Introduction to the iron curtain

The day was already heating up as we prepared to leave a little before 9am, and we were soon in open countryside, passing oil pumps interspersed amongst the wind turbines.  We made a brief stop in the town of Oberweiden which had some interesting sculptures made from twigs.  The cycle path continued along the March River which was barely visible through the trees before reaching the town of Marchegg, also known as Stork Town.  

We found a lovely shady spot near the grounds of Marchegg Castle, which was originally established as city fortress against Hungary. The once protective moat was no longer visible and the castle was used for many years by the Palffys family as a hunting lodge and summer residence.  Now owned by the town, the castle has been renovated and interesting sculptures lined the fence around the entrance.  The former hunting grounds have been turned into a nature reserve where white stork colonies can be found. Leaving town we came across a procession of tractors, adorned with flags, driving slowly down the road.

We passed Schloss Hof before crossing the Cycle Bridge of Freedom over the March River, known as the Morava River in Slovakia, taking us from Austria into Slovakia.  The bridge was built on the site of a barbed-wire fence, the crossing of which was punishable by death.  

The cycle path towards Devin Castle was extremely rutted and muddy – it was fortunate that it hadn’t rained for a while otherwise it may have been impassable.  It turned out that there was an alternative road route, which we discovered when a runner that we had passed beat us to the other end.  

At the confluence of the Morava and Danube Rivers, we passed the Iron Curtain memorial, a rust-coloured, iron construction which was filled with plaques with texts. This included the March 1946 quote from Winston Churchill who stated “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Atlantic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent”  Unveiled in 2008 by Queen Elizabeth II, the monument commemorates the tragic history of the location where the Iron Curtain stood for forty years, an imaginary line that divided Europe. 

The nearby Gate of Freedom is dedicated to the more than 400 people who died trying to cross the Iron Curtain and escape from Czechoslovakia between 1948 and 1989.  Their names are inscribed on the memorial which is made of white stone, riddled with artificial bullet holes. Its iron bars are broken as a symbol of the final victory of freedom.

We spent some time exploring Hrad Devin which dated back to prehistoric times with traces evident of Celts, Romans and Slavs. Built on top of a high crag, Devin Castle was one of the three main settlements of Great Moravia, with a fortress and church first built in the 9th century. The archaeological finds of the castle were on display in caves within the castle cliff. 

The Iron Curtain was drawn below the Castle and lined with barbed wire and there was an exhibition outlining its history which we found moving and insightful.  

We had our picnic lunch at an empty table outside a closed café and treated ourselves to an icecream before continuing our journey to Bratislava.  Fortunately most of the way had a dedicated cycle path to separate us from the busy traffic but it was a relief to rejoin the Danube River.  A little further on we passed the Lion 4 sculpture by Korean sculptor,  Ji Yong Ho, made from recycled tyres. In the distance we could see the famous landmark bridge, the UFO, with its observation deck offering views across the city.  

Our location was in the old town, near St Michael’s gate.  We had to obtain the entrance fob from a nearby convenience store, giving us the opportunity to stock up on some cold drinks.  Once in the apartment, we all agreed it was too hot to venture out again and we enjoyed a quiet couple of hours before heading out to dinner.

G had selected the Slovak Pub as a good place to try some local specialties. It was only a short walk and conveniently close to a supermarket.    The Pub is one of the oldest and largest in Bratislava, though definitely not one of the friendliest.  We found ourselves a table and ordered its famous garlic soup which was served in a cob of bread, together with cheese dumplings with bacon, cheese pies (pierogi dumplings), goulash served with homemade bun dumpling and cordon Bleu chicken with potatoes.  It was hearty and filling, giving us the energy to do our grocery shopping on the way home.

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