From Communist dictatorship to modern Bratislava
120 minutes - 50€
Take a trip with us dozens of years back into times, when the Eastern Europe as well as Slovakia was ruled by a totalitarian regime, and when the whole Eastern Europe was under the influence of the Soviet Union. Into times when people were afraid to talk, when the totalitarian dictatorship didn’t know any limits, the symbol of absolute power was comrade Stalin and Vladimír Iljič Lenin, when Bratislava was part of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, in which Prague was the capital. We will show you the most majestic and still preserved Communist buildings, many of which are used today, which breathe the totalitarian regime, dictatorship and absolute power of the Communist top brass of the period. We will take a look and explain how and why they came about, who approved their construction and why, and we will also ask the question, why are they still standing; are they really that good?
To book other tours, as well as possible time changes please contact us as soon as possible
You'll see:
The Square of the Slovak National Uprising
The SNP Square is one of the most famous squares in Bratislava. The first high-rise building in Bratislava is in this square, Manderlák, which has 11 above ground floors.
The Grassalkovich Palace
The rococo building of the Presidential Palace was built by Count Grassalkovich, President of the Hungarian Royal Chamber, in 1760. During socialism it was used as an activity centre for Bratislava's schoolchildren. From the 1950's until 1996 when it was reconstructed and used as the presidential residence ever since. Part of the palace is also a French style garden which is now public and also the Chapel of St. Barbara.
The Museum of V.I.Lenin - Pisztory palace
During World War II it held investigative rooms of the fascist Gestapo.
Gotwald Square
The largest square in Bratislava is named after the first Communist president Klement Gottwald.
Radio-pyramid
Next to the square there is the building in the shaped of a pyramid turned upside down. The project was created towards the end of the 1970s, during the times of socialist realism.
Hviezdoslav Square
The National Theater is at its end, next to which there was a so-called candle demonstration against the Communist regime on 25th March 1988.
Bridge of the Slovak National Uprising
Classified as the biggest bridge in Bratislava it is also the world's longest cable-stayed bridge to have one pylon and one cable-stayed plane. It is an asymmetrical steel bridge with a main span length of 303 m. The construction is suspended from cables, connected on the south side with two pillars. The total length of the bridge is 430.8 m, its width 21 m, and it weighs 537 t. A special attraction is the saucer-shaped restaurant, called UFO on the bridge's 84.6 m pylon. The restaurant is reached using an elevator located in the east pillar, and offers a good view of Bratislava. The west pillar is used as an emergency staircase with 430 stairs.