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Bratislava trip - day three
So much for "we'll get up early and see stuff", it was lazy bones again as we staggered out for "brunch" at 12:30! Kava.Bar was nearby and had been recommended to us, so we wandered there for some sustenance.
We woke up after our coffee and fresh orange juice accompanied by a ham, cheese and pesto (nice surprise!) toastie, and a yoghurt with good amount of honey and chocolate granola. It was €5.20 for each breakfast meal (you can also have a croissant and homemade jam with orange juice and coffee for €5.20 but they'd ran out by the time we got there!) so €10.40 in total and very tasty it was.
Modernist architecture was the theme for today, so off we wandered with our map.
The first tourist stop was Námestie Slobody AKA Freedom Square. This is proper Communist era architecture. The fountain, called the Fountain of Union or Druzba (friendship), was the largest fountain in all of Bratislava, built in 1980 but it no longer flows today. Seemingly the flower represents the Linden flower.
It's an impressive space surrounded by some choice modernist architecture as well - contrasting with this, on the other side of the square is the palace that is the official residence of Slovakia's prime minister (but we weren't really interested in that!).
A number of the buildings in the vicinity belong to the STU - the Slovak Technology University and there are four seated lecture theatres extending from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering above, and the building below is covered in reliefs of workers plying their trade.
Along the way we found a good stop for some refreshments, La Putika cafe which specialises in Belgian beer and is at the junction where you change from tram to the old town and bus to the airport.
Suitably refreshed, our next point of interest was the Building of Slovak Broadcasting or Radio and Television Slovakia , which is not too far from Freedom Square, designed to look like an upside down pyramid (or umbrella!).
Next up Istropolis, Teatro Wüstenrot or its full name: 'House of Union Istropolis' or 'House of Revolutionary Union Movement'. A huge congress hall/culturally Centre.
Across from Istropolis is Trnavské mýto, a large market hall built in the 1980's. With a stunning retro font as well.
We decided to keep going and find Kukurica AKA the "corn" building, shaped a bit like corn-on-the-cob where its nickname comes from it was a military boarding house. Today it is behind barbed wire, but you can still get close enough to appreciate its unique architecture.
By this point we were hungry but wanted to keep the retro vibe. So we headed back to base via Palacinka Lacinka, which is known for being one of the cheapest places in all of Bratislava!
Each pancake is around 30c and you get 2 on a tray, which can be two different fillings. This is an amazing wee place with a constant stream of visitors looking for sweet or savoury filled pancakes. Tasty and extremely cheap so we were happy.👍
We had a few pancakes but not enough to fill us up, so next, it was time for a meal with beer brewed on the premises at FABRIKA the beer pub.
Mr Foodie had a filling smoked cheeseburger, cooked pink, topped with a fried egg and a very garlicky mayo and seasoned fries, which was very tasty for €11.90!
While I had the fried cheese - 3 massive slices of a coated mozzarella-style cheese with French fries and tartare sauce, which was more like garlic mayo with gherkins but still very tasty and filling for the €8.90 price!
🍻na zdravie!
Day four coming soon...