Don Feidner

Last Update:   17 April 2013

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5 - Vienna to Budapest

0327 S7302399 Wien-Bratislava

The road leaving Vienna was straight and flat and we rode for an hour before finding a place where we could rest with a cup of cappucino.

0337 P1110602 Haslau Fähre

The Danube was low, so instead of going straight across to the ferry landing, we debarked on a stone beach and the ferry left with another boatload of cyclists and foot passengers.

0339 P1110604 Haslau Fähre
0347 P1110607 Scharndorf - Petronell-Carnuntum
0362 S7302415 Museum und Franz-Josef 1 - Petronell-Carnuntum

Franz-Josef 1 and Museum in Petronell-Carnuntum

0364 S7302416 Wegweiser in P. Carnuntum nach Bratislava

We were both excited when we saw the sign to Bratislava, because neither of us had ever been to Slovakia before.

The Slovak Republic (or Slovakia) is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about 49,000 square kilometres (19,000 sq mi). Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, the Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The largest city is the capital, Bratislava. It is a member state of the European Union, NATO, United Nations, OECD and WTO among others. The official language is Slovak, a member of the Slavic language family. The present-day Slovakia became an independent state on 1 January 1993 after the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia.
 
Slovakia is a high-income advanced economy with one of the fastest growth rates in the European Union and the OECD. Slovakia together with Slovenia and Estonia are the only former Communist nations to be part of the European Union, Eurozone, Schengen Area and NATO simultaneously.

0373 S7302421 Pressburg Bratislava
0377 P1110635 Bratislava Slovenia
0381 S7302425 Bratislava

These pretty young girls were selling tours to the castle. With all the fans, they were waving their Slovakian flags.

0384 P1110636 Man at Work Bratislava Slovenia
0387 P1110641 Bratislava Slovenia
0391 P1110646 Bratislava Slovenia

Relaxing on a Sunday Afternoon

0396 P1110651 Bratislava Slovenia
0399 P1110654 Bratislava Slovenia
0401 P1110656 Bratislava Slovenia
0408 P1110637 Bratislava Slovenia

From the bridge one could see another bridge in the distance, (right) also designed with a bicycle lane. Below, the bicycle path continued and most of the way to the Hungarian border, it was asphalt and wide enough for 4 bicycles abreast.

0411 S7302434 Radweg aus Bratislava
0415 P1110662 Rudi Hungary Border (Magyarország)

Not long after we left Bratislava, we were on the Hungarian Border.

0418 S7302438 Ungarn

The First Hungarian Village

0422 P1110667 Espi Palace Hungary

Espi Palace

0424 S7302440 Ungarn Pumpe

Old Pump

0427 P1110669 Lipót, Magyarország

Church in Lipót

0432 S7302445 Györ Camping

4 Star Camping in Györ Hungary TV, Kitchen, Lounge Chairs

0437 P1110674 Györ Hungary

City Center, Györ, Hungary

0438 S7302448 Györ
0446 P1110680 Györ Hungary
0443 P1110677 Györ Hungary

City Center, Györ, Hungary

0449a P1000465 Györ Ungarn
0449c P1000467 Györ Ungarn
0454 S7302454 Györ-Komarom Restaurant vor Schotterweg

My First Hungarian Gulasch in Hungary --
Nagyszentjanos -- ...and the lady who brought it to me!

0458 P1110689 Swan  Györ-Komarom
0462 S7302457 Komarom

This leg of the journey was relatively flat, but the bicycle trail left the Danube River frequently. Still, it was well marked and the food at the restaurants along this section of the trail was delicious and inexpensive. We rarely cooked anything anymore. 

Diese Etappe der Reise war relativ flach, aber der Radweg hat die Donau mehrmals verlassen. Der Weg war aber sehr gut markiert und das Essen im Restaurant war lecker und günstig. Wir haben dann selten irgendwas gekocht.

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0330 S7302402 Wien-Bratislava Fähre

Bratislava, the Slovakian capital, is only a day’s ride away, but we decided to take the ferry at Haslau and stop on the way at Petronell-Carnuntum.

