Sopron, Hungary - Eisenstadt, Austria

Sopron, Hungary  -  Eisenstadt Austria

Joseph Haydn Bust

The Esterhazy Palace Is Now In The Center of Eisenstadt

It was just a hop, about 90 minutes from Bratislava, Slovakia (Pressburg) to Sopron, Hungary. The actual city we wanted to visit however was Eisenstadt in Austria. But again, the prices for hotels in Eisenstadt were way too high. So we went to the Hungarian side and saved a lot of money.

In The Center Of The Courtyard Of The Haydn Museum

I know you wonder why I would go to Eisenstadt, you probably never heard of it. Eisenstadt, what is there? Ah, it’s the music lover in me. Eisenstadt was the Pleasure Castle or Hunting Castle of the Esterhazy Family. And the Esterhazy clan hired Joseph Haydn, the father of classical String Quartet music. For 40 years Haydn composed and worked for the elite of the Austrian Empire. Well, actually he worked for the Esterhazy family but also had occasions to teach pupils such as Mozart or even Beethoven and many more. No wonder they called him Papa Haydn. When you think of Eisenstadt you think of Haydn and also Esterhazy, the Hungarian Royal House. Eisenstadt was one of their castles. They were a complicated family with many family members and inter-relationships.

The American Tourist Hans

Ceiling In The Chapel 

I took the tourist tour but was more interested in the fact that this man Joseph Haydn, composed here. He might have walked where I now walk. He might even have sat in town having a coffee where I sat and had my coffee. It made me smile inside to realize that the world has changed to allow me, a commoner, to sit and talk where only the highest elite once lived. I read that Eisenstadt Palace in its prime was compared with Versailles. Well I have seen both, and no, Eisenstadt is not even close. Maybe it is the town encroaching onto the Palace Grounds today that makes this building a bit ordinary or not so special, maybe it was the way the Austrian Government rebuilt or refurbished the place that made it not equal to Versailles, or it might be just me. I am kind of jaded by now, I have seen too much.  The inside walls are not real, for example. Printed cloth is used to give the impression of ‘walls’ and architectural details are printed on the ‘walls’ that give a fairly good illusion, but after you see it, and know it, you know it’s not real. So yes, I have seen the Palace in Eisenstadt but only after the Restoration and what is left of it and what is shown to the tourist.

I read that, after Paul Anton Esterhazy and especially Nikolaus Esterhazy died the rest of the family did not like the Palace at Eisenstadt at all and abandoned it; left it to go to ruins. Rain and neglect took its toll on the palace and in no time it was a pile of rubble. To rebuild it would have cost a fortune and the Austrian Government had really no use for the place. So what to do? What they did do to the Buildings served a purpose, and tourists come to Eisenstadt, spend money, help the economy, listen to concerts, drink coffee in the coffee houses and all is well. True to Austrian ways, they have Sacher Torte to eat and even an Esterhazy Schnitte, cakes you just have to have when you are in Austria. Yes, we had those cakes in the coffee shop inside the castle. We were tourists! 

And then there is the music. Wonderful music!  The German National Anthem was written by Haydn, for example. He called it the Emperor Quartet and here is a sample of it. (click on the blue name) By the way, all the pictures you see on this YouTube clip are Germany. Great Stuff!    

Those Guys Played Well And Had Fun Entertaining The Public

We heard it played with a Brass group and it was done very well. The Tuba Player was really into it and fun to watch. I felt like a kid listening to great music.

For Serious Concert Goers - It Had An Air To It.

No matter that Eisenstadt was and is in disrepair, Haydn’s music lives on.  The music will be around for centuries to come, it’s a repertoire, a staple of any Baroque performance. And if you are like me, who loves classical music, then Eisenstadt is a must visit. There is still a very fancy concert hall in the palace. It is still a hub of classical performances, music lives here. Not just the old stuff, but modern Jazz too.

