Slovakia - Eastern Europe - page 620

Hviezdoslavovo nám. 17. & 02/5443-5135. Lunch and dinner items 90 Sk-120 Sk ($3-$4/£1.70-£2.20). No credit
cards. Mon-Sat 11am-11pm.
EXPLORING BRATISLAVA
Bratislava is best suited to ambling. There are few “musts”; instead the Old Town
(Staré Mesto) itself, with its inviting, laid-back mix of restaurants, cafes, and bars, is
the primary attraction. The best place to start your exploration is at the main entrance
to the Old Town, St. Michael's Tower (Michalská ve z a). From here, walk along the
main pedestrian streets of Michalská and then Ventúrska, pausing to admire the
detailing on the lovingly restored baroque and Renaissance housing stock. Alleyways
fan out in all directions, and the best advice is simply to follow your nose. The core
of the Old Town is small and can be covered in a couple of hours. The focal point of
the Old Town is Hlavné nám, the Main Square, lined on one side by the Old Town
hall and the other by a mix of restaurants and cafes. At some point, be sure to pay a
visit to the city's cathedral, St. Martin's (Dóm Sv. Martina), situated just outside of
the Old Town, following the signs. From here it's a short walk below the freeway to
the Castle side of the Old Town. The hike to the castle takes about 20 minutes. The
views out over the Old Town are spectacular, but the castle itself is a disappointment.
From here, you can't miss the view of Bratislava's retro-futuristic bridge, the Most
SNP , which links the Old Town to the sprawling housing project of Petr z alka. On
your return from the castle, walk through the old Jewish quarter , once situated in the
area around Z idovská.
Cathedral of St. Martin (Dóm Sv. Martina) The city's most important
church was neutered and neglected by the former Communist regime, who planned
the main highway right past the church's front door. That was done intentionally as a
way of snubbing religion in the name of modernity. Now the church is making a
comeback, though it still feels a little lost and forlorn here. St. Martin's served as the
main coronation cathedral for a procession of Hungarian kings and queens during the
centuries of the Turkish occupation of Hungary.
Rudnayovo nám. No phone. Mon-Fri 10-11:30am and 2-4:30pm; Sat 10-11:30am; Sun 2-4:30pm.
St. Michael's Tower (Michalská veza) A highly inviting entryway into the
Old Town. The gate is actually part of the city's medieval fortification system, and you
can still see the remains of the moat and bastion. The 50m (150-ft.) tower, topped
with a statue of St. Michael himself, houses a small exhibition on weaponry; the top
of the tower affords a postcard view over the Old Town.
Michalská. No phone. Tues-Fri 10am-5pm; Sat-Sun 11am-6pm.
Bratislava Castle (Bratislavsk; hrad) This squat, square castle, high above
the Old Town, is worth the climb to the top, if only for the fabulous view of the space-
age bridge, the Most SNP, in the distance. The castle dates from the early 16th cen-
tury. It burned to the ground at the start of the 19th century and stood as a ruin for
almost 150 years before the Communist government started restoration work (still
ongoing) in the 1950s. The historical exhibitions are a bit of a disappointment and
you can give them a miss.
Hrad. No phone. Tues-Sat 9am-5pm; Sun 1-5pm.
Primate's Palace (Primaciálny Palác) A beautifully restored 18th-century
palace that now serves as the seat of the mayor of Bratislava. It was here in 1805 that a