You can´t say that you´ve been to Bratislava if you haven´t found yourself looking at these weird, or rather unique statues. I actually prefer photographing nature and architecture but cool and unique public arts are rather interesting. Sometimes it´s okay to go with the flow and wonder as well why people are flocking into it. So during my last visit to Bratislava, I find myself wondering as well about these quirky statues. Besides, it´s actually fun seeing people raving about it and my own child inside of me wanting to see them as well.

First is Čumil, the man at work. It´s name means “The Watcher“. He is probably watching the old town. I love taking photos of manholes and some art found on the ground, but this one is quite unique. He looks like a worker who is getting out from the manhole, trying his way to get back to the ground.This watcher is found in the corner streets of Laurinská and Panská in the old town of Bratislava.

Along the promenade which leads to the old town, few steps after Hans Christian Andersen statue stands this unique fountain with a statue of a lady with a deer beside her.I dunno much about it´s meaning but then it caught our attention.I love the fact that there are many fountains in Bratislava and interesting statues around it.

This happy and smiling man is called “Schone Naci“. It´s a statue which is silver (the rest is bronze). He is also the only statue of a real existing person. His original name was Ignac Lamar and he lived in Pressburg (former name of Bratislava) at the turn of the 19th and 20th century.He greets people on the Sedlárska Street.

Oh this one is quite famous. I waited to be in line just to have a good snap of this army. I am really laughing why people flocked at him and sit beside him and even rub his hat! Napoleon and his army were in Bratislava in 1805. Stories say that this soldier is supposed to have been going through Bratislava when he fell in love with a local girl, stayed in the city and became a producer of sparkling wine. His name was Hubert – which is also the name of Slovakia’s most popular sparkling wine’s brand :

He is a mind behind the stories of “Ugly Duckling”, “Little Mermaid ” and the “Snow Queen” and surprisingly, He is a famous one in Bratislava.If you look closely, his statue is filled with the characters in his novels like the Snail and the Rise tree,the Wild Swans and the Nightingale.

Another interesting statue that I´ve seen is the Pamätaj. Pamätaj a Holocaust Memorial is located in Bratislava’s Old Town, where the former Neolog Synagogue used to be. The Slovak word Pamätaj, means remember and this monument was erected to commemorate the 105,000 Holocaust victims from Slovakia.I saw this beside the banks of the Danube, with the glimpse of the Braislava castle and many shops in the vicinity. Among the noisy and busy street stand this rather bizaare and sad sculpture. At first I really don´t understand it.It looks more like burned debris, or wrecked materials–a relics froma terrible disaster.

The Holocaust Memorial was envisaged as a place of public remembrance, where two layers of history intertwine: the memory of the Holocaust itself and the memory of the former Neolog synagogue, a long-time local landmark still remembered by many Bratislava residents. The memorial consists of a black wall etched with the silhouette of the destroyed synagogue, and an abstract central sculpture topped by a Star of David and placed on a black granite platform inscribed with the words “Zachor” “Remember” in Hebrew] and “Pamätaj” “Remember” in Slovak.

 Mr. Hviezdoslav (after whom the square bears its name), has his privileged place in the middle of the square.A prominent figure in the history of Slovakia.

What´s the most unique Statue you´ve seen?

Until then, Tschüss!