Portrait Of 'Sisi', A Troubled Soul 

It helps to know a bit of Hungarian History; who Sisi was (Empress Elizabeth) and why she was so loved by the Hungarians. (She learned their language and could talk to the common folks, a difficult language to learn).

This corner of Europe, somehow, still honors the Royals and the era around the Hapsburgs. It was the center of the Holy Roman Empire for many years and it still shows today.

Then A Columned Something, Now A Coffee Shop

Can You See All The Horses That Used To Live Here ?

Bratislava had the German name of Pressburg then. Half the population of Pressburg was Austrian/German at the turn of the 19 Century. Eisenstadt was a center of culture but also a bit in the sticks then, so hunting was a big deal. A totally different time, but it left traces of the golden age that can still be seen today. Some of the old buildings are still being used. Old horse stables are storage places today for example. Old office buildings are made into coffee shops. Etc.

Roman Catholicism Was Their Religion

Saint ?  

We took a guided tour through the Palace to see where Sisi lived part time. We visited the Chapel; saw the relics of some Saint, whose name I forgot.

A Cute Pair, Don't You Think ?

We played tourists.  To ride the bikes from Sopron to Eisenstadt took all of 20 minutes in the morning. We found a good parking spot, stuffed all our riding gear, including boots, into the empty (we left stuff at the hotel) saddle bags and had a wonderful day. The weather was on our side. Blue sky, Perfect temperature. Eisenstadt is about 1 hour southeast from Vienna, near the Hungarian Border, look at a map    

Blue Sky, A Perfect Day For A Visit

I Try Not To Be Too Serious !

Worth a visit if you like Classical Music. 

Bratislava, Slovakia

Hotel Brix in Bratislava, Slovakia

Bookings.com has some good deals and Hotel Brix was one of those, well for us, anyhow. On purpose, we chose a hotel outside the old city, because the prices were outrageous within the historic center and parking almost nonexistent.  The ride from Budweis to Bratislava took 5 plus hours because the roads now are no longer the ‘highways’ we are used to riding on. Yes, the Czech people give it a highway number but really, it’s a glorified local road.

I wanted to see Bratislava for a quirky reason. A few years ago I spoke with someone who was aglow in praise of Slovakia, especially the Capital Bratislava. In her opinion this was a nicer town than Prague, or Vienna, or any other older Capital in Europe. What could I say at the time? I had not been to Bratislava, so I had to just listen and grin and nod my head to her. Now I can talk about Bratislava, I have seen the town. And my verdict is? Grinning! I like Vienna better, but it could be nicer than Prague, depends on what you like. No matter, we had a wonderful time exploring the rather large, old place. We walked our feet sore. No riding around on the bikes, those were parked securely in the underground garage of the hotel. We took the local bus in and out of town. The bus stop was directly in front of the hotel and it was super easy to use public transport. If there had not been a bus schedule, we would have gone to town by taxi. I find it much easier not to ride in big cities and not to be exposed to foreign travel rules. In addition it is much easier to walk around in regular street clothing than in riding gear. That is why Hotel Brix was perfect for us.

Carol’s rear view mirror came loose. No matter how I tried to secure it, it would not stay tight and fast. I had to rely on the Silicone I carry with my spare parts. This goo did the job, especially since it had 2 days to dry while being parked.

When I stop in a large town, I like to take my time and explore the town slowly. No, I will not see everything the town has to offer, but I get the highlights. We walked for at least 6 hours. I told you, our feet were sore. St. Martin’s Cathedral was one of those highlights. 

Church Regalia From St. Martin's Church

The Crown Room, See St. Stefan's Crown In The Center

This church served as the place for the Kingdom of Hungary’s coronations.  11 Kings and 8 Queens of the Empire were crowned within the walls of this Catholic house of prayer. The most popular Coronation was probably the crowning of the Austrian Empress, Maria Theresa. 




I Know This One.... Lamb Of God

Wood Carving At Each End Of The Pews

Decorated Pews

Bratislava’s location made it a much wanted town to ‘own’. The great Empires around this town found it somehow irresistible to fight to occupy it. Already in the Stone Ages a castle was built to defend the population from the usurpers.

