Košice

Košice

Košice is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary. With a population of approximately 240,000, Košice is the second largest city in Slovakia after the capital Bratislava.

The first evidence of inhabitance can be traced back to the end of the Paleolithic era. The first written reference to the Hungarian town of Košice (as the royal village - Villa Cassa) comes from 1230. After the Mongol invasion in 1241, King Béla IV of Hungary invited German colonists to fill the gaps in population.

The city was made of two independent settlements: Lower Košice and Upper Košice, amalgamated in the 13th century around the long lens-formed ring, of today's Main Street. The city grew quickly because of its strategic location on an international trade route from agriculturally-rich central Hungary to central Poland, itself along a greater route connecting the Balkans and the Adriatic and Aegean seas to the Baltic Sea. 

After World War I and during the gradual break-up of Austria-Hungary, the city at first became a part of the transient "Eastern Slovak Republic", declared on 11 December 1918 in Košice and earlier in Prešov under the protection of Hungary. On 29 December 1918, the Czechoslovak Legions entered the city, making it part of the newly established Czechoslovakia. However, in June 1919, Košice was occupied again, as part of the Slovak Soviet Republic, a proletarian puppet state of Hungary. The Czechoslovak troops secured the city for Czechoslovakia in July 1919, which was later upheld under the terms of the Treaty of Trianon in 1920.                                    

Košice was ceded to Hungary, by the First Vienna Award, from 1938 until early 1945. The town was bombarded on 26 June 1941, in what became a welcome pretext for the Hungarian government to declare war on the Soviet Union a day later. The German occupation of Hungary led to the deportation of Košice's entire Jewish population of 12,000 and an additional 2,000 from surrounding areas via cattle cars to the concentration camps. The town was captured by the Soviets in January 1945 and for a short time it became a temporary capital city of the restored Czechoslovak Republic until the Soviet Red Army reached Prague. Among other acts, the Košice Government Program was declared on 5 April 1945.

After the Communist Party seized power in Czechoslovakia in February 1948, the city became part of the Eastern Bloc. Several present day cultural institutions were founded and large residential areas around the city were built. The construction and expansion of the East Slovak Ironworks caused the population to grow from 60,700 in 1950 to 235,000 in 1991. Before the breakup of Czechoslovakia (1993), it was the fifth largest city in the federation. Following the Velvet Divorce and creation of the Slovak Republic, Košice became the second largest city in the country and became a seat of a constitutional court. Since 1995, it has been the seat of the Archdiocese of Košice.

Jakab's Palace

The city has a well preserved historical center, which is the largest among Slovak towns. There are many heritage protected buildings in Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Art Nouveau styles with Slovakia's largest church - St. Elisabeth Cathedral. The long main street, rimmed with aristocratic palaces, Catholic churches, and townsfolk's houses, is a thriving pedestrian zone with many boutiques, cafés, and restaurants. 

Slovak cuisine is varied, however many national dishes are based on cheeses and especially bryndza sheep cheese. The most popular meals made from bryndza sheep cheese are “bryndzové halušky”, sheep-cheese gnocchi and “bryndzové pirohy”, ravioli-style pasta filled with bryndza. No Slovak lunch can be complete without soup. Check if the menu offers a Christmas sauerkraut soup, bean soup with smoked meat, or less known but still excellent mushroom soup called “mačanka”

Make sure you sample Košické zlato (Košice Gold) – a unique drink with a secret recipe sold exclusively in Košice. You can sample this refreshing drink at selected establishments in the city. The hot version will warm you on a long winter evening.

                                                        Kosice’s Top 5:

