When most tourists arrive in Bratislava, the charming capital of Slovakia, they make a beeline for the Staré Mesto (Old Town) and miss out on two of the more unconventional sites just north of the city center; the third structure is clearly visible from the Danube and impossible to miss. I arrived in Bratislava by way of train via Prague, and instead of taking a taxi or public transport from the station to my hostel I decided to walk and gather my bearings of the city, something I always recommend doing if you have the time.
I was immensely glad I did too, for before I knew it I stumbled upon Námestie Slobody (Freedom Square), a large city park/square just 10 minutes walk southeast from the train station. The park might not have screamed beautiful at first glance: garage cans overflowed and trash littered the sidewalks; graffiti marked up the concrete; the grass could have used some water and unlike the rest of the city, flowers were not in abundance. And yet, there was something instantly captivating about this square, especially the enormous fountain, Fontána Družba (the largest in all of Slovakia), which is the centerpiece of Námestie Slobody.
Construction began on the fountain in 1979 and the slow descent into disrepair began a decade when communism fell in Slovakia. Like seemingly most water features in former Eastern Bloc, the fountain no longer functions today.
Just a few blocks north of Námestie Slobody is one of the most impressive buildings in Bratislava, Rozhlas a televízia Slovakia (Slovak Radio and Television building), which looks like an inverted pyramid. It took nearly 20 years to complete construction (1967-1983) and was designed by three men: Štefan Svetko, Barnabáš Kissling and Štefan Durkovič.
The Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra performs in the concert hall on premises, which also houses a 6,300 pipe organ. The symphony wasn’t playing while I was visiting, but you can find their concert schedule in English here: sosr.rtvs.sk/en/concerts.
If you dig the Slovak Radio and Television building then you need to make a note to also visit the Bulgarian National Radio Building in Sofia. What’s up with these upside down pyramid radio buildings?
Lastly, you can’t discuss Bratislava architecture without mentioning the Most SNP, or the Bridge of the Slovak National Uprising, which is often simply called the UFO bridge because of the wonderfully bizarre UFO looking restaurant and observation deck that sits on the south end of the Danube-spanning bridge. The bridge has two levels, the bottom of which you can walk or bike across. Standing in the middle of the bridge really gives you a sense of how massive the Danube really is.
I was warned by a few people at my hostel that the food at the restaurant was overpriced and only OK, so I opted out of eating there, but you can still get to the top without dining for about 8€.
What I love most about the UFO Bridge is that it simply can’t be ignored. The powers that be of Bratislava tourism emphasize the brightly painted Old Town houses and twisting streets, but it’s this 1972 beast of a bridge that is able to stand equal with Bratislava Castle as the true symbol of the city. You can search for lists of “Ugliest Buildings in the World,” and find both the Slovak Radio and Television Building and Most SNP well-represented, but these “ugly ducklings” are what give Bratislava real character, and are equally worthy of the love that all the churches and palaces receive in town.
