Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, collapsed after the fall of communism. But now its city center shines as a vibrant draw for tourists.
By SUSAN LADIKA
Published December 18, 2005
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia - It resembles any other cafe in Bratislava's quaint Old Town - small tables and chairs lining the pedestrian-only cobblestone street. A small bowl on each table holds a brightly colored gerbera daisy. But unlike the other cafes, it's not cheap local beer or foamy cappuccino that draws patrons to Cokoladovna.
It's the 60 kinds of rich chocolate drinks, each tasting like you're enrobed by a melted chocolate bar.
This isn't the kind of place that stirs up childhood memories of sitting around the kitchen table with a steamy mug of Mom's hot cocoa after a hard day of playing in the snow. These are adult drinks, some with splashes of liqueur.
And drinks may be a misnomer: Though presented in a glass, each of these lush concoctions, topped with whipped cream, is served with a small spoon.
Menu options include the Sudan, a vision of heaven - even for a non-chocoholic - with its honey, bits of orange and coconut mixed in. Spain includes cherries and cherry liqueur, while Mexico is spiced with chili, anise and vanilla.
More amazing than the taste is the fact that these luscious drinks are available in Bratislava - which under communism and in the immediate post-communist years was a bleak spot for either ambience or cuisine.
My Slovak friend recalls that the few restaurants that operated under the Soviet regime served heavy meats and overcooked vegetables, or spaghetti topped with ketchup and grated cheddar cheese.
Guidebooks even in the early 1990s recommended visitors driving between Prague, Czech Republic, and Budapest, Hungary, simply bypass Bratislava and keep on going.
But in the past decade, Bratislava has made an abrupt change.
Now, it's hard to imagine Old Town as it once was - filled by crumbling and gray buildings that had been divided into dingy apartments, with not a cafe in sight.
Today, Old Town is the heart of the Slovak capital, a city of 452,000 that is a draw for international tourists. Those formerly crumbling buildings, many of which date to the 1700s, have been restored to the elegance of their early days. They mirror the grand architecture so common throughout those parts of Central Europe that once were the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Ground floors of many buildings are filled by shops and restaurants; on sunny days, the dining tables and merchandise flow onto the sidewalks.
Except for the architecture, the city nearly takes on a Mediterranean air, as tourists and locals sit at umbrella-shaded tables, nursing a coffee or digging into a plate of risotto with prawns and zucchini.
If there's one word to describe Old Town, perhaps it's cozy. Unlike the central city in many European capitals, Old Town is eminently walkable, a pedestrian-only zone nestled between the Danube River and the old city walls.
Bratislava also is dotted with tiny museums and other attractions. The City Museum in Old Town Hall has been created from a number of centuries-old homes. Much of its collection is artifacts and implements of daily life, particularly of the centuries when the city was a crossroads for Slovak, Austrian and Hungarian cultures. Much of that multiculturalism began to fade following World War I.
But the museum's highlight is the view from its tower, reached by steep, winding stairs with only a rope handrail. I marvel as I meet a cleaning woman who has somehow managed to lug a mop and bucket of water up to the top.
I'm even more surprised when she points me to a door that lets me out onto a balcony, giving me a bird's-eye view of the buildings lining Hlavne Namestie, the main square. So much for liability laws.
I see nearby the Primate's Palace, which contains the city's most remarkable works of art: six 17th century English tapestries found hidden in the palace walls after the city bought the building in the early 1900s. The stunning tapestries depict the Greek legend of Hero and Leander.
No one is quite sure how the tapestries wound up in Slovakia, nor when or why they were stashed in the palace walls.
Another must-see is Bratislava Castle, perched on a hill overlooking Old Town. The castle isn't striking because of an elegant facade or rich collection of court life, although the Slovak National Museum inside the castle houses a lovely collection of art nouveau furniture and decorative pieces.
Again, the tower is the main attraction. Climb up the dozens of steps to see a stunning reminder of Bratislava from its communist days. Across the Danube, the skyline is dominated by row after row of bleak concrete apartment buildings constructed during the Soviet era. Atop the New Bridge, a circular restaurant resembles a UFO that is about to land in the middle of the river.
Despite Bratislava's remarkable efforts, its communist past still remains part of its present.
- Freelance writer Susan Ladika, a former resident of Vienna, lives in Tampa.
IF YOU GO
GETTING THERE: Major European carriers fly into Bratislava's small airport from various gateways. But many Americans head to Vienna, Austria, and then travel by bus or train to Bratislava. That trip takes about an hour.