   
1. The St Elisabeth Cathedral   is Slovakia's biggest church, as well as one of the easternmost Gothic cathedrals in Europe.  Built between 1378 and 1508 and a Gothic masterpiece, is the city's oldest architectural landmark.  The northern tower was completed in 1775, while the southern, Matthias tower as late as 1904. During the last phase of the restoration a crypt was built under the northern nave of the cathedral. In 1906 the remains of Francis II Rákóczi and his friends from Rodosto were buried there. Particularly imposing is the winged main altar with its three oversize statues and forty-eight panel paintings, while the lateral altars, Gothic wall paintings and sculptures add to the charm. Refurbishment work on the Cathedral is currently under way.  
2. St. Urban's Tower.  is originally a Gothic prismatic campanile with a pyramidal roof. It was erected in the 14th century. A church bell installed in the tower has been dedicated to Saint Urban, the patron of vine-dressers. In 1775 the pyramidal roof was constructed with annion in the Baroque style with an iron double cross. There are 36 old gravestones (dating from the 14th and 15th centuries, one of these dates back to the Roman Empire in the 4th century) bricked into the exterior walls of the St. Urban Tower. The East Slovak Museum set up an impressive exhibition of foundrywork in the tower after the reconstruction in 1977. It was removed in 1995. Today, there is a unique wax museum exhibition in the tower.
3. The East Slovak Museum  is one of the oldest Slovak museums; it was founded in 1872. A neo-Renaissance building was erected in the early 20th century. It was the first building in the town designed to serve its needs as a museum. There are sculptures of Perseus and Vulcan on the facade of the building. The museum presents the Stone Age and the Middle Age period in eastern Slovakia, the Košice Gold Treasure, jewellery and numismatic exhibits. Also on the site of the museum, there is a wooden church from Kožuchovce (Svidník district). The church was founded in 1741 and it was brought to Košice in 1927.
4. Jakab's Palace. At the end of Mlynska street opposite City Park, the site where the enchanting artificial brook called Mlynský náhon was originally created is now home to this charming palace. The palace was not the residence of some noble family, however, but the private house of well-known Košice builder Peter Jakab, who was also responsible for building the National Theatre building and the East Slovak Museum. In April 1945 the palace enjoyed its greatest heyday, when it was the residence of the president of the Czechoslovak Republic, Edvard Beneš.
5. Immaculata.   the Plague Column of the Virgin Mary from 1723. The column is situated in a small park and commemorates the gratitude to Mother Mary for an end to the plague epidemic from 1709 and 1710. It is a fine example of a Baroque sculpture surrounded by later sculptures of saints and angels. Legend has it that the bodily remains of St. Valentine are hidden under one of the columns.
   

   

   St Urban's Tower

   
   
   
   

References: http://www.kosice.info/
                 http://www.visitkosice.eu/en

Bratislava

Bratislava

The capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 462,603, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries. Museums, preserved churches, reconstructed mansions and palaces attract global visitors that generate profit for the tourism sector. 
Also known by its German name Pressburg, Bratislava is a product of many cultures and peoples. Intertwined with its past are influences from the Austrians, Czechs, Germans, Hungarians, Jews and Slovaks. Hungary took seat in Bratislava during 1536 and crowned many Hungarian kings and queens at St. Martin's Cathedral. Numerous historical icons from Hungary, Germany and Slovakia resided in Bratislava. The first known permanent settlement of the area began with the Linear Pottery Culture, around 5000 BC in the Neolithic era. About 200 BC, the Celtic Boii tribe founded the first significant settlement, a fortified town known as an oppidum, and also established a mint which produced silver coins known as biatecs. The area fell under Roman influence from the 1st to the 4th century AD and formed part of the Limes Romanus, a border defence system. The Romans introduced grape growing to the area and began a tradition of winemaking, which survives to the present. 

After the Communist Party seized power in Czechoslovakia in February 1948, the city became part of the Eastern Bloc. The city annexed new land, and the population rose significantly, becoming 90% Slovak. Large residential areas consisting of high-rise prefabricated panel buildings, such as those in the Petržalka borough, were built. The Communist government also built several new grandiose buildings, such as the Nový Most bridge and the Slovak Radio headquarters, sometimes at the expense of the historical cityscape. In 1968, after the unsuccessful Czechoslovak attempt to liberalise the Communist regime, the city was occupied by Warsaw Pact troops. Shortly thereafter, it became capital of the Slovak Socialist Republic, one of the two states of the federalized Czechoslovakia. Bratislava's dissidents anticipated the fall of Communism with the Bratislava candle demonstration in 1988, and the city became one of the foremost centres of the anti-Communist Velvet Revolution in 1989.In 1993, the city became the capital of the newly formed Slovak Republic following the so called Velvet Divorce.

The city of Bratislava is a popular destination for weekend travellers from other nearby countries, serving a variety of fun, indoor & outdoor activities and stag party packages. Investors see very high potential in the city. Heaps of construction developments and modern architectural plans glamorize the city's skyline. Mountains, hills, rivers and lowlands comprise the setting of Bratislava. Slovaks enjoy the fullness of nature together with the state-of-the-art malls, theatres, terminals and entertainment facilities.

The Main Square is one of Bratislava's top tourist spots. Here, attractive colourful buildings reminiscent of the baroque and renaissance era fill the perimeters. The Old Town Hall and The Roland Fountain are part of the usual route for guests. Many foreign embassies take domain in the buildings on the Main Square, steadily dwelling among the cheerful ambiance of the area. Some retail shops and cafes are also in location.

Bratislavas streets are dotted with numerous modern art installations.

