Bratislava: Sculpting Simplicity
On the last day of my trip where we covered three capitals, we visited the quiet town of Bratislava. Despite being in Central Europe, this town seemed to be tucked away in a corner and often overshadowed by the grandeur of the neighbouring cities of Vienna and Budapest. We had been told that half a day was enough to cover the little town. But even if you give a writer something simple, they still manage to carve out a written piece about it. As for me, there’s no place in the world I wouldn’t want to write about!
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia, a country which is an ex-partner of Czech Republic. Both these countries separated in 1993 in an event that is sometimes called the Velvet Divorce. The first thing I noticed about the town was its simplicity. Having seen the grandeur of Vienna and Budapest for two consecutive days, it was a welcoming change to visit a place that did not look like a movie set (don’t get me wrong! I loved Vienna and Budapest, but there was a different charm in Bratislava’s simplicity). The historic center was laid out with beautiful buildings like the town hall and subtle but beautiful churches.
Left to Right: St. Martin’s Cathedral and Old Town Hall
Opera House
What really caught my attention were the various sculptures in human size located all over its Old Town. I have to admit, I was a little creeped out by them in the beginning. The feeling of being watched is not pleasant! But once I got over this, I noticed how these statues1 added a modern touch to the historical center. Our local guide told us stories behind these statues: all of them were in memory of people important to Slovakia. What made the experience memorable were the funny little superstitions surrounding these statues. “Whoever stands below the hat of this statue will never get married, and if they do, they will get divorced.” A bunch of bravehearts from our group ran towards the statue, and the married guys among them got a stern look from their wives. Uh oh! The prophecy was starting to get true! :D
Left to Right: Schone Naci, Napolean Soldier and Man at Work
After a short walk around the town, we found ourselves at the bank of the Danube river. The river flows through the heart of Bratislava as it travels from Vienna to Budapest. The view from the banks was spectacular. Those who know me well know how much I love sunsets. Sunsets have been and will always be the subject of a lot of my poems (like the one here). The one thing Bratislava wrote in my book of memories is the gorgeous sunset it showed me along the banks of Danube. Amidst thick clouds, the sun found a way to peep in and remind me of the sunsets back at home that I terribly miss.
After savouring this moment, I noticed the castle of Bratislava. Sitting on a small hill along the banks of Danube, the castle was very unique. I’ve seen my fair share of castles now that I’ve been in Europe for quite sometime, but this is the only castle I’ve seen which has a modern touch to it. And just as I thought I was falling for this cute little town, I fell even deeper: for the best was yet to come!
Left to Right: Bratislava Castle and Danube River
While strolling across the town, we came across a beautiful street. It was surreal: a true example of Autumn beauty. I could see all shades of orange and yellow in front of my eyes, and I suddenly got reminded of the poem I had written when I first witnessed Autumn here in Europe. This landscape was a poet’s paradise and an artist’s art. Needless to say, my friends and I sat here for sometime reminiscing about our college days.
Had I not taken this trip as a guided tour, I might have skipped Bratislava altogether. There is not much to see around, which made my day in Bratislava even more memorable. It was just us friends exploring a tiny town, a side of Europe I had never thought I would see. It was a perfect end to a beautiful trip. I finally got time to sit back, enjoy nature and be grateful for this wonderful opportunity of traveling to the places less talked about, the true gems of Europe.