The list is too long to write, so I copied something I found which should give you a clue. The list of conquerors is long.

The Hangman's House

History

After the fall of the Great Moravian Empire Slovakia became part of the Kingdom of Hungary from the 10th century until the end of the First World War when the Treaty of Trianon created Czechoslovakia, a country of which Slovaks are widely proud - for example, some Czechoslovakian representatives, such as Alexander Dubček and Gustáv Husák, were ethnically Slovak.

Between 1939 and 1944, Slovakia was a German-controlled state. Then, it was conquered by the Soviets to recreate a new Czechoslovakia, but one that would be pro-Soviet and Communist this time.

This lasted until the fall of Communist rule in Czechoslovakia, during the Velvet Revolution of 1989. In 1993, peaceful differences between Czechs and Slovaks when rebuilding their nation after the fall of Communism led to the dissolution of Czechoslovakia into two separate and independent nations: the Czech Republic, and of course Slovakia (Slovak Republic). To this day, Slovaks and Czechs have generally friendly relations, and the two nations cooperate together frequently on international issues.

Bratislava was the capital (1536-1784), the coronation city (1563-1830) 

Believed T Be The Crown Of St. Stefan 

and the seat of the diet (1536-1848) of the Kingdom of Hungary for many years. Since 1960, it has been the capital of the federal state of Slovakia within Czechoslovakia and since 1993, it has been the capital of independent Slovakia.

Although today Bratislava's population is mostly Slovak, from the 13th to the early 19th century, the majority ethnic group in the city were the Germans, who remained the largest ethnic group until the First World War (in 1910, 42% were German, 41% Hungarian and 15% Slovak out of a total population of 78,000). Hungarians formed another important group in the city in the 19th century, but after the First World War, many Germans and Hungarians left for Austria and Hungary respectively, and the remaining Germans were expelled at the end of World War II.

Stark, Empty Halls Inside The Castle

None the less, this German marched up to the Castle to explore and see for myself. 




I was not there to conquer anything but my tired, worn out body. Up on top, at the Castle, I learned that German tourists are allowed to come back and spend money. Never mind that they were thrown out a few decades ago. But then, technically, I am no longer German. And truth be told, Carol made me walk up those cobblestone streets, those twisty roads that give a grand view over the ancient city. The original Castle dated from the 9th Century but it was rebuilt after being destroyed by fire in 1881.

A Steep Incline To Get To The Castle Gate

The Castle today has an Austrian Empire feeling. Glitz and pomp and ornate decorations. By the end of the 19th Century, the Castle was used primarily for royal entertainment, rather than as a defense against attacks. The inside is sparse: the interior courtyards are bare, the halls feel a bit empty. Its a touristy place but has a historical value. The view from the top of the Castle is stunning. 

             Barren Courtyards Within The Castle

Carol Liked Her Oxtail Soup                         

We sat and ate Oxtail soup at the Veranda Restaurant. The weather was mild and we fit in perfectly, we were tourists.

                      St. Elizabeth  (Blue Church)

Carol read something about a blue Church. So off we go to find this 'blue' Church. It was another long walk but we found it. It was closed but the outside facade was covered with blue mosaics and the roof with blue glazed tiles.

  Blue Details                                          

Did they mean 'heavenly' blue?

In front of this Church of St. Elizabeth, we talked to a couple from S. Africa who were traveling Europe on bicycles. When I think riding a motorcycle is tough, imagine doing those distances on a bicycle. Amazing! They were having a fine time though; they were not the youngest of folks either. I learned that there are many 'Bicycle Roads Only' criss-crossing all of Europe so traffic is not an issue. One hardly needs to use car roads and every so many km are rest spots, hostels or hotels. What a great way to see a country!

More Blue

Blue, Blue, Blue and Gold

After that we were so pooped, we took a taxi back to the bus stop which happened to be in front of the Presidential Palace. And from there we took the bus back to Hotel Brix.

