Trencin Castle. April 2019
On my mostly rain-cursed stay in Vienna, I did have a few sunny days. I made the most of them by taking day trips around. Because my ex-colleague from Japan years, BHS, had recently done a series of workshops in Slovakia and her travel photos were amazing, I decided I had to explore that country beyond Bratislava.
The train line from Vienna to Bratislava was still not electrified the whole way. A gap in the overhead wires blocks modern trains from running between the last suburb of Vienna and the mainline tracks that connect Bratislava and Prague. Why this detail? Generally in Europe, the old non-electrified lines are serviced by run-down rolling stock that no one particularly wants to invest in because EVENTUALLY the line will be all electric (or shut down). The normally very nice and very expensive OBB (state railway) trains in Austria serving this route used tired, run-down trains that had seen better days. The suburbs of Vienna nearly reach to the Slovak border.
In just over an hour, I crossed the Morava River into Slovakia and arrived in Bratislava Station again after a gap of about 35 years. It had not changed at all! At least I could buy my onward passage to Trencin in Euros this time. I got my ticket and waited. The Slovak train, when it arrived late, looked worse than its Austrian counterpart and it was packed! In a small bonus, the train had free WiFi. I picked a seat and got ready for my hour's ride to Trencin.
The station was a little removed from town and I had to walk right under the castle rock and the old, formerly grand Tatra Hotel built into it to reach the old city with its typically lovely square dominated by the castle. There was a local fair going on with lots of cultural events that was both charming and folksy like a summer firehall barbeque would be in the USA. The whole town had turned out with their kids. I walked around the festival and adjoining area, but there wasn't that much to see - a big old church, a defunct synagogue, and the square itself. I took a cheap but delicious lunch at a local brewpub in a lovingly renovated building in order to have the energy to climb up the castle rock.
A long, covered walkway led to an old gate. I paid a few euros to enter and started by exploring the castle grounds. The views over the spring fields of golden flax were like a painting. I entered the castle to find it mostly now a large exhibition space. On display was a fascinating collection of sculpture using wire and metal. It was whimsical and beautiful and certainly not in line with what one expects to see inside a "castle".
The Trencin Castle site dates back to Roman times and was one of their northernmost posts. The castle of today was started in the 11th Century by a Polish king but was later taken over by the Hungarians who ruled it for nearly 900 years! The castle saw action from the many invaders crossing Europe including the Mongols. Unfortunately, in the early 1700s a fire burnt down most of Trencin including the castle and it never really recovered. Today is just a restored version, a ghost of its former self (which explains why it was mostly exhibition space).
My visit to Trencin was not fantastic as in "everyone should visit", but it did give me a taste of Slovakia outside the capital and I liked it. The people were friendly, the food was good, and the scenery bucolic. I definitely would add it to my list of places to explore on a future trip - and I did!
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