Floundering through the concrete jungle

Being so close to the Austrian border, Petržalka is probably the least known as a place to escape to. This is the part of Bratislava divided from the rest of the city by the Danube river.

We chose it as the background to proclaim our recent cooperation with the American running apparel brand — Tracksmith. But this location is so characteristic that we decided to dwell on it a bit more.

Concrete jungle

Just like mushrooms after the rain, the Petržalka’s architecture grew rapidly within 3 decades. It is now the most populated area not only in Bratislava but in the whole Central Europe.

The land is crowded with hundreds of tall panel boxes (Slovaks call them “panelaky”) — a hallmark of socialism. There were so many of those, it became known as a “concrete jungle”.

The air here is laced with the spirit of socialism. It follows you all the way from the heart of the “jungle” to the Danube coast. The feeling is so dense, you even start enjoying its atmosphere.

In 90’s, it got its image of the criminal city, mainly connected to the drug business.

But those were old times.

Petržalka today

Having a blessing in disguise, the place has revived. As the infrastructure grew, the criminality dropped, the buildings now acquire bright colors and the new architectural projects arise.

Petržalka for cycling & running

Hardly anyone can imagine Petržalka as a place to sort out thoughts and get a daily portion of endorphins. And yet, it is a good place for winter city escapes — short bursts of activity in the challenging conditions.

Started from the heart of Petržalka, we went along the coast of Danube — a blank area meant for Bratislava subway which wasn’t implemented.

There was surprisingly rich vegetation: grass, bushes, forest, even marshes and almost no concrete, so on your way you’ll meet all kinds of surfaces.

Winter city rides are short and joyful. Your full attention is on the road, controlling the bars and trying not to fall maneuvering around the paddles. You get exhausted and happy. That’s the beauty of these escapes: 20 - 40 minutes and you’ve restarted your brain and ready to take up anything the day will bring you.