Presidential Palace 

Best Mail Box Ever

Supper tasted great, we had walked up an appetite. We slept like babies. 





I Told Him! Now He Knows!



Elaborate Graffiti 

Graffiti On A Grand Scale



The Stones Were Slick In The Rain 



Rough Road If I Had To Ride On This 

Missing Utility Covers, Not Good For A Motorcycle



Click On The Picture. It Is The Layout Of The Castle



Bird's Eye View Of Bratislava



Narrow Streets, Cobblestoned

Budweis, Czech Republic

České Budějovice

Budweis yes like the Budweiser beer.

On the map it looks close but it was a much longer ride than I thought riding from Nurnberg to Budweis. The town should be known to all for its Budweiser beer and that is really the only reason we went to Budweis. I wanted to be a snob. I wanted to drink Budweiser beer in Budweis, and I did.

The largest brewery, founded in 1895, is "Pivovar Budějovický Budvar" (Budweiser Budvar Brewery) which has legal rights to market its beer under the "Budweiser" brand name in much of Europe. The same product is also sold elsewhere under the names "Budvar" and "Czechvar" due to legal disagreements with Anheuser-Busch over the Budweiser brand. The American lager was originally brewed as an imitation of the famous Bohemian original, but over time has developed its own identity and attained remarkable commercial success. Anheuser-Busch has made offers to buy out the Czech brewing company in order to secure global rights to the name "Budweiser", but the Czech government has refused all such offers, regarding the Czech Budweiser name as a matter of national pride.

THIS Is The Original, The U.S. Drink Is The Imitation

I do like a beer on a hot day, I have to tell you the Budweiser beer in Budweis tasted great but I am not an expert.

Hotel Zvon

The day seemed long and stressful because we only left Nurnberg at 10 AM. On top of that we had to find a gas station; we did not tank up the night before. Mistake:  always get gasoline before you sleep for the night.

No Room In The Hotel For Us

Another reason we had a scary day, was because Carol lost her tank bag on the Autobahn. It just came loose and flew off. I was in the lead and did not notice, of course. The intercom we have is finicky and did not work just when the incident happened. I looked in the rear mirror and there was no Carol. What to do?  I pulled over to the right and waited a bit, but Carol did not show. The next step for me is to take the next exit and ride back on the opposite side of the Autobahn and keep on looking if I can see something. The mind is strange; it pictures anything from Ambulances to Funeral Possessions at those moments. I saw Carol standing on the side of the road and now had to find the next exit to get to her. It took ages to find my way back. So what happened? The straps came loose!  I felt bad for Carol but what could I have done otherwise, or differently. Those things happen. We strapped the tank bag to her pillion seat instead to her tank and all went well after that. Carol told me she had to run into the lanes of the Autobahn to reclaim her bag. A scary proposition when I think about it, but again, what other choice is there?  A tank bag can hold essential documents, monies and needed ‘stuff’. If you get used riding with a tank bag you can almost not ride without it. Luckily, I never use a tank bag; I keep “stuff” inside my riding jacket. I am sure Carol learned an important lesson.

Then, when we finally arrived in České Budějovice

I Felt Like A Dragon When I Found Out I Booked The Wrong Date

we walked cockily into the big Hotel Zvon and told them we had reservations. We were tired and just wanted to clean up and rest. The day was hot. “Sorry, Sir, we do not have your reservation” said the Receptionist. What!!?  She was right! Somehow I made the reservation for the wrong day and there was no room available in the hotel for the day of our arrival. What to do now?  We found another hotel nearby but the parking was a block away. Parking for a bike, in a foreign country can be a real problem. Not that I feared much in the Czech Republic, but prudence is always good. The parking lot we were given was not ideal, but in hind sight all turned out OK. I just had to pay for an extra hotel. Bummer!  

