End of August 2021, I am on the road again, to Berlin via Slovakia and Poland. My route: Munich, in Slovakia: Bratislava – Trnava – Nitra – Zilina – Dolny Kubin, then in Poland: Wilkowisko – Cracow – Szlarska Poreba – Wroclaw, and finally Berlin. 

This blog is about Trnava.

I leave Bratislava on Sunday morning. On the motorway, it takes me about 45 minutes to Trnava.

I am interested in this small city of about 70’000 inhabitants, because for centuries it was the Christian centre of the Hungarian kingdom, from 1541 to 1820; actually the Turks had occupied most of Hungary and what was left of Hungary at that time was about the area of Slovakia.

Furthermore Trnava has a nice pedestrian area and the city wall has been well preserved. 

I park my car near St. James church (belonging to the Franciscan monastery). It is Sunday and parking is free.

The loudspeaker transmits the service to the street; some guests listen to it outside the church. 

The Trinity Square is the focal point of Trnava city centre. It is dominated by the Renaissance town hall belfry from 1574. 

The Trinity church that gives it name to the square, is in the street nearby. It is a baroque church from 1729.

In addition, the elegant theatre built in 1831 borders the Trinity Square. It is the oldest theatre in Slovakia.

Numerous restaurants invite to sit down and enjoy the warm Sunday morning. The concrete block belongs to a shopping mall, not really my taste.

Pretty two storey houses and some palaces line the pedestrian streets. Here I am looking back at the Trinity Square and St. James church.

Turning 180 degrees, I can see Saint Nicolas church, the main church of Trnava, between the carefully restored palaces. 

Also here, the service is transmitted outside.

Once the service has finished, I enter Saint Nicolas church with its gothic appearance.

Saint Nicolas church was built in 1440 and served as the cathedral of the Hungarian archbishopric of Esztergom.

Behind Saint Nicolas church, the city wall has been restored with care and the park invites to sit down in the sun.

Amidst the beautifully restored houses, some are sorely decaying.

Not far from here I find Baroque Saint John’s Basilika, the church of the university of Trnava, built in the 17th century. 

There is a Jewish centre with the Synagogue and a coffee place.

Trnava is a welcoming small city that I enjoyed to discover.

To round off my walk in Trnava, I have lunch in the restaurant right across Saint Nicolas church – salad with chicken – and then continue my way to Nitra. 

Sources:

• André Micklitza, ” Slowakei”, Michael Müller Verlag 2019
• Frieder Monzer, “Slowakei”, Trescher Verlag 2018