Bratislava: The Secret Gem

Driving to Bratislava on a whim in a rented car probably isn't on a typical weekend itinerary for many European travelers but something about the adventure and exciting nature of such a spontaneous trip with an uncommon destination in Slovakia was enticing. In hindsight, some simple planning and organization could have gone a long way to improve our trip, but the experience was a valuable one for two travelers learning to navigate a new continent. Renting a car in the Czech Republic didn't involve all of the bureaucratic hurdles that one would encounter in the States and after giving our passport and license numbers to the clerk, Tucker and I were handed the keys to our very own Skoda wagon, a fine specimen of Czech engineering and industrial perfection.

With an extra change of clothes, a copy of directions from map quest, and an eager attitude, we started driving southeast in the general direction of Slovakia. When we finally reached Bratislava, our little Skoda had powered over Czech, Hungarian, Austrian, and Slovakian roads, meandering a route complicated by wrong turns and our inability to decipher European road signs. Our expedition, however, started on a much more positive note, with a very scenic drive through the Bohemian countryside. The geography of the Czech Republic is similar to Upstate New York and drops from windy mountain passes to the rolling plains in the south of the country. With the freedom of our rented car, we felt liberated from the public transit system of the city and acted on our desire to explore the Czech Republic. The countryside of this part of Europe is dotted with countless historical sites: Medieval castles, fortresses, and Royal palaces from the region's centuries of war and numerous power shifts. We followed signs off of the highway towards Lipnice nad Savavou, a small, sleepy Czech town that boasts a Medieval castle dating back to the early 1300's. After driving on narrow country roads for some thirty kilometers, we found the castle, a beautiful compound overlooking the small town and the country below. Despite its historical significance and impressive architecture, we were the only visitors of the day and paid just over $2 to enter. After admiring the castle, exploring the town, and eating in a small pub, we were off to our final destination, B-Slava.

Tucker in front of our Skoda, which are essentially lower-end Volkswagons. We put some good miles on the "Ol' Battlewagon."

Looking down from the castle onto the village. People in the countryside are a little warmer than those who inhabit the city, but still shy nonetheless.

The Lipnice Castle from a distance, with the little village on the slopes below.

The Czech Republic apparently got the better end of the 1993 deal that divided Czechoslovakia into two distinct politically autonomous nations. Bratislava is still very much clouded by the bleakness of its Communist past, evidence of failed political and economic strategies present in the physical nature of the city. There is an attractive Old Town area of the city, but it is incomparable to Prague's beauty and condition. Having planned nothing, we were doomed to an hour of disorientation in Bratislava's less attractive sections, which account for the vast majority of the city. The totalitarian regime must have embarked on massive development and construction projects in its half century of power because the concrete housing projects and factories never ended. Prague's beauty and color were restored after a democratic government took over in 1989, a process that must have never occurred in that part of Slovakia. Most of the buildings were hastily constructed to fuel the Communist idea of industrialization and their lack of beauty at all reflected the absence of culture or leisure of any kind during that era. We were experiencing the city two decades after Communism fell, and I don't want to imagine the bleakness of the region under an oppressive regime and suffocated by economic stagnation. After battling Bratislavan drivers, illegible street signs, foreign street lines, angry tram conductors, and a manual transmission for over an hour, we finally found a parking spot near the tourist section. Our initial elation about our little rented Skoda was quickly replaced with frustration and a fury towards aggressive European drivers.

We found a reasonable hotel in a decent area of the city and then hit the town, hoping it wouldn't hit back too hard. Fears of becoming the next tortured victims from some horror movie or losing a kidney to the organ trade were assuaged before long after we realized Bratislava has a fun, colorful night life. We met some Austrian kids, with whom we explored the city. Looking for our car the next morning, we had visions of finding it either on cinder blocks or simply gone altogether and the prospect of dealing with some hairy, smelly, impatient Slovak named Hugo at the local impound was enough to regret our decision to leave it at all. Luckily, the Skoda was right where we left her, radio installed. Having seen the few sights the city had to offer, we hit the open road once more, stopping once to explore another small village and a Royal Palace just off the highway. Driving through Prague, and once again confused by foreign signs and lines, we found ourselves driving down a pedestrian only road. We couldn't understand why everyone was giving us dirty looks (we thought the Czechs liked Americans) until two Police Officers pulled us over and gave us a ticket. It was our first, and hopefully last brush with the Law. Next weekend's agenda: the 200th Anniversary of Oktoberfest...

A shot from the highway in Bratislava. The views were nothing compared to those in Prague; huge housing projects and factories stretched as far as the eye could see and despite their attempt to make the city more physically appealing by painting a lot of the buildings, it was still a grey, dark place.

TD in front of Bratislava's Old Town Square. Although much, much smaller than Prague's historic sector, it had several beautiful blocks.

One of several chateaus near the Austrian border built in the 1800's by the Liechtensteins, one of the Czech Lands' most powerful, important families. Situated in the hills of Southern Moravi, the Lipnice Chateau was surrounded by acres of beautiful gardens and ponds.