Located in one of Slovakia's oldest cities is the Museum of the Slovak National Uprising (SNP Museum). It is a striking building surrounding by a park and immediately draws you in to its simplistic architectural form. The museum was built in 1965 and features exhibits on the history of Slovakia from 1938 - 1945 with an emphasis on the uprising in 1944 against the Nazis and the resulting extrication of the Slovak Jews. Today there are only about 900 Jews in Slovakia.
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| SNP Museum |
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The main sculpture with the eternal flame stands in the middle between the two concrete sides of the museum equalizing each with its massive size and demanding presence. On the wall to the right is a memorial to victims of the Holocaust. |
Both sections of the museum are laid out very nicely and easy to follow through three floors of documentation, military artifacts and videos. There are plaques in English and easy to read. The history is extensive and you can easily spend hours in the museum. I was there only about 1 1/2 hours.
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| One of the many sculptures in the museum |
In the back of the museum there is an outside display of airplanes and machinery used in the war. I thought it was interesting these pieces were very accessible and yet no one has defaced them.
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| