Bike Trip: Petrzalka - Wolfsthal

After we woke up to beautiful sunny day we decided to go on a bike trip with my girlfriend. After we had thoroughly learned about different bike trails we chosethe Bratislava Tour trail. This trail starts in Petrzalka and goes through the towns and villages of Wolfstahal, Hainburg, Stopfenreuth, Engelhartstetten, Schloss Hof to Devinska Nova Ves (a district of Bratislava), Devina, Karlova Ves, Old Town and back to Petrzalka. We packed our things, tools in case we break our bikes included, enough liquids, some energy bar and, indeed, helmets which are not obligatory in Austria, however, they make you safer. And so we departed!

A way to borders
At first the road was clumsy for there are not enough bike trails in Petrzalka. Fortunately, soon we got on the-so called Peterzalka promenade designed for walkers as well as bikers. The promenade leads from the SNP bridge to the Petrzalka train station and the ride was fantastic. The project created a new European bike trail connecting Bratislava with other border towns. Near the district of Kopcany there was a long, wide and greatly marked two-way bike trail . We were riding on it until border area. Right after we got there we were greeted by usual boards saying “Slovakia in the European Union”, "Bratislava", "Petrzalka" and also Petrzalka bunkers , which are the remains of former defense line of the Czechoslovak Republic.

A pleasant surprise was a new rest area at a road tripoint. We stopped there for a while to decide our further direction. The road continuing straight forward went to Kittsee, an Austrian town popular among the people of Bratislava for affordable prices; the road going right led to the border crossing of Berg and the road on which we arrived went back to Petrzalka. For our goal was to reach Hainburg we went right to border crossing. The route went on an asphalt road through fields and a forest, which we appreciated for the weather was very hot. A sign in the middle of our journey directed us on a newly renovated BS-8 bunker that is a military museum today. Near the museum there is also a renovated military cemetery dating in the Great War, and a exhibition of infamous border fence that separated us from the West in the time of socialism. We recommend you to visit the place very much.

Crossing to Austria
After a short break, we continued on to the Berg border crossing. There you have to beware not particularly well chosen crossing across a two-lane road. However, after this you find yourself in Austria where you would be greeted with meadows and woody hills. The bike trail also serves as a flood dike . During recent floods we have seen with our own eyes that there is a very good reason for this. Field on the right side of the dike were demolished by water and even a month later after the floods there is still water in a giant “lake”; it seems that birds swimming there were the most happy about it. If you think our ride on a dike was boring, you are wrong. We had an opportunity to see different things at any moment. Once it was a panorama of the Slovak capital, then it was a busy roundabout, or fields covered with blossoming flowers.

A break in a picturesque town
Forty five minutes later we arrived at first Austrian town, Wolfsthal. Until the year 1996, it had formed one town together with neighboring Berg. Wolfsthal has splendid connection to Bratislava thanks to its direct bus line and also a train station. This very station is also the terminal of a one-rail electrified transport to the Austrian capital of Vienna. In Wolfsthal, there is a church, which is considered a pilgrim place; there are also schools where children learn even in Slovak, a war memorial , renovated Marian columns and indeed many beautiful family houses surrounded with small parks and gardens. This colorful village charmed us and refreshed us on our way to other places we will tell you about next week.

Text and photo: Oskár Mažgút