MY LATEST TRIP: MOMENTS, TASTES, SCENES, ARCHITECTURE, PEOPLE AND MORE... #9

BRATISLAVA NOT IN A HURRY #3

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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