Old Town Bratislava: Iconic Statues and European Charm
After working during the day and returning to the hotel at night, I felt like exploring the neighborhood. I took a different route from yesterday to grab some dinner and look around. Since I came here in such a hurry, I didn't bring a guidebook and had been too focused on work to figure out what was famous or what I absolutely had to see. Plus, I didn't know anything about the local safety, and I only had time to wander around at night. I was so worried about getting lost and getting shot in some sketchy alley that I memorized every single building as I walked. But the streets and the neighborhood were so exotic and pretty that my worries faded one by one, and eventually, I was walking around and taking pictures as comfortably as I would back in Korea.
The Presidential Palace right in front of our hotel. It serves as the landmark of this small city. Seeing all the lights out, they must be asleep. What fascinated me was that there were no police or soldiers around the palace—do people not protest in this country? Or maybe the actual Presidential Palace is somewhere else?
That brightly lit castle in the distance is Bratislava Castle. I didn't get to go all the way up there, but it's the number one recommended spot on the map. Even at a glance, it's the perfect place to build a castle—the lord could look down over the entire town, and any invading enemies would have to struggle up the mountain path. I don't know if I'll ever be able to come back here, but I really want to see that castle up close next time.
It's a special sight for tourists, but locals probably don't feel the same way. Their expressions seemed to say, "What's so fascinating about this?" Still, as someone who has never seen trams running right through the streets, it was so unfamiliar that it made me expect some kind of romance.
There are some alleys that are so quiet and empty of people that they actually feel scary. But when you actually walk down them, it's nothing. You need people around to even feel on guard, but there's literally no one. Plus, since the area I was walking in is a famous tourist district, everyone was wandering around without a care. The rumors that Eastern Europe is scary and requires caution were fading away as time went by.
This is St. Michael's Gate, which marks the official start of the Old Town tour. Slovakians call it something slightly different, but I don't know the exact pronunciation. If you ask where "Michael's Gate" or the "Big Tower" is, most people know and will point you in the right direction.
Once you pass through Michael's Gate, a lively street appears. This is the one street that actually has a lot of food and people. Everyone I met since arriving in Bratislava recommended going to this street, so it's definitely the spot. If there were any street food, I would have eaten some, but it seems this town doesn't really have that. That was a bit of a bummer.
This was the most fascinating shop I've seen since coming to Europe. I've seen soccer or baseball gear shops, but this was my first time seeing an ice hockey shop. Technically, it wasn't even a gear shop, but a store dedicated to fan merchandise. I'm not entirely sure if ice hockey is a popular sport in Slovakia, but if there's a pro game or something, I'd love to watch one. I heard people in Canada and the US are crazy about ice hockey, but I never expected it here too. I thought about buying a cheering prop as a souvenir of my trip to Slovakia, but the door was locked, so I gave up. I have no idea why they left the lights on so bright when they were closed.
This is my destination, the Old Town Square. It's a square surrounded by embassies and European-style buildings (though it was a bit weird that there was a sushi restaurant in one of them), but the most eye-catching and fun thing here was...
...this exact statue.
I heard there are four statues in funny poses scattered around Bratislava's Old Town. It's like a tourist treasure hunt, so I snapped a photo of the first one I found.
I'm not sure if the word "square" specifically means a space surrounded by buildings, but this building-enclosed square is a really great place to rest. First of all, every single building around the square is incredibly pretty. Being surrounded by buildings that look like they've been here for hundreds of years makes it easy to get lost in your own imagination. Well... in other words, it's a great place to just zone out.
The Bratislava City Museum.
I don't know if it's normally free, but you could look at the building from the outside, so I quietly slipped in to take a peek.
It was a building with many signs of repair here and there, but this stone tablet proves its foundation dates back to 1659. It would be nice if we had a lot of buildings like this back home so we could say, "My house is 300 years old," but in reality, a building is treated like trash after just 10 years. One of the thoughts I've had since coming to Europe is that I wish we, like Japan, had more things that have weathered the years—houses that are hundreds of years old, shops run for generations. We seem to tear things down too quickly and get bored of them too fast. Of course, after talking to a few Slovakians here, it turns out the locals actually long for newly built houses. It would be great if we could just swap what we want with each other.
The building in front of this statue of Mary seems to be quite famous, but the statue itself is what stuck in my memory more. I was staring intently at it, wondering what it was, when suddenly an older lady said to me:
"There are statues like this all over Europe, and the reason is that in the old days, water sources would easily get contaminated, leading to endless outbreaks of plagues. So, people built statues of Mary at the water sources to pray that the water wouldn't be tainted and to beg for the plagues not to spread."
She explained it all in very easy-to-understand English. After taking a picture and looking closely, I realized the statue of Mary looked a lot like the lady. I turned to talk to her, but she had vanished without a trace in that wide square. Wow... I started freaking out, going "Whoa, whoa!" to myself, wondering if the Virgin Mary herself had just come down to meet me. Since the two of us had nothing else to do, we were getting all excited and chatting over something like this. Now I know why going on long business trips is dangerous.
So that's how I ended up sightseeing, just taking a neighborhood stroll without a guidebook, holding only a single map the hotel gave me. I think I wandered around for about an hour. Looking back, the fear and rumors I had heard about how scary Eastern Europe was had mostly disappeared, replaced by the warmth and relaxed vibe of a countryside town. I feel confident that if I were to lose my phone or wallet here, people would come from all over asking what was wrong and trying to help. I'm sure this town has its issues too, and since Old Town is definitely a tourist spot, I can't say for certain, but I'll cautiously say that safety doesn't seem to be a major issue here, at least.
Well, it's a bit funny coming from someone who's only been here for a single day.