0338 P1110603 Haslau Fähre
0342 P1110606 Scharndorf

Impressive Church in Sharndorf

0349 P1110609 Heidentor  Petronell-Carnuntum

The Heathen’s Gate (Heidentor) in Petronell-Carnuntum, Austria, was constructed in the mid-14th Century.

0350 P1110611Heidentor  Petronell-Carnuntum
0363 P1110621 Römermuseum in Petronell-Carnuntum
0368 S7302417 Slowakisches Grenze

Crossing the border to Slovakia used to take several hours and required pre-ordered visas. Today, cars, bicycles and pedestrians cross with no guards at the border.

0375 P1110630 Pressburg Bratislava Slovenia

Once known as Pressburg, Bratislava was the host for the world championships in ice hockey when we visited the city. The streets were filled with fans when Finland demolished Sweden 6-1 in the final game.

0378 S7302422 Bratislava
0383 S7302427 Bratislava

The man in the working clothes drew a large crowd while mimicking the bronze artwork on the pavement to his right.

0385 S7302428 Don mit GPS

Every once in a while, I would consult my GPS to check the route or to look for nearby Geocaches.

0390 P1110645 Bratislava Slovenia
0392 P1110647 Bratislava Slovenia

Left and Below: Bratislava City Architecture

0400 P1110655 Bratislava Slovenia
0410 P1110640 Bratislava Slovenia

This modern bridge was outfitted with the most elaborate bicycle lane I have ever seen.

0405 S7302431 Bratislava Brücke
0398 P1110653 Bratislava Slovenia
0412 S7302435 Radweg aus Bratislava
0416 S7302437 S v Cunovo Slovakei 1. Ort in Ungarn

The ice cream caught our attention, but we ate a pizza.

0419 P1110664 Dunakiliti Hungary
0423 P1110668 Dunasziget Hungary

Dunasziget

0425 S7302441 Ungarn Schotterweg

The Worst Possible Cycling Trail - After 5 kilometers on this deep gravel, I wanted to throw in the towel!

0428 S7302443 Bratislava-Györ

Castle in Hédervár, Hungary

0433 S7302446 Györ

City Center, Györ, Hungary

0440 S7302450 Györ
0447 P1110681 Györ Hungary Boy
0441 P1110675 Györ Hungary
0448 S7302451 Györ
0449b P1000466 Györ Ungarn
0451 P1110684 Stork Györ-Komarom
0452 P1110685 Church Györ-Komarom
0457 P1110688 Swan  Györ-Komarom
0459 P1110690 Bumpy Trail  Györ-Komarom

This trail on the way to Ács was the worst on our trip!

0463 P1000464 Komarom bei Nacht

Komarom at Night

Komarom - Hungarian City across the Danube from Komarno

0465 P1000460 Komarom

Slovakia Left - Hungary Right

0470 S7302459 Komarno SL

Komarno, Slovakia

0472 S7302460 Komarno SL
0475 P1110696 Komarno Slovenia
0477 S7302463 Kelemantia Roman Fort Slovenia
0482 P1000469 Komarno-Estergom
0491 P1110705 Môca

Graveyard in Moca, Slovakia

0495 P1110709 Cenkov Slovenia

Cool Bike Trail in Cenko, Slovakia

0508 P1110714 Bridge in Stúrovo, Slovenia

The Bridge at Sturovo Crosses the Danube into Hungary

0512 P1110715 Estergom, Hungary
0513 P1110716 Estergom, Hungary

Estergom, Hungary

0515 P1110718 Estergom, Hungary
0521 P1110729 Estergom, Hungary

View to the Danube from the Basilica at Night

Roman influence in this region was great as is shown in the few photographs in Visegrad to the right and below.

0536 P1110745 Visegrad Hungary Citadell (Fellegvár) and Royal Palace
0538 P1110747 Visegrad Hungary Citadell (Fellegvár) and Royal Palace
0547 S7302480 Szentgyörgypuzsta Fähre

A ferry takes passengers across an arm of the Danube to Szentgyörgypuzsta, a town on a 20-km long island in the middle of the river. 