Schoner Naci
Schoner Naci stands by the sidewalk, bidding his hat among passersby. The famous sculpture by Juraj Melus is said to be of a real man named Ignac Lamar, who was known around town as a true gentleman.
Location: Sedlarska street

Taunter
Taunter is a unique sculpture and brewed many explanations for his manner. Some say it mocks the neighbour for spying on clueless passersby, and another says it is of a man rushing to the windows to watch the coronation fest.
Location: Panska street

Napoleon´s Soldier

A statue of Napoleon's soldier leans forward upon a bench where many tourists take the opportunity to get photographed with the popular sculpture.
Location: Main Square

Paparazzi
The paparazzi sculpture stands by the corner of the Paparazzi Cocktail Bar, armed with his full lens camera, sculpted into spy mode.
Location: Laurinska Street

Rubberneck (Cumil)
Rubberneck is one of the most photographed attractions in Bratislava. The sculpture peeks from the sewerage hole and had lost his head a couple of times due to careless drivers. A street sign was put up to warn drivers that Cumil is near.
Location: corner Rybarska brana and Panska & Sedlarska streets

                                                          Bratislava’s Top 5:

Bratislava Castle

  
1. Bratislava Castle. One of the most prominent structures in the city is Bratislava Castle, situated on a plateau 85 metres (279 ft) above the Danube. The castle hill site has been inhabited since the transitional period between the Stone and Bronze ages and has been the acropolis of a Celtic town, part of the Roman Limes Romanus, a huge Slavic fortified settlement, and a political, military and religious centre for Great Moravia. A stone castle was not constructed until the 10th century, when the area was part of the Kingdom of Hungary. The castle was converted into a Gothic anti-Hussite fortress under Sigismund of Luxemburg in 1430, became a Renaissance castle in 1562, and was rebuilt in 1649 in the baroque style. Under Queen Maria Theresa, the castle became a prestigious royal seat. In 1811, the castle was inadvertently destroyed by fire and lay in ruins until the 1950s, when it was rebuilt mostly in its former Theresian style.
2. Apollo Bridge. Bratislava's new pride is this sophisticated bridge crossing the Danube River. Inaugurated on 2005, it was the sole European structure to become a nominee of the 2006 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award (OPAL Award) conducted by the American Civil Engineering Society. This attractive bridge is designed to carry the traffic of vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. Costing close to 103 million Euro, the bridge's opening ceremony was attended by 25,000 people.
3. Devin Castle. One of Bratislava's historical landmarks is the Devin Castle. This famous attraction has played a monumental role in the Slovakian past. It was occupied by the Celts in the 1st century BC; the Roman Empire made use of it as a military station; and the Moravian Empire used it as a boundary fortress of the Hungarian state. Napoleon troops had blown up the area around 1809.
   The castle is now property of the Municipal Museum. It is open to the public until winter sets in.
4. The Grassalkovich Palace. Is the residence of the president of Slovakia. It is situated on Hodžovo námestie, near the Summer Archbishop's Palace. The building is a Rococo/late Baroque summer palace with a French garden. It was built in 1760 for Count Antal Grassalkovich, a Hungarian noble serving as the head of the Hungarian Chamber (a sort of ministry of economy and finance for the Kingdom of Hungary), by architect Anton Mayerhofer. It features many beautiful rooms and an impressive staircase. The chapel is decorated with frescoes by Joseph von Pichler. The building became a center of Baroque musical life in Pozsony/Pressburg. Joseph Haydn premiered some of his works here. Count Grassalkovich also had his orchestra and his "colleague", Prince Esterházy, used to "lend" him his favorite conductor, Haydn.  The last owners of the palace before the end of Austria-Hungary were archduke Frederick of Teschen with his wife Isabella of Croy-Dülmen. From 1919 the palace was occupied by the Territorial Military Command.  After its reconstruction in the early 1990s, on 30 September 1996 the palace became the residence of Slovakia's president. Its once-large gardens are now a public park, complete with a statue of Bratislava-born composer Jan Nepomuk Hummel.
5. Slavín Memorial. is a memorial monument and military cemetery. It is the burial ground of thousands of Soviet Army soldiers who fell during World War II while liberating the city in April 1945 from the occupying German Wehrmacht units and the remaining Slovak troops who supported the clero-fascist Tiso government. It is situated on a hill amidst a rich villa quarter of the capital and embassy residences close to the centre of Bratislava.
   It was constructed between 1957 and 1960 on the site of a field cemetery, and opened on April 3, 1960 on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the city's liberation. The monument was constructed similar in kind to the Palace of Culture and Science in Stalinist architectural style. In 1961 it was declared a National Cultural Monument.
   
   
   

   

   Slavin Memorial

   
   
   
   

References: http://www.bratislava.com/v/city_info/
                    http://www.worldphotopage.com/en/bratislava.html
                    http://www.visitslovakia.com/bratislava-1