Loved The Colors On The Buildings

We used Bookings.com to make hotel reservations via the internet. Pick a city to aim for, have the address you want to go to in the GPS and the rest is easy. The problem is, you MUST be very careful making the reservation for the right day…..and that is how I messed up. I learned from this mistake, I am very careful now, double checking if, when I click ‘reserve the room’, all is really correct. 

Nürnberg ( Germany )

Nürnberg

A fountain display of married life is not what I expected when I arrived in, to my mind, the most German town in Germany. Well, after Berlin maybe.  And what the fountain depicts is debauchery and hateful strangulation. What a Marriage! Certainly a strange piece of art, yet people flock to it, take pictures. 

Nurnberg is a comfortable, picturesque town, despite the above first impression of the fountain. We arrived here after leaving Heidelberg on August 20, 2015. My bike has a new battery but otherwise is the same 02 GSA I have stored at Stefan Knopf. Carol is riding her '02 F 650 GS and all is well with the bikes and us. 

We are trying to make it to Istanbul this time. After trying for the last few years, this is our final attempt to reach Turkey. Health issues made us abandon the two previous trips. 

But I don’t want to jump the gun; we are starting off our trip to Asia in Nurnberg.

This city is the birthplace of Albrecht Dürer, 

He was maybe the most famous artist of the German Middle Ages. The “praying hands” is maybe the best known picture that comes to mind. Melencolia is the etching with the mysterious magic square. Durer certainly was an interesting man. Does Nurnberg breed some weirdness into its population? Is the city mysterious itself? To me Nurnberg always had an image of a very typical German place, filled with stately Burgers, yet I have never understood this town. That’s why I had to visit, at least once. Somehow I had a memory of Nurnberg being scary, too Germanic.

Another man that is a mystery to me in Nurnberg is Hans Sachs  He is the main figure in Wagner’s Opera ‘Die Meistersinger’. He was an actual person, not just a made up figure for the sake of an Opera. There really was a man called Hans Sachs who lived in Nurnberg. And he was a Meistersinger, certified by a Guild.

What I could never understand was that a poet, a singer, could be a member of a Guild.  I found it counterproductive to belong to a group of people who were competing artists. Was there no individualism? Was there no free artistic license? The whole guild system was prevalent in Europe in the Middle Ages and knowing this makes me understand now why Durer painted his subjects as he did. 

The Catholic Religion was a monopoly at the time. Roman Catholicism was the only religion anyone was allowed to practice. Until 1517 that is, when Martin Luther started his protest and all was in upheaval. No wonder they called Luther’s new religion Protestantism. 

To me Nurnberg is that time just before and after the Reformation. People in the guild had to bow to their customers, and in the art section that meant Bishops, Cardinals, and the Catholic Church. So it is no wonder Durer painted altars and holy men and Hans Sachs composed songs that were allowed by the Church.

That Hitler had his best parades and propaganda rallies in Nurnberg, that the Allies later had the Nazi trials in Nurnberg, etc. is an indication that this is a Nerve Center of the German people.

I was interested in the time just before and just after 1400 and the most famous people of this time were the two people mentioned above. Not that I wanted to go deeply into the details of Sachs and Durer, but I did want to see Nurnberg. I am glad I stopped over, took a look, got some inkling of what might have been, snooped around.

Christmas would be a great time to go and visit more, I found out Nurnberg has a special Christmas market; they eat special sausages, cookies and celebrate with great beer. I told you, it’s a very, very German town. One day I might spend more than a few days in Nurnberg. Carol and I just took it as our first stop to get used to riding in Europe again.

We are not shoppers and Carol likes history by the teaspoon full, while I use sometimes a shovel to dig up historical facts. I try not to dwell too much on the details of years past. On the other hand, that is what Europe is, a pile of history; people of every tribe trying to find mutual ways to make money and live together. 

Nurnberg is part of Bavaria and has therefore a bit of the Bavarian outlook on life. Hard working folks but also hard partying.

After visiting Nurnberg I am still not certain I can understand in my heart how they could be so supportive of Hitler, be so German during WW ll.