Our next destination was the City of Vienna, with an evening concert at the Palais Liechtenstein, followed by a one-hour coach ride to the City of Bratislava – the capital of Slovakia – the following morning. Along the way, we drove through the Austrian countryside, small towns, and extensive farmland. Despite the opulence and historical context of Vienna, it always proved to be the case that we had a greater appreciation for the smaller cities and towns that we visited.
On our way to Bratislava, located very close to the border with Austria, we were told to have our passports ready, just in case there would be a security check, despite the open borders within the European Union. This was due to the GLOBSEC Bratislava Forum taking place, with 1200 attendees from 60 countries, including 11 heads of state from Central and Eastern European countries and beyond. The most recognizable name here in the United States was President Emmanuel Macron, of France. As it turned out, we were waved through the border.
Formerly part of Czechoslovakia and then known as the Slovak Socialist Republic, this was a heavily guarded border between the East and the West until the Slovak Republic – more commonly known as Slovakia – was formed in 1993. On the outskirts of the city, the socialist-style concrete block architecture is still the dominant housing, where the masses were all supposed to be equals, unless one happened to be a Communist Party official. The only difference today is that the formerly all-gray buildings are now being colorfully painted, in an attempt to bring some personality to the housing. As seems to be the case everywhere with people who formerly lived under the occupation and political oppression of the Soviet Union, the people in Slovakia appear to truly cherish their new freedom and democracy. In Bratislava, as you will see, the people also love their sculptures, statues, monuments, and fountains.
Upon our return to Vienna, we took a walking tour through the Old City. Difficult to navigate on foot in the short time allotted, a carriage ride seemed to be our better alternative, though difficult to take photos when rolling over cobblestone streets. At one point, our carriage driver became furious when an inexperienced cab driver cut him off and caused the horses to rear. One of the more fascinating sites was the Roman ruins that had been preserved during the halted excavation for a new metro station. After our carriage ride, we took a walk through the peaceful Volksgarten.
