“To move, to breath, to fly, to float,

To gain all while you give,

To roam the roads of land remote,

To travel is to live.” –

Hans Christian Anderson

After Prague, our tour group passed by Bratislava for a few hours before continuing on to Vienna. Bratislava is a small city and is the capital of Slovakia.

We were dropped off at the city centre to have some free time. Of course first thing to do was to have lunch.

Here are some photos from our trip back in 2018 and it features some doors and public art mostly in the Old Town of Bratislava.

I was surprised that this city is filled with statues, some of them historic, some warm tributes and some are cute and silly

Monument of Ľudovít Štúr (Štúrovci), a revolutionary politician and writer and a “Girl with a Deer” which is the smallest fountain in Old Town.

“Hans Christian Andersen fell in love with Bratislava. ‘Your city is a fairy tale.’ This was how he addressed the people who wholeheartedly welcomed him to the city. This sculpture, which incorporates characters from his fairy tales and fables, was made in honor of his visit in 1841.

The most photographed statue in Bratislava is a probably a bronze statue of a man whose name is Cumil (meaning watcher) peeking out from under a manhole cover. The quirky statue was installed in 1997, and locals say that it’s not really known if he is a sewer worker up for a breath of air or a peeping tom.

A Buddy Bears installation which started in Berlin and an Iron Man sculpture.

The Plague Column was erected in memory of the end of the terrible plague epidemic. The baroque column was built in the 18th century,

Victory- A Monument Of Liberation By The Red Army.

St Martin’s 85 m spire dominates the Old Town’s skyline.

The St martin’s Cathedral is one of the oldest church in Bratislava.

This was a nice and interesting find. It is located next door to the St Martin’s Cathedral but it is sort of a derelict building with boarded and painted windows. So I am not quite sure if it is even part of the church.

Colourful alleyways.

The St. Michael’s Gate is the last preserved gate of the medieval city fortification. Its tower offers magnificent views of the Old Town and the surrounding area. Its gate once served as an entry into the city. The top statue of St. Michael and the Dragon is guarding the tower.

How lovely to see some pots and pans decorating the typical paved streets.

Love this door in the corner of the cobblestone street.

Carved wooden door of the Old Town Hall.

The Old Town Hall is a complex of buildings from the 14th century. It is the oldest city hall in the country and it is one of the oldest stone buildings still standing in Bratislava, with the tower being built approximately in 1370.

The old Slovak National Theater is a Neo-Renaissance building and is the oldest professional theater in the Old Town. The busts of famous musical composers are placed in the oval openings in the façade.

The Franciscan Church is the oldest existing religious building.

The Reduta building, today, is the seat of the Slovak Philharmonic.

The public transportation system consists of buses, trolley buses and trams

From afar, high and mighty is the view of the Bratislava Castle. We didn’t get the chance to go inside let alone go near the castle because of time constraints.

The Bridge of the Slovak National Uprising, completed in 1972, which is commonly referred to as the “UFO Bridge.” Because of its flying saucer-shape.

And this was our last view of Bratislava from the coach window.