Bratislava Castle: "the upside-down table"

The first stop on this morning's city tour is Bratislava Castle. Locals call the Castle the "upside down table" due to the four towers. The castle is the seat of the Slovak National Council and within it are collections of the Slovak National Museum including exhibits of ancient treasures and historical artifacts. The only access open to us was the castle courtyard (and toilets!), which was disappointing as there's nothing of interest to see. Positioned on the hill, it was a bit chilly in the morning and most were ready for the next destination before time.

The old city centre was more interesting and here Tony found a "fellow photographer" at the Paparazzi Cafe and they became instant buddies (see our Bratislava album).

A tram in front of the Bratislava Opera House

An important historical monument is St. Martin's Cathedral which was consecrated in 1452. In this cathedral 19 coronations took place. During your city tour, look out for little golden crowns in the pavement. They mark the route that was taken during the coronation procession. You may wish to re-enact the walk by the kings and queens. The route starts at St. Martin Dom. Another claim to fame for the cathedral was that Beethoven‘s Missa Solemnis was played for the first time in this church on 13th November 1835.

Look out for Mozart House (Palffy Palace) at No. 10 Panska Street. Mozart was only 6 years old when he was invited to give a concert here in 1762. This building is now the Austrian embassy. In Venturska Ulica you'll also see a plaque commemorating Franz Liszt. He too gave a concert in Bratislava, at age 9.

Bratislava's mascot: the "Man At Work"

After the city tour you have the choice of going back to the ship for lunch or staying in town as we did. We of course headed back to the Paparazzi Cafe at Laurinska 1 and had lunch there. The ship is moored close to the city centre and you had the afternoon free to explore the city further. Bratislava is not as bustling a place as some of its neighboring capital cities and here you'll have the opportunity to have a relaxing time.