Oct 18, 2008

Places to see around Bratislava

What is definitely worth to see in and around Bratislava:

Devin
http://www.castles.sk/devin.php
On a cliff over the rivers Morava and Danube with amazing colours of blue and brown when the rivers are fighting for the naturas synergy. The most oldest documented castle in the history of Slovakia. It is a National cultural monument. Because of the advantageous geographical position, the height over the confluence of the Danube and the Morava rivers was settled as far back as the 5th century B.C. and cultural monuments from the surrounding areas overlapped here.



UFO - the panoramic view of the whole Bratislava, beautiful over the day as well as over the night with a restaurant one lever lower to the view terasse is 95m above the city.
http://www.bratislavahotels.com/bratislava-ufo-bridge-restaurant


Old City with Michael's Gate
http://www.bratislava-city.sk/

The historical core of Bratislava where the most ancient history of the city originated, where the culture has been concentrating and where the best commercial infrastructure can be found. The first record mentioning the town is from the year 907. In 1465 King Matthew Korvín established the first university in Slovakia, the Academia Istropolitana, modeled after the University of Bologna. During this period, Bratislava was one of the wealthiest towns in the empire.



Slavin - the war memorial
It offers an excellent view of the city is the war memorial and cemetery Slavín, which pays homage to the Soviet army.




Modra - for its ceramic and excellent wine









Bratislava's Castle (but I am not the biggest fun, but has a good view)
http://www.slovakheritage.org/Castles/bratislava.htm


This majestic castle stands on a rocky outcrop which forms part of the Malé Karpaty mountains above the Danube river and is an outstanding feature of the capital Bratislava. The massive rectangular building with four corner towers stands in a strategic place which was inhibited during Celtic times and in the time of Greater Moravia. In the 9th century there was a palace and a basilica in the place of the present castle. The architecture of the castle is characterized by the reconstructions and extensions made during the Gothic and Renaissance period as well as during the rule of Maria Theresia. In the middle of the 16th century, Bratislava became the coronation city of Greater Hungary for 200 years and the castle became the king's residence. The sessions of the Hungarian Parlament took place there and the coronation jewels of the Hungarians kings were deposited in the coronation tower. After moving the royal court to Vienna the castle became a General Seminary, i.e. an educational institution, where many outstanding scholars of that time studied. Later the castle was used by the army and it burned down in 1811. Its reconstruction took place in the sixties of this century.


The Bratislava Castle is the National cultural monument.

Oct 6, 2008

Places to see around Trencin

Cicmany (open air museum)
http://www.muzeum.sk/defaulte.php?obj=muzeum&ix=ci_pvm_en

The exhibitions are presented in a single-storey wooden house called the Radena house. The richness and variety of the exhibits documents the everyday and holiday life of the village's inhabitants and their family customs. Visitors will also be enchanted by the exhibition of fine clothing, whose techniques, ornamental motifs and tasteful colour-schemes can be traced back to the Renaissance.


Rajecka Tepla for Slovak betlehem (hand crafted)
http://www.muzeum.sk/defaulte.php?obj=pamiatka&ix=sbrj

Slovak Bethlehem was opened in November 1995. This is the masterpiece of Jozef Pekara, a woodcarver from Rajecke Teplice. Mr. Jozef Pekara has been working on it since 1980. In his work of art he depicts not only the Nativity but also the history of the Slovak nation. The tableau of the Nativity is in the middle of the creche that is located in the village of Rajecka Lesna. All the Slovak regions can be found there represented by their most famous places and buildings, such as: the castles of Devin, Bratislava, Trencin, and Orava and the cathedrals in Nitra, Trnava, Spisska Kapitula, and Kosice. One of the High Tatras mountains, Krivan, rises in the background as a symbol of Slovakia.
Once it is finished in 1998 it will be 8,5 m long, 2,5 m wide and 3 m high.
On the first floovr of the House of the Nativity there is a gallery that attracts visitors by the works of art of woodcarvers like Briestensky, Vesely, Baca from Rajecka valley.


Beckov for its ruin (currently in reconstruction)
http://www.slovakheritage.org/Castles/beckov.htm

Ruins of the castle which was built in the 13th century a destroyed in 1729. It a national cultural monument



Trencianske Teplice - for its spas and healing waters
http://www.slktn.sk/index_en.php?pg=12_hamman

The well-known antirheumatic spa belongs to the oldest and the most sought for spas in Slovakia.

The partially renovated spa with more than 1 000 beds offers a complete spa treatment all year round on a high medical level for over 20 000 guests from Slovakia and abroad. Once you to to Teplice you have to see a wonderful park in the middle of the city and taste their traditional spa waffles (oplatky) .


Bojnice - for it's zoo and castle
http://www.bojnicecastle.sk/historia-en.html

Bojnice Castle belongs to the oldest and most important memorials in Slovakia. The first written record of the existence of the castle comes from 1113.