Don Feidner

Last Update:   17 April 2013

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The road leaving Vienna was straight and flat and we rode for an hour before finding a place where we could rest with a cup of cappucino.

The Danube was low, so instead of going straight across to the ferry landing, we debarked on a stone beach and the ferry left with another boatload of cyclists and foot passengers.

Franz-Josef 1 and Museum in Petronell-Carnuntum

We were both excited when we saw the sign to Bratislava, because neither of us had ever been to Slovakia before.

The Slovak Republic (or Slovakia) is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about 49,000 square kilometres (19,000 sq mi). Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, the Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The largest city is the capital, Bratislava. It is a member state of the European Union, NATO, United Nations, OECD and WTO among others. The official language is Slovak, a member of the Slavic language family. The present-day Slovakia became an independent state on 1 January 1993 after the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia.
 
Slovakia is a high-income advanced economy with one of the fastest growth rates in the European Union and the OECD. Slovakia together with Slovenia and Estonia are the only former Communist nations to be part of the European Union, Eurozone, Schengen Area and NATO simultaneously.

These pretty young girls were selling tours to the castle. With all the fans, they were waving their Slovakian flags.

Relaxing on a Sunday Afternoon

From the bridge one could see another bridge in the distance, (right) also designed with a bicycle lane. Below, the bicycle path continued and most of the way to the Hungarian border, it was asphalt and wide enough for 4 bicycles abreast.

Not long after we left Bratislava, we were on the Hungarian Border.

The First Hungarian Village

Espi Palace

Old Pump

Church in Lipót

4 Star Camping in Györ Hungary TV, Kitchen, Lounge Chairs

City Center, Györ, Hungary

City Center, Györ, Hungary

My First Hungarian Gulasch in Hungary --
Nagyszentjanos -- ...and the lady who brought it to me!

Bratislava, the Slovakian capital, is only a day’s ride away, but we decided to take the ferry at Haslau and stop on the way at Petronell-Carnuntum.

Impressive Church in Sharndorf

The Heathen’s Gate (Heidentor) in Petronell-Carnuntum, Austria, was constructed in the mid-14th Century.

Crossing the border to Slovakia used to take several hours and required pre-ordered visas. Today, cars, bicycles and pedestrians cross with no guards at the border.

Once known as Pressburg, Bratislava was the host for the world championships in ice hockey when we visited the city. The streets were filled with fans when Finland demolished Sweden 6-1 in the final game.

The man in the working clothes drew a large crowd while mimicking the bronze artwork on the pavement to his right.

Every once in a while, I would consult my GPS to check the route or to look for nearby Geocaches.

Left and Below: Bratislava City Architecture

This modern bridge was outfitted with the most elaborate bicycle lane I have ever seen.

The ice cream caught our attention, but we ate a pizza.

Dunasziget

The Worst Possible Cycling Trail - After 5 kilometers on this deep gravel, I wanted to throw in the towel!

Castle in Hédervár, Hungary

City Center, Györ, Hungary

This trail on the way to Ács was the worst on our trip!

Komarom at Night

Komarom - Hungarian City across the Danube from Komarno

Slovakia Left - Hungary Right

Komarno, Slovakia

Graveyard in Moca, Slovakia

Cool Bike Trail in Cenko, Slovakia

The Bridge at Sturovo Crosses the Danube into Hungary

Estergom, Hungary

View to the Danube from the Basilica at Night

Roman influence in this region was great as is shown in the few photographs in Visegrad to the right and below.

A ferry takes passengers across an arm of the Danube to Szentgyörgypuzsta, a town on a 20-km long island in the middle of the river. 

On the island, we found a place of total tranquility...

...until we arrived in Szentendrei Duna, a town that reminded me of those along the French Riviera -- a meeting place for everyone.

Border to Slovakian Republic

Slavic Architecture in Komarno, Slovakia

Below, Bumpy Bike Trail

Kelemantia, Slovakia

On the territory of present day Slovakia lays only a very short section of the Roman Danube frontier with two forts and several temporary camps of different size and age. One of the characteristic features of the frontier section is there is a very densely populated area beyond the river Danube. The inhabitants of the settlements, German tribes, were in constant and rather close contact and interaction with the population of the province of Upper Pannonia.

The first occupation of the territory happened under the reign of Augustus and his successor Tiberius, who brought a Roman army into the region of Carnuntum and Bratislava. The attack was focussed on the kingdom of Marbod in Bohemia. One of the first military installations on the Middle Danube area, a small fortified tower/fortlet maybe, could be identified on the steep hill of Devin, on the confluence of the March with the Danube. But it was not before the 40ies of the 1st century that a permament garrison built a fortress and was stationed in Carnuntum, a legionary fortress close to the Slovakian border.

To secure the Middle Danube area the Romans established a client kingdom with the Quadi, a German tribe, at a first stage. Only few forts on the territory of the province Pannonia were built in earlier Flavian times such as Arrabona und Brigetio (both in modern Hungary). The first fort in Rusovce/Gerulata was built together with other military installations along the Middle Danube area at the end of the 1st century. Till the end of the 4th century this fort was rebuilt several times to the stage which is still visible close to the church in the village of Rusovce.

The second fort in Kelemantia/Iza lay on the left side of the river Danube and was established as a bridgehead opposite the legionary fortress of Brigetio (H), during the Marcomannic wars (176/180). This first construction was burnt down by the Marcomannic tribes in 179. After the war a stone fort was built, which lasted into the Late Antiquity. The last building phase can be dated according to other renovation work along the Middle Danube area in the reign of the emperor Valentinian I (364–375).

These bells commemorate the 400th anniversary of the peace agreement of Zitava. The peace agreement between Rudolf 1, the German Emperor and Hungarian King and Ahmed 1, the Turkish Sultan was signed in 1606, mediated by Istban Bocskay. -- Rudolf 2 is standing here next to the bells getting ready to ring them.

Coca Cola on a Hot Day to Hit the Spot in Sturovo, Slovakia Note the Bottle and Glass from 1965

Basilica in Estergom -- The Largest Church in Hungary

This gives you an idea how large the church is -- one column is five times as wide as I am - Impressive!!!

And suddenly...

after a very long and interesting ride ...

we were in Budapest --

in my opinion, the most beautiful city in the world!

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