0550 P1110751 Visegrad Horse Inn

On the island, we found a place of total tranquility...

0561 P1110761 Szentendrei Duna

...until we arrived in Szentendrei Duna, a town that reminded me of those along the French Riviera -- a meeting place for everyone.

0554 S7302483 Szentendre Riviera vor Budapest
0564 P1110764 Szentendrei Duna
0469 P1110694 Slovenian Border Komarno

Border to Slovakian Republic

0474 P1110697 Komarno Slovenia

Slavic Architecture in Komarno, Slovakia

Below, Bumpy Bike Trail

0476 S7302462 Komarno-Esztergom

Kelemantia, Slovakia

On the territory of present day Slovakia lays only a very short section of the Roman Danube frontier with two forts and several temporary camps of different size and age. One of the characteristic features of the frontier section is there is a very densely populated area beyond the river Danube. The inhabitants of the settlements, German tribes, were in constant and rather close contact and interaction with the population of the province of Upper Pannonia.

The first occupation of the territory happened under the reign of Augustus and his successor Tiberius, who brought a Roman army into the region of Carnuntum and Bratislava. The attack was focussed on the kingdom of Marbod in Bohemia. One of the first military installations on the Middle Danube area, a small fortified tower/fortlet maybe, could be identified on the steep hill of Devin, on the confluence of the March with the Danube. But it was not before the 40ies of the 1st century that a permament garrison built a fortress and was stationed in Carnuntum, a legionary fortress close to the Slovakian border.

To secure the Middle Danube area the Romans established a client kingdom with the Quadi, a German tribe, at a first stage. Only few forts on the territory of the province Pannonia were built in earlier Flavian times such as Arrabona und Brigetio (both in modern Hungary). The first fort in Rusovce/Gerulata was built together with other military installations along the Middle Danube area at the end of the 1st century. Till the end of the 4th century this fort was rebuilt several times to the stage which is still visible close to the church in the village of Rusovce.

The second fort in Kelemantia/Iza lay on the left side of the river Danube and was established as a bridgehead opposite the legionary fortress of Brigetio (H), during the Marcomannic wars (176/180). This first construction was burnt down by the Marcomannic tribes in 179. After the war a stone fort was built, which lasted into the Late Antiquity. The last building phase can be dated according to other renovation work along the Middle Danube area in the reign of the emperor Valentinian I (364–375).

0485 P1110701 Erected for 400th Anniversary of Peace of Zitava

These bells commemorate the 400th anniversary of the peace agreement of Zitava. The peace agreement between Rudolf 1, the German Emperor and Hungarian King and Ahmed 1, the Turkish Sultan was signed in 1606, mediated by Istban Bocskay. -- Rudolf 2 is standing here next to the bells getting ready to ring them.

0493 P1110707 Môca
0497 S7302466 Sturovo

Coca Cola on a Hot Day to Hit the Spot in Sturovo, Slovakia Note the Bottle and Glass from 1965

0502 P1000473 Estergom Basilica

Basilica in Estergom -- The Largest Church in Hungary

0528 P1110736 Basilica  Estergom, Hungary
0519 P1110727 Estergom, Hungary

This gives you an idea how large the church is -- one column is five times as wide as I am - Impressive!!!

0529 P1110737 Basilica  Estergom, Hungary
0532 P1110740 Visegrad Roman Sign
0537 P1110746 Visegrad Hungary Citadell (Fellegvár) and Royal Palace
0539 P1110748 Visegrad Hungary Citadell (Fellegvár) and Royal Palace
0548 S7302481 Kisoroszi Insel
0552 P1110753 Insel Szentendrei Sziget
0557 P1110755 Lovers Szentendrei Duna
0563 P1110763 Szentendrei Duna
0566 P1110766 Szentendrei Duna
0567 P1110767 Szentendrei Duna
0573 P1110776 Ski Budapest North
0569 P1110770 Szentendrei Duna
0568 P1110768 Szentendrei Duna2

And suddenly...

after a very long and interesting ride ...

we were in Budapest --

in my opinion, the most beautiful city in the world!

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