From Prague to Vienna via Slovakia

[Benonie]

Thanks a lot Andre!

[Benonie]

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[Amrafel]

Great pictures as always, Benonie!

I hope you enjoyed visit of Tatras&Bratislava, altough you had troubles with transportation from Bratislava railway station. Trams are not going to the station at this time and it won't change in next few years, probably. Neverthless, bus infrastructure is very good and reliable.

Thank you and can't wait for new pictures!

[Benonie]

That was the only bad expierience in 2 weeks in your country. We loved the rest of Bratislava, and Slovakia. I know buses were a good alternative at Bratislava station, but arriving in the city with a family, packed like a donkey and planned to take the tram, we had no time to check the bus schedules. And as I say, taxi drivers were rude, unfriendly and way too expensive. Like every single travel site or travel guide warned us for.

[SYDNEY]

Awesome work mate, I have just been through pages and pages of pics and i love it Pic 316 is very cute

[Benonie]

Thank you Sydney! I like it that you like it.

[openlyJane]

I love the photograph of the soldier climbing out of the man-hole cover. Such quirky and imaginative public art-works mean so much to the character of a city.

[Benonie]

Well, it's not really a soldier, but a 'man at work'. There are several of that kind of artworks throughout the city, like this:

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[openlyJane]

Great pictures.

Yes, I see the 'Men at work' sign now!

[Benonie]

Bratislava is a beautiful city with a cozy old town center and a castle upon the hilll. But... between 1967 and 1972 some urban planners built a second, quite pretty bridge across the river Danube with a motorway right through te heart of the city. Seperating the castle hill from the rest of the old city. Next to the beautiful cathedral and demolishing the historic jewish quarter.

And under the concrete bridge, they've put a bus station, seperating both parts of the city even more...

Images say more than a thousand words:

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[Wapper]

That's pretty shocking indeed, even when the bridge itself is quite nice and an icon for the city. I imagine that there used to be a square or a nice street when you you left cathedral through the front door, but now that front door is only one or two meter away from a busy motorway. Pretty sad.
The rest of the old town has been nicely restored though!

[KingNick]

Wow, what an amazing thread!

[Linguine]

love the awesome photos...

[Benonie]

Thank you very much guys!

Originally Posted by Wapper

I imagine that there used to be a square or a nice street when you you left cathedral through the front door, but now that front door is only one or two meter away from a busy motorway.

I think the cathedral was standing next to the city walls. So the motorway was partly built in the former rampart. (like in Antwerp). Some parts of the walls are still visible next to the road. The entrance of the church was always at the side wall, and not on the western side of the tower. Anyway, it was a bad idea.
And fortunately a new bridge was built some miles further recently, so lots of heavy transport takes another route now.

[Slartibartfas]

Actually a whole historic district was torn down for the highway. Including the synagoge.

[Benonie]

Yes, I know, that's wat I wrote in post 130. But according to older maps I saw, the motorway follows the line of the old city ramperts. Or am I wrong?

There was a temporary copy of the former synagoge on the site last summer:

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image hosted on flickr

[Wapper]

But than the wuestion is: why was the church built so near the city wall? Normally, the façade and the entrance are supposed to be impressive. Now it really looks like you're entering through a small side entrance. It's a cathedral!
I know that the church should be faced towards the east, but surely that couldn't be the reason for this.

[Benonie]

According to Wikipedia "the tower virtually formed a part of the town’s fortifications, built as it was into the city’s defensive walls".

World Atlas tells us the same story: "Bratislava's St. Stephen's Gothic cathedral is built on the site of a previous Romanesque church. After 1291, when Bratislava was given the privileges of a town, the church was rebuilt to become part of the city walls, with its tower serving as a defensive bastion. "

So that could explain why the main entrances to the cathedral are in the side naves.

Here's another (mirrored) picture showing the tower was indeed part of the city walls.

[Amrafel]

That's right, tower of the cathedral used to be lower and it was part of fortification. Due to historical development of governement of Bratislava, medieval town sorrounded by walls was a different unit than Castle Hill (There were even fights between the city and the castle). Western part of city walls was built to protect city from attacks from the castle and tower of church was incorporated into the walls.

Fortification was demolished in 1775 and city and Castle Hill were united in 1851. The demolition of old Jewish quarter is for most of the locals and old people, who used to visit it or live there, the biggest trauma. There are some plans to build a tunnel under the current road and rebuild the old street, but due to huge cost, it won't happen soon.

Btw., World Atlas is wrong, it's St. Martin's cathedral, not St. Stephen's.

[capricorn2000]

this is one great thread Ben, a real photo tour to the max.
the Ossuary chapel is kinda creepy but a perfect place to spend a halloween day.
BTW, your photo shots are really remarkable and I admire you for that.
thanks and have a good day.