#3 BRATISLAVA NOT IN A HURRY
Bratislava is a richly decorated city. It's fascinating to walk through the city core, paying careful attention to the intricate and often whimsical sculptural and architectural details of its medieval and early modern buildings. I loved the places where caryatids are used as either decoration or practical structural support.
I really liked the relaxed atmosphere in the historical city center with some restored beauty that survived both WWII and the cold war.
I saw several Art Nouveau buildings (one of my favourite architecture styles, although nobody has done it better than Gaudi in Barcelona)
It was sad to see a part of the city that is really rundown and presumably a paradise for urban explorers searching for abandoned and decayed buildings.
Novy Most (New Bridge), which crosses beneath the castle, is what I would describe as Soviet modernist in its architectural style.
Typically like all things modern, something old had to be destroyed to make way for the bridge and its accompanying 4 lane highway, in this case 2/3 of the old town and a Jewish synagogue.
Is this progress?
To me of course not as I have endless capacity to explore and enjoy old buildings and towns but very little for road bridges and road bridges, but what do I know about city planning?
On the southern end of the bridge is a metal column with what looks like a UFO landing on top of it (rather appropriately the bar that now occupies it is called "UFO").
Beyond the bridge are rows upon rows of neatly ordered, uniform (and quite clearly Soviet in construction) blocks of high-rise flats.
A style that I've noticed is one that I was told is growing in the city and shows a real increase in the renovation of the façades with very bright colours. Looking at them, I thought 'Ah, these are the United Colours of Bratislava!'
Hope you enjoy the slideshow...
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Very interesting, Belita. All the buildings are covered with stucco and so the low reliefs. I did not see stone on the sculptures.In Portugal at the same period there the building facades are finished
ReplyDeletethe same way of those you show but not so colorful.
Thanks, Leonor! You know, better than me, to compare the architecture over there and ours....
DeleteWow, I thought your previous set showed off the beauty of this city so well, but this set is even better!! The range of architecture is stunning, and mostly beautiful, and I love the use of colour on so many of the buildings. Of course there is a run-down area where probably only urb-ex enthusiasts would go, but that is the same in just about any and every city in the world. I hate all those faceless regiments of high-rise flats, but as bridges go that one with the UFO on it isn't so bad. I've seen a lot uglier than that. Although, that said, it is such a shame that so much of the historical district was destroyed to build it.
ReplyDeleteStep by step I will be showing the pros and cons of the city. The use of colour on many buildings, specially the renovated ones gives a pleasing and cheerful ambiance to the city, in stark contrast with the gloomy atmosphere that characterized the era of Commmunism of which most of the people have not good memoirs. This was said to me by a resident in Bratislava.
DeleteA colorful walk around the city with you, so much to see...:)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, Belita
Why not walking over there together with you, Sophie!
DeleteVery beautiful and intricate architecture.The bright colors probably help cheer them up in the long winter months? Thank you for sharing your trip with us!
ReplyDeleteDanette, the bright colours are used not because of the long winter months but to give the city a lighter atmosphere that it didn't have at the gloomy days of Communism.
DeleteOh, that makes sense! I think of the communists "colors" as being very drab...
DeleteLike you Belita, I dislike so called progress destroying the old and beautiful. It happens everywhere. However, all it takes is an earthquake to destroy the old as well, in the end it gets lost anyway. Very sad that!
ReplyDeleteLove all of your beautiful photos and enjoyed your journey with you.
Huggles.
Glad to read you enjoyed the tour so did I, by having you together with me...
DeleteThank you very much for taking around the places I have enjoyed being there.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice weekend .
It's always a pleasure to have you, Fatos, joining the tour...
DeleteHope your weekend is being as good as mine.
Once again your photos are great and they helped me to better know Bratislava since last year I visited it only for a couple of hours.
ReplyDeleteAnyway I will remember this city very well because I lost 1 hour locked in a car park trying to ask for assistance with no one speaking in English around there, at the end of the story a hair dresser was able to take me out :)
Happy to see you joining the tour to know a little bit more about Bratislava. I can easily figure out your despair while you were locked in a car park. I have not had that experience, but I noticed that there are many Slovaks who don't speak a word of English. When in need of help, I always tried to ask it from someone young as older people either they are shy or they actually have no English knowledge at all.
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