castle to St. Martin's Cathedral than the usual way through the underpass under the SNP (UFO) bridge. The wall tower is still closed and in need of reconstruction, but the view from the top is really breathtaking (I worked on the walls, so I had the access to the tower). It would be a massive boost for this part of Altstadt if it would be reconstructed. 

When it comes to the maintenance of public spaces, due to the coming Slovakia's leadership of the EU in the second half of the year, massive maintenance works are planned in the city center, some of them already started. In Autumn, Bratislava should look much better than it looks now.


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

The next day:

Buildings along Stefanikova street:










The railway station. I love the inside however I forgot to take a picture of it as I was trying to buy tickets to Wien withing 2 days.










We decided to walk up to the hill next to the station where you can find the Slavin monument.










I wouldn't fancy a house along stairs like these. Just getiing groceries up here. No thanks 









Clmbing higher...


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

Took some pictures left and right while going up hill.



















In front of the Slavin monument:









6,845 soldiers of the Red army are buried here





























A soldier of the Red army tramples the nazi swastika


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

I love detailed tours like this! :banana:


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

Thanks aljuarez 

some overview from the city from the Slavin monument:

We'll walk to those towers later that day as I wanted to see them up close.









For a city the size of Bratislava, it has more highrise buildings than I expected



























Slovenský Rozhlas in the picture here. Later also pictures from up close. I must say the building was in a dire state. It badly needed renovation but it looked beyond that, more like it will face demolition in the near future. :sad:


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

Some affluent suburbs on the hills surrounding the momorial


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

We decent back into the Protestant quarter wich lies tucked away between the hills and the historic city center.




























and we are back on the edge of the old city:


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

We will now take a walk alongside Hurbanavo road and Spitalska. Two large streets wihc feature a lot of differend kinds of architecture.


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)




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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

inside the old post building; I tried to make more pics but do you see the officer there? He trew us out...



















Inside the chapel you can see on the past pic of previous post


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

So many churches in Bratislava it was hard to visit them all. Every corner you looked the we're 3 chruches visable or more...


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Nice updates Joshsam! You explored the city really in in a thorough manner! kay



> Slovenský Rozhlas in the picture here. Later also pictures from up close. I must say the building was in a dire state. It badly needed renovation but it looked beyond that, more like it will face demolition in the near future.


I hope not! It's a gorgeous building and one of the city's landmarks. It would be a terrible mistake to demolish it...


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

Benonie said:


> Nice updates Joshsam! You explored the city really in in a thorough manner! kay
> 
> 
> 
> I hope not! It's a gorgeous building and one of the city's landmarks. It would be a terrible mistake to demolish it...


Yes yes i had plenty of time to ecplore the city. I have more pictures still...

I know it would be a terrible mistake but you could clearly see pieces of the exterior of the building had allready fallen off and on the lower floors a number of windows where broken and replaced by plywood. I hope they will restore it. It was still occupied but looked like the old Cité Administratieve in Brussels.


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)




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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

We are arriving in an area wihc holds a number of art nouveau gems wich I was eager to visit. My pictures are drab as always but anyway here we go ...


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)




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