Towns with Towers
Topolcany, Trnava and Nitra, Western Slovakia
I’ve hardly slept a wink since that blood-curdling visit to Cachtice castle. You’d think the Oldies would have had their fill of castles by now. But what do you think is next on the agenda? Need I ask? But although Topolcany Castle is yet another spooky-looking ruin like Cachtice, I have to admit I quite liked it. For a start, we had the place to ourselves. It obviously doesn’t have as gory a history as Cachtice to draw the crowds. The tower has been reroofed and the remaining shell of the castle has been converted into an outdoor theatre. Great idea! But it was the location that really grabbed me. Surrounded by gorgeous unspoilt countryside, it couldn’t be more peaceful. This is a place I could happily hang out in anytime.
Topolcany itself is a town of contrasts. It appears to be quite a prosperous industrial town, yet there are still plenty of reminders of past glories in the shape of beautiful old buildings, some restored, some awaiting restoration – hopefully. And of course, there are also the ubiquitous communist-era buildings. Apparently Topolcany was a market town when it was founded back in the 9th century. Our visit happened to coincide with a market day, so there was a great buzz about the place as well as plenty of colour.
I can imagine that the wares – and underwear – have changed enormously over the centuries!
I have yet to see a Slovakian town without at least one ice cream parlour. The ice cream is great value too. But ordering must be quite a challenge. Zmrzlina is a mouthful in itself before you get as much as a lick of the bloomin’ stuff!
Here’s another pronunciation test: Trnava. For a city located in the flat, we sure spent a lot of time looking up. I’ve rarely seen so many towers and steeples in one place. Bell towers, clock towers, church towers… With thirteen churches alone in the centre of a town this size (pop. 65,000), including a cathedral and a basilica, along with numerous monasteries and convents, it’s no wonder Trnava’s nickname is ‘Little Rome’. And of course, the first thing the Oldies did was ascend a tower, the Town Tower. The views are great and it’s from up there that you realise just how many towers there are. Look, there are even cooling towers…
Trnava’s medieval town wall is another outstanding feature. Stretching for 3km, enclosing an area of 56 hectares, with four town gates and an incredible 35 towers, it was one of the largest fortifications in central Europe in the 13th century. Apparently 25 of the towers have been restored. See, even more towers! Strangely enough, only a small section of the wall is visible from the Town Tower, but as you walk around the old town centre it is dominant, seemingly looming around every corner. Be it alongside an apartment block complex, a huge modern shopping centre, or the new soccer stadium/arena, the wall is a constant reminder of the city’s ancient history.
I noticed that the town wall is still being repointed. Now that would be a job for the Oldies. Don’t they always talk about how much they love repointing old walls? It would certainly keep them out of mischief. And out of my feathers!
From one ancient town to another. Our next trip was to Nitra, the fourth largest city in Slovakia, and also the oldest. And guess what? It has a castle. Now this one is actually quite cool. It’s not a total ruin for a start, so no spooky factor there. Whew! The castle serves as the seat of the bishopric of Nitra, with the relatively small but exquisite St. Emmeram’s Cathedral within its walls.
Hah! Here is that Glagolitic script again, the oldest Slavic alphabet. I saw it for the first time in the smallest town in the world, Hum, in Croatia and here it is again in the oldest town in Slovakia. Wow, what a lot of superlatives!
We made our way slowly back down the hill (the castle is always on the hill), passing by dozens of beautiful ancient churches, monasteries and municipal buildings. I noticed the buildings becoming more and more modern as we descended, all the way down to the centre of town, where there are still plenty of communist-era buildings to serve as a reminder of more recent history.
And further out of town again, the future is already being written, with one of the biggest building sites I’ve ever seen. This is a massive project, with the construction of huge industrial buildings, new roads, new railway lines, the works. The Oldies’ curiosity piqued, they later did a bit of googling to see what was going on. It turns out that Jaguar Land Rover have been lured to Nitra, and are investing over a billion euros in their new manufacturing plant there.
It looks like Nitra, the oldest town in Slovakia, has no fear of moving into a prosperous future.
