Bratislava in a Hurry

Our sail from Budapest lasted until 7:30 a.m., and when we arrived in Bratislava we were rafted alongiside one of our sisters, MS Savor, which is the ship we were on, with Maggie, on our last Tauck cruise.

 After breakfast there was a lecture on Slovakia given by an American who has lived here for 27 years and gave us information on the political history without any pro- or anti-Communist leaning. It is really quite amazing how much Slovakia has done since Czechoslovakia  was split up in the early 1990s. Since then, the auto industry has become one of the biggest drivers of the economy. If you happen to drive a Porsche Cayenne, they're all built in Slovakia, along with a number of other premium and luxury brands.

 We then met our guide for a walking tour around the old town for about an hour and a half. Just like Budapest, we seemed to meet school groups everywhere we went - this is the last week of school in both countries, and rather than trying to get the kids to learn anything, they're filling the time with field trips.

 We spent some time in St. Stephen's Cathedral, where we learned that one of the Slovak's favourite sayings is: 'There's nothing more permanent than temporary'. During the Austro-Hungarian empire, Bratislava was made a temporary capital city and a coronation city. This lasted for about 260 years - hence the saying - and there were 9 or 10 emperors crowned in the cathedral. Emperor Franz Josef and his wife Elizabeth, the famous Sisi, were among them.

 

    One of the side altars

Looking toward the main altar

This statue of St. Stephen in the baroque style used to be on the main altar, but was moved when that style went out of style and was replaced by the neo-Gothic one that remains there today. The story depicted by the statue is that St. Stephen came upon a beggar while out riding one day. He took his sword and cut his coat in half, giving the beggar something to keep him warm. That night, he had a dream where he saw Jesus wearing half of his coat, and the legend of St. Stephen was born.

 

The Old Town of Bratislava used to be in really bad condition, but over the last 30 years or so has been completely refurbished and it is now quite a vibrant area. Here are some photos from our walk:

The courtyard of the Town Hall

These crowns signify the coronation route

One of the narrow streets on the route

The Man at Work sculpture

Bratislava Castle

We sailed for Vienna in the early afternoon, set for a 6 p.m. arrival ahead of our dinner and concert at the Palace Pallavicini. On the way, we passed quite a few of these little fishing cottages along the riverside. The Danube used to be rather polluted, but after efforts made by all the countries along its route, it is now safe to eat the various fish that can be caught in it.