Four nights in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia that lies on the shores of Danube river
From Vienna to Bratislava, the Slovak capital, with a short run of an hour in a train that looks like a subway line. And 'popular with Slovaks working in Vienna next-door neighbor.
Bratislava is a beautiful city from about 600 000 inhabitants, which takes place along the Danube river with several boats moored along its banks and many modern bridges, one with a restaurant at a great height on a circular column.
The old town is nice, with a series of pedestrian streets with low houses and the ancient foundations of which there are several bars and outdoor restaurants in the evenings come alive with the presence of many tourists and local Austrians and Germans arriving in Slovakia for affordable even if the fact that circles the euro, together with Estonia only country in Eastern Europe, has pushed up the prices before very low.
Slovakia has a good economy, better than the Hungarian and produces many cars as Volkswagen, Kia Korean and French houses have built so many branches that produce more cars than in Italy, thanks to low wages and low tax burden.
Bratislava has a castle on a hill, a four-sided top and white with large courtyard and surrounding park being restored. It dates from the fifteenth century and became the residence of the royal family during the Turkish occupation of Hungary Budapest when the Hungarian capital was moved to Bratislava.
Below the beautiful Cathedral of St. Martin with his solid gold sphere of 8 kg in the tower. In this church many Hungarian kings were crowned ..
The relations between the two states are bad because the Slovaks Hungarians fear the claims that they swear not to support.
There is a beautiful opera house in a place with beautiful gardens and luxurious hotel, an old church on whose outer wall is stuck the black ball cannon fired during a conflict and the old sign of the Danube that had flooded the city during a ' flood with the arrival of winter ice. A beautiful old town hall, and palaces and interesting as the Reduta Apponyi complete with a fountain in the center of Rolando, which dates back to 1500, some gates and towers and an old house one meter wide.
Very nice modern part along the southern side of the Danube. There are ultra-modern buildings within shopping centers, hotels and museums and a beautiful river promenade with lawns and huge pillows where especially young people relax and drink cocktails while watching the river and listening to music.
Unfortunately the communist regime has made monstrosities, such as building a highway that passes in front of the cathedral and endangered under renovation and consolidation.
I thought that one day was enough and they decided to go over and visit other places in the country. I wanted to stay at a beautiful old town with Trencin castle, but unfortunately I did not notice a sudden it occurred to nap.
Luckily I stopped immediately after Piestany, a spa and spa resort site with river, quiet and beautiful village green and an impressive spa complex, the three structures with Napoleon.
I decided to try the experience of blacks in the mud bath in water and then drunk hot and sulfur dioxide by about six liters of hot water believed to be miraculous for the stomach acid which, unfortunately, suffer, often because of the beer that I should give up.
In short, I tried to make so many beers to drink with this inordinate drinking of hot water and the bathroom that got me in half an hour of bed rest, excessive sweating, but perhaps healthier. On the other hand this experience cost me only 13 euros and in the following days I felt reborn.
The next step without stopping were the Tatra mountains and national parks. Slovakia is under assault, especially for its mountains, but I was fortunate enough to climb the mountain Lonmin, one of the highest Tatra, during an excursion to Zakopane in Poland last year and so I went on and I stopped to Spiska NOVA VES, a nice town, a total renovation that was very comfortable for two trips on the following day.
Alloggiai in a modern hotel room and took the most expensive of the trip: 35 euros for a single room with bath, television, air conditioning and thermal plant on the ground floor with free use of the dry sauna Finnish and Turkish steam.
After the fatigue of the long journey by train lasted half a day, I appreciated this relaxing experience that gave me the opportunity to meet several pairs of young Slovaks used to spend the weekend with hiking and sauna sessions in the evening.
In addition, out of the sauna and willing to dine in the beautiful restaurant, I discovered that the whole place was for the wedding of a beautiful couple. I stood on the terrace, listening to music ensembles, dance relatives and their libations that lasted day and night for three meals as learned by two local girls invited with whom I could share a brief conversation and I gratified with the 'offer of wedding cake, some pastries and sparkling Slovak, not bad.
Not satisfied, I decided to find a restaurant for a full dinner and I was lucky to find a good local restaurant with a very original and antique furnishings of the house Slovak past. Strangely, I do not remember what I ate, but I was satisfied and I paid about 10 euros.
The next day I took a local train and reached LEVOCA a medieval town surrounded by ancient walls and towers with some beautiful buildings and inside a beautiful church where I attended Sunday Mass noticing the deep religiosity of the Slovaks and appreciating the singing of the choir accompanied by the of the faithful.
Coach went on to a nice quiet town Spisska PODHRADJE in a green valley that is home to two interesting attractions: the monastery and the ancient church di.S.Martin, a convent and ancient walls dating back to 1200 in a religious complex just outside of town called Kapitula low hill in a panoramic and across most photographed site in Slovakia: the castle fortress of SPIS is reached on foot by climbing a very long path that climbs gradually but was heavy with the sun directly overhead at noon.
It dates back to 1200 and is one of the largest in Europe, which served to defend the local population by the Tartars.
Fortunately the visit, spectacular views, the rooms with the old kitchen, a small church inside, some medieval weapons, imprisonment, torture chamber, but above all the grandeur and panoramic position made it worth the visit which is one of the main attractions the country.
The last stop was the city of Kozica Slovak, Slovakia's second city which is located near the border con.l 'Hungary, where I had to stop the night, but for a series of unfortunate circumstances I decided that a visit from a couple of hours could be enough.
I have seen the historic center, very nice, a very wide central street with the beautiful Elizabeth of Santa catterale bell tower, the chapel of St. Michael, a city tower, a fountain that sends jets spectacular time of classical music, Many palaces and gardens cared for, and even some archaeological excavations in the square with a party rap concert group of young Slovak girls and underlying hysterical praise their idols.