For a tiny city, Bratislava certainly packs a punch. Small though it may be, historically it was one of the big hitters. From 1536 to 1783 this city was the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary, then part of the Habsburg Empire. Over the years it has been home to Austrians, Germans, Hungarians, Czechs and Slovaks, all of whom have left an indelible mark on the city.
It wasn't always known as Bratislava though. The earliest recorded name dates from the 10th century when the city was called Brezalauspurc (literally: Braslav's castle). This is the term that the German (Pressburg), Czech (Prešpurk) and original Slovak (Prešporok) names are derived from. In 1919 the city's name was changed to Bratislava, which is derived from an old misinterpretation of 'Braslav' to 'Bratislav'.
The cityscape comprises a mix of medieval towers and grandiose 20th century buildings. Most of the historical buildings can be found in the Old Town, among them the Town Hall, a complex of constructions dating from the 14th and 15th centuries, and St Michael's Gate, the only remaining gate from the medieval fortifications.
But before you reach the Old Town, you come across Grasalkovičov palác (Grassalkovich Palace), an 18th century Rococo palace. Built in 1760, this palace was the summer residence of Count Antal Grassalkovich, a Hungarian nobleman who was the head of the Hungarian Chamber (a sort of ministry of economy and finance for the Kingdom of Hungary). Reconstructed in the early 1990s, the palace is the seat of the president of Slovakia, and its large gardens are now a public park.
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| Grasalkovičov palác built in 1760 |
In medieval times the city was surrounded by fortified walls and people entered and exited the city via one of the four heavily-fortified gates. Only Michalská brána (St Michael's Gate), the watchtower from the original fortifications in the north of the city, still stands today. Built around the year 1300, its present shape is the result of Baroque reconstructions in 1758, when a statue of St Michael and the Dragon was placed on its top. The tower is over 50m high, and climbing to the top offers stunning views of the city.
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| The early 14th century Michalská brána |
Dating from the 14th century, Stará radnica (Old Town Hall) is the oldest city hall in the country, and one of the oldest stone buildings still standing in Bratislava. The town hall was created in the 15th century by joining together three townhouses, a tower and a palace. The core of this complex is Jacobus ház, which was the house of the then mayor, Jacobus II. Over the centuries the complex went through several reconstructions. Today the Old Town Hall houses the City Museum.
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| The Old Town Hall |
Bratislava's pride and joy is probably its castle (Bratislavský hrad), a monstrous, white, wedding cake-like creation sitting on top of a hill overlooking the entire city. The castle hill has been inhabited since the Stone Age when the people of the Boleráz culture constructed settlements around 3500 BC. The Celts built a fortified stronghold there in the 1st century BC, while the Romans occupied the site between the 1st and 4th centuries AD. Little is known about the occupants during the 5th century, but in the 6th century the Slavs, thought to be direct predecessors of the present-day Slovaks, arrived. Initially, they adapted the old Roman and Celtic structures, before building their own Slavic castle with a wooden rampart at the end of the 8th century. A stone palace was built in the second half of the 9th century.
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| The "Wedding Cake", aka Bratislava Castle |
The castle's origins date from the 10th century. Under King Stephen I of Hungary (1000-1038), it became one of the central castles of the Kingdom of Hungary. Over the years it underwent several alterations and additions in various styles. In the late 12th century the castle was turned into a proto-Romanesque palace of stone. It was so well fortified that it was able to withstand Mongol attacks in 1241 and 1242.
By 1536, after the Ottoman Empire had conquered present-day Hungary, Bratislava, or Pressburg as it was now known, became the capital of the remaining Kingdom of Hungary, which was renamed Royal Hungary and ruled by the Austrian Habsburgs. Pressburg Castle became the official coronation place for Hungarian kings and the formal seat of the kings of Royal Hungary. For two centuries the southwest tower housed the Hungarian coronation jewels.
Under Emperor Ferdinand I of Habsburg (1531-1564), the castle was rebuilt in the Renaissance style. However, some of the alterations were done in haste, so in 1616, further reconstructions, this time in the early Baroque style, were done. The last large reconstruction took place during the reign of Maria Theresa (1740-1780), Queen of Hungary, with internal reconstructions being done in the Rococo style.
In 1783, Pressburg ceased to be the seat of central authorities in the Kingdom. Business was moved to Buda (modern-day Budapest), while the crown jewels of the Kingdom of Hungary were moved to the Hofburg Palace in Vienna. In 1811, the castle burst into flames due to the carelessness of Austrian and Italian soldiers. It was completely destroyed and over time the ruins deteriorated further still.
Finally, in 1956-1968 the castle was reconstructed in the last-known style of the main building (Baroque), and in recent years has undergone further restoration. It looked absolutely amazing. Until I went inside. I paid €2.50 for a ticket, although I had no idea what that ticket was for. Unless I was mistaken, all it did was grant me entry to a dull, two-roomed exhibition on the castle's reconstruction. The illusion was shattered. It was like looking at the marzipanned-glory of a pristine wedding cake, then biting into it and being hit with the less-than-welcome taste of dry fruit cake.
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| Details on the main gate |
Determined not to let the "wedding cake" be the final stop on my sightseeing tour, I headed back down to the Old Town where, hidden in the streets, four life-size bronze statues have become one of the city's main attractions. My favourite was Paparazzi, a paparazzo celebrity photographer peering around a corner into Laurinská Street and holding a camera in his hands.
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| Paparazzo sculpture |
So, what can I say about Bratislava? Well, it's is quite unlike any capital city I have ever seen. It's small and compact, relatively untouched by tourism – even the infamous stag parties were in short supply! – possibly because there really isn't that much to do. Most of the historic buildings are actually reconstructions, making the history far more interesting than the reality. But, the streets are pretty and the buildings picture-worthy, so I'm glad I went.
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