1936 On the Continent

the Republic, and the stranger will find no difficulty in making acquaintances who are ready to show him the sights of the town. One of the first of its features to which they will probably draw his attention are the places where, for a definite period, the wine growers are allowed to sell wine on draught from their vineyards. These places bear, as a distinguishing mark, a bundle of brushwood, or “viech” as it is called in Slovak, tied above the door. Under the influence of this pleasant and natural beverage, the Slovaks begin to sing their delightful folk-songs and continue to do so indefinitely. Then they are joined by the gipsies with their bewitching music, and suddenly Bratislava seems to be the finest place on earth.
Environs of Bratislava
    In summer and in autumn a great deal of time can be spent here inspecting the markets, and the amateur photographer should on no account miss the opportunityof taking snapshots of Slovak national costumes, worn by the peasants who throng the town on these occasions. On Sundays a visit should be paid to the villages near Bratislava, where the display of costumes is also extremely fine. An excursion should also be made during the daytime to the ruins of the Castle of Dvin by the Danube, and a visit should be paid also to the charming park of Petržalka on the other side of the Danube, which can be crossed by ferry. The park contains a restaurant and various forms of entertainment.
    Interesting trips can be taken also to the more distant environs of Bratislava. Those who are interested in pottery should visit the town of Modra, where they will find remarkably fine specimens of folk-ceramics, and in the afternoon the trip can be extended to the old town of Trnava, the battlements of which are still partly preserved. Trnava also contains many old churches, the most noteworthy being that of St. Nicholas.
    Among other places which I should advise the visitor to see are St. Jur, with its old church and altar, Vajnory, Horvátsky Grob orátaj, all of which will leave unforgetable impressions. If you happen to be at Bratislava in August you should on no account miss St. Jur on the 15th of that month, when there is a big religious festival attended by Slovaks in their national costumes from all the surrounding areas.
    Among the other interesting places near Bratislava which are worth seeing I would mention Mlynany with its fine Botanical Gardens. It can be reached by way of Nové Zámky, and from here the visitor might care to go a little farther and break his journey in the spas of Trenianské Teplice or Pieštany. Then, too, there is Topolianky, the summer residence of the President of the Republic, and Nitra the religious centre of Slovakia. The former owner, Count Ambrozy, introduced here evergreen plants from Japan, California, Arizona, the Himalayas and many other parts of the world, and they continue to thrive in the open air, without in any way being affected by frost.
Váh Valloy
    If you should happen to take a cure in the spa of Trenianské Teplice, to which I referred above, you willfind several interesting localities in the neighbouring region. Chief among them is the town of Trenin, and then there is the whole valley of the River Váh, which is one of the most picturesque in Europe. I would also mention the villages of Dubnica (mainly on June 29th),imany and Zliechov (on August 10th), in all of which you will see remarkable specimens of national costumes. Moreover, throughout this area and, indeed, in the whole of Slovakia there are many ruins of old castles, fine country mansions of more recent origin, magnificent forests and impressivmountain scenery.
    The visitor to Slovakia should not overlook the Orava district. The town of Orava, which is reached via Žilina, is famous for its magnificent castle, and it forms a convenient starting-point for a number of mountain tours to Oravská Magura, Babi hora or to the heights of Liptov. This part of Slovakia, too, is particularly rich in folk-lore.
    No traveller in Slovakia will, of course, return home without having taken a trip to the High Tatras, which attract many visitors, especially during the summer. Nor is this surprising. The mountains themselves are of overwhelming grandeur and the whole Tatra area is well provided with health resorts which cater for the needs of even the most fastidious visitor. And so at a height of 3,000 feet and upwards you can enjoy all the comforts of an up-to-date hotel with tennis, bridge