UFO Tower and other Unique points of interest in Bratislava, Slovakia
Did you know that Bratislava is the smallest capital city of Europe? Well after its independence, it started carving an identity of its own. It's a charming city and we squeezed it in between our trip to Czech from Hungary.
We stopped at Bratislava on our bus trip from Prague and our next bus ride was scheduled at 8 in the evening to Vienna. Basically we had less than 5 hours to explore whatever we could, with all the luggage (because the cloak room wasn't convenient) with me 5 months pregnant. This wasn't a babymoon, it was backpacking with a bump 😂
The bus stop itself has the Bratislava sign; which is so important (for people like us) to get clicked with. We walked to the old town from the bus stop. The Old town is a quaint 18 th century, pedestrian only place. Cobbled streets and exquisite architecture. Our first stop was the Blue Church. It was a true beauty and we were lucky to have listened to the ongoing mass. The entrance is free and this Hungarian Church of St Elizabeth is popular with the tourists and locals alike.
We then started strolling on the streets of the Old Town. It was evening and hence all the youngsters were chilling out. The vibe was relaxed and totally cool. We can never forget what it felt like, seeing all those cafes, jiving to the music playing.
We saw the Primate's Palace from outside (because time crunch! Duh!) The architecture of every Slovakian construction is magnificent. Then we saw the Michael's gate from a distance and the St Martin's Cathedral too. We then proceeded towards the most photographed thing of this city: Cumil.
Cumil, also known as Man at work is a brass statue of a worker peeing from a manhole. It's life size, and anyone can mistake it for a real person. There are so many theories surrounding Cumil. Some say he had been cleaning the sewer and had been peeping out to catch fresh air. While some say he's peeping from below to see beneath the women's skirts and so on. Whatever it is, Cumil is really unique. You can see hordes of tourists queuing up to take a snap. It's not much difficult to locate him; the crowd surrounding him can be easily spotted!
The word 'Cumil' means 'watcher' in Slovakian language. There are other statues too, and these have been comissioned by the famous Slovakian sculptor Viktor Hulik in 1997, after the country's independence. The best way to find him is by foot. He's there is front of the Fishermen's Gate. This statue has lost its head twice because of careless drivers. So now he has his own sign 'Man at work'.
We then reached the Old town square where we had coffee and looked at the quirky souvenirs. Our final stop was the UFO Tower or the SNP Most.
The UFO Tower is an observation deck and also the symbol of Bratislava. The tower is 95 metres high and the elevator takes 45 seconds to go to the top. It offers 100 kms of line of sight from the top so it's definitely magical. However we didn't have time and hence could not go to the top. The SNP Most or Bridge is the world's longest bridge to have one pylon and one cable stayed plane. We raved over the entire area and kept on admiring the chill vibes of this city while walking back to our bus stop. It was one hell of 5hours of exploration!
This post is a part of #BlogchatterA2Z 2023
This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla
in collaboration with Zariya Healings.
21 comments
Yet another fascinating place.
ReplyDeleteBratislava seems to be a very enchanting place. And it is quaint being the smallest capital city in Europe. New Delhi on the other hand is so huge.
ReplyDeleteThe trip and all the activities, the hotels, the meals, everything is planned for you. Which is very low stress, and low cost. There’s no way you can really price a trip on your own cheaper than a well priced tour.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Cochin airport taxii
Firstly, the 5 months do not show! Secondly, what a lovely place, that Cumin and the beautiful church ( lucky you to have attended the mass ) were not to be missed even if it was a hectic exploration of Bratislava.
ReplyDeleteIt truly looks amazing in your pictures. Cumil is awesome, perfectly instaworthy! And both of you look so sweet in that pix. I would love to go up the UFO tower too and enjoy walking around. Fingers crossed, maybe I shall get to do a long Europe trip.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your travel photos. You've brought me to parts of the world I knew so little about. Slovakia is one of them and I'm happy to know more about it! - MommyWithAGoal
ReplyDeleteLove the places you choose to travel. I have heard nothing but great things about Slovakia's beauty and would love to visit someday. Cumil looks very real. I have seen benches outside souvenir shops in Guadalajara, Mexico. Makes me wonder why we don't have such stuff in India.
ReplyDeleteI am impressed with your choice of location for travelling. It needs some special quality to select such amazing destination. I was not aware about the beauty of Slovakia and got to know from your post. You know when and where to take the perfect click and trust me each one of them is fabulous. Keep travelling and keep sharing such amazing travelogue with us.
ReplyDeleteYour travel photos are always inspiring. They have opened my eyes to parts of the world that I had very little knowledge about. Slovakia, in particular, is a place that I'm grateful to have learned more about through your pictures.
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine how challenging it must have been to explore Bratislava in just five hours, especially while carrying all your luggage and being five months pregnant. It's commendable that you made the most of your time and embraced the relaxed atmosphere of the city. Your experience serves as a beautiful example of the joy that comes from spontaneous exploration and the excitement of discovering new destinations.
Thank you for sharing this captivating glimpse of your journey. It's truly fascinating to see the world through your lens and gain insights into places that might otherwise remain unknown to many of us.
-Anjali
I enjoy reading your posts. They are lesser known places and the way you write, it feels like being there. The photos are beautiful too. God bless.
ReplyDeleteSlovakia is a stunning destination with diverse natural landscapes. It has been on my travel list for the longest time, especially to see the majestic High Tatras, picturesque castles, and charming medieval towns.
ReplyDeleteExploring Bratislava in just five hours, while carrying luggage and being five months pregnant, must have undoubtedly been a challenge for you. However, I admire your ability to make the most of your time, embrace the city's relaxed atmosphere, and find joy in spontaneous exploration and discovering new destinations. 😊 - Dipali Bhasin
Your travel experiences each are unique and amazing in their own way. Enjoyed reading about Bratislava and in a short span you did your best to explore the place, kudos to you.
ReplyDeleteYou are indeed quite a traveler, Mandira. And I love reading your travelogues. Even with limited time, you made it quite an experience and shared it with us. My bookmarks are bursting at the seams now with all your recommendations. Not complains, though :)
ReplyDeleteWow a beautiful place with beautiful description. Lovely photos as usual!!
ReplyDeleteSqueezing destinations in between your destinations seems to be your superpower! I hadn't heard about this place much but there are indeed few interesting things to see there. Cumil, Blue Church, and indeed getting clicked with the city name!
ReplyDeleteYour visits to places with cultural heritage are always a fab reading experience. Fabulous as always.
ReplyDeleteLoved seeing your pictures. You bring so many beautiful places to us
ReplyDeleteYour travel diaries are so fascinating Mandira... imagine squeezing in an entire city in 5 hours.. and whatba lovely one at that. U guys are soooo adventurous. The creativity behind putting 'men at work' near the statue is amazing and loved your pics as usual... kaveri
ReplyDeleteLooks to be a quaint & colorful place. Your posts give us such virtual treats ...places yet to be visited
ReplyDeleteYour travel pics are amazing as always! And it is definitely fascinating that you take us on a small tour to places that most us aren't even aware of. :)
ReplyDeleteI had visited Bratislava briefly too but I don't remember many of the sights you have mentioned. Nice to see it through your eyes.
ReplyDeleteNoor