Holiday Magic in Beautiful Bratislava

More than 2 decades since the Fall of Communism, there are few places left behind what used to be the Iron Curtain that truly look and feel different. Particularly close to the former Western border, many cities have adopted the same blend of commercial infrastructure and cityscape as their counterparts in Western Europe. In order to feel some of the remnants of what life under communism used to be like, it is nowadays necessary to travel much further afield to the East, unless we opt for Bratislava, capital of Slovakia and a mere hour away from waltzing Vienna. A journey to Bratislava also has the added benefit of introducing us to a destination much less publicized and thus less crowded than, say, Vienna or Prague and allows us to visit the capital of one of Europe's youngest nations, the Republic of Slovakia, created by the "Velvet Divorce" of the Czech and Slovak Republics in 1993. A visit to Slovakia thus also confronts us with the notion of cultural identity at the crossroads of Europe. After all, Bratislava was predominantly German speaking and better known as PRESSBURG less than a century ago as well as the capital of HUNGARY under the name of POZSONY for over 300 years while Buda, nowadays Budapest, was occupied by Ottoman Turks. As a Treasure off the Beaten Track destination, Bratislava therefore offers many an unexpected surprise to visitors and a true feel for history and identities moving across ever-changing geopolitical landscapes.

In recent years, Bratislava Tourist Authorities have launched many a worthwhile effort to make their capital city known to visitors abroad. The Tourist Information in central Old Town is well equipped, organized and accomodating, and on-line marketing of Slovakia as a destination has fully embraced new technologies. Among our favorite travel twitter accounts to follow, VISIT BRATISLAVA (www.twitter.com/visitbratislava) ranks among the most active and informative in Central Europe. When during the holiday period the question arose as to the nicest christmas markets in Central Europe, VISIT BRATISLAva made a proud yet modest appeal for the city's main Christmas Market in Old Town, and we decided to follow up on it and fully agree. There is a tasteful balance between setting, decoration and architecture, crowds are moderate, prices considerably lower than in Western Europe, and the entire market experience conveys a rich local heritage rather than commercial spectacle. So no better time to visit Bratislava than during the weeks preceding Christmas, despite the cold and snowy weather in this part of Europe.

We embark on our visit to the Slovak Capital, however, driving up towards the HRAD, or Bratislava Castle, perched on a 300 ft hill of the Little Carpathian Mountains overlooking the Danube and the Bratislava neighborhood of Petrsalka. Even when other impressions of the Slovak Capital begin to fade, no visitor is bound to forget the panorama of communist-era apartment blocks of Petrsalka and the ufo-looking tower restaurant of the NOVY MOST (New Bridge) from 1969. Although a prototypical architectural example of socialist realism, the panorama's effect on visitors today is rather one of exoticism, modernism and strange urban beauty. The HRAD itself, originally a 13th-century Gothic fortress, then redone in Renaissance and Baroque style, illustrates the role of Bratislava as a defense bastion, particularly during the Ottaman Turkish invasion. Due to its strategic location and heavy fortification, the castle was never seized, but destroyed by fire in 1811 and not rebuilt until the 1950s. Recent restoration over the past decade has restored its former splendor. The castle complex now features the Slovak National Museum, State Treasury including the Crown Jewels along with authentic local handicrafts store. Just outside the main castle gates, we see the Slovak Parliament Building, which once was part of Bratislava University prior to Slovak independence in 1993.

Following our visit to Bratislava Hrad, we continue our ascent through a quiet residential neighborhood towards the most prominent communist-era monument, the SLAVIN war memorial at the 500-ft Slavin Hill, the city's highest panorama point. The monument was erected after WWII along with a war cementery to commemorate Russian soldiers that fell during the liberation of Slovakia from Nazi Rule in 1944 and 1945. Nowhere else in Central Europe can we find a soviet-era memorial of such scale, sobrity and ideological impact. Few visitors leave the site untouched by its tragic legacy of battle ground, cemetery and war memorial.

We round up our visit to Bratislava on a more up-beat and seasonal note by strolling around the city's magnificent Baroque-era Old Town. A mere 10 or 15 years ago, the inner city consisted of little more than dilapidated buildings and neglected monuments. Now restoration of Old Town Bratislava has been completed and despite its reduced size, it ranks among our favorite downtown districts anywhere in Central Europe. We approach the central market square from the North, from the historic Michael's gate featuring the zero-kilometer marker, the spot from which all distances to Bratislava are measured. We walk as far as the Gothic St. Martin's Cathedral, for over 300 years coronation church of Hungarian Kings and Queens, including Empress Maria Theresa, who frequently visited her favorite daughter Marie Christine here. During our stroll we continue along Hviezdoslav Square, which resembles more a pedestrian boulevard and culminates at the prestigious Neo-Renaissance SLOVAK NATIONAL THEATER and the adjacent Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra.

From here, it is only a 2-minute stroll to the central Market Square, site of Bratislava's annual Christmas Market. The backdrop of the Slovak Capital's Town Hall, the proximity to the magnificent Archiepiscopal Palace along with the Baroque facades of surrounding stately buildings make this among our favorite Christmas markets in Europe. Far less touristically exploited than similar markets in Vienna, Budapest or Prague, the atmosphere is relaxing, welcoming and genuine. Prices for food, drink and seasonal merchandise are considerably lower than elsewhere too. So no better way to end our visit than by savoring some local Slovak "Haluski" pasta and toasting with the famous hot mulled wine - Bratislava at Christmas Time rocks! Na zdravie!