Bratislava, The Mesmerising Heart Of Central Europe
In the last part of a series on Europe for TravelEquipped, Anwesha Rana takes us on a quick tour through the Slovak capital of Bratislava, which has emerged from the shadows of Vienna, Budapest and Prague to emerge as the heart of Central Europe over the last three decades.
The thing I like best about Europe is the endless stretch of the blue sky that one gets to see there. And so, I was exceptionally happy and looking forward to the bus ride that took us from Budapest to Bratislava, the capital of central Europen country of Slovakia, for the last leg of the ecstatic, mindboggling, and micro-detailed trip, on a crisp autumn afternoon.
By the time we reached our hostel in Bratislava from the bus station, the preciseness of the calm blue had been replaced by a biting chill (and just at 4 pm!). It was a sudden change that we did not quite anticipate. Our stay in Bratislava was brief, and the chill stayed with us through the short days.
ALSO READ: Vienna: The City Of Dreams, Freud And More
We were very un-touristy in this little town tucked neatly in a Western corner of Slovakia, surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains. We did not visit any of the landmarks, most prominent of which is the Bratislava castle that rests on a hilltop and looks over the old town and the Danube. Looking back, I realise all we did there was walk around the town square and sit down at cafés every two hours or so, drinking copious amounts of hot chocolate each time.
ALSO READ: Sites of Horror: The Holocaust in Hungary
Autumn was in full bloom, and the town seemed to be rejoicing in it. The cafés around the square certainly seemed to be celebrating the season of mist and mellow fruitfulness – their tables were decorated in warm autumn dressing and some had tiny pumpkins on each table that added to the overall charm and loveliness of the place.
 |
| Bratislava is tucked in Slovakia's Western corner in the middle of the Carpathian Mountains. Photo courtesy https://www.visitbratislava.com/ |
 |
| Anwesha Rana @RanaAnwesha |
By the time we reached our hostel in Bratislava from the bus station, the preciseness of the calm blue had been replaced by a biting chill (and just at 4 pm!). It was a sudden change that we did not quite anticipate. Our stay in Bratislava was brief, and the chill stayed with us through the short days.
ALSO READ: Vienna: The City Of Dreams, Freud And More
We were very un-touristy in this little town tucked neatly in a Western corner of Slovakia, surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains. We did not visit any of the landmarks, most prominent of which is the Bratislava castle that rests on a hilltop and looks over the old town and the Danube. Looking back, I realise all we did there was walk around the town square and sit down at cafés every two hours or so, drinking copious amounts of hot chocolate each time.
 |
| An endless stretch of the blue sky is among the best things about Europe. Photo courtesy Luke Walker/Getty Images |
ALSO READ: Sites of Horror: The Holocaust in Hungary
Autumn was in full bloom, and the town seemed to be rejoicing in it. The cafés around the square certainly seemed to be celebrating the season of mist and mellow fruitfulness – their tables were decorated in warm autumn dressing and some had tiny pumpkins on each table that added to the overall charm and loveliness of the place.
ALSO READ: Down Memory Lane With Marx, Lenin... In Budapest
At last, I thought, we seem to have arrived in a town that is not driving us to tears and we are doing the most millennial thing of all – deriving joy out of doing nothing. Even as I type this, I get the distinct feeling that the previous sentence held the promise of a twist in the tale. But no. Really. Our last stop saw no weight of emotions upon us, primarily, I suppose, because we had left the main sites unexplored. The only tourist attraction we did see was ‘Cumil the Sewer Worker’, a bronze half-statue built into the ground at the centre of Old Town. Predictably, large crowds were gathered around Cumil, making it easy for us to spot the location of the little bronze man.
At last, I thought, we seem to have arrived in a town that is not driving us to tears and we are doing the most millennial thing of all – deriving joy out of doing nothing. Even as I type this, I get the distinct feeling that the previous sentence held the promise of a twist in the tale. But no. Really. Our last stop saw no weight of emotions upon us, primarily, I suppose, because we had left the main sites unexplored. The only tourist attraction we did see was ‘Cumil the Sewer Worker’, a bronze half-statue built into the ground at the centre of Old Town. Predictably, large crowds were gathered around Cumil, making it easy for us to spot the location of the little bronze man.
ALSO READ: Budapest: Memories Of A Lost World
Bratislava was the perfect end to our little trip that had begun with a whimsical text from me to SB, my friend, when 2018 was still a fresh, new year – ‘Let’s go to Europe’ – and had evolved into a fully planned and neatly executed vacation. The first, I hope, of many to come if we remain single-minded enough for a long, long stretch of time.
Facebook: @TravelEquipped.Equip
Bratislava was the perfect end to our little trip that had begun with a whimsical text from me to SB, my friend, when 2018 was still a fresh, new year – ‘Let’s go to Europe’ – and had evolved into a fully planned and neatly executed vacation. The first, I hope, of many to come if we remain single-minded enough for a long, long stretch of time.
Write to us: plustravel.travel@gmail.com
Follow us on Twitter: @traveleqFacebook: @TravelEquipped.Equip
Comments
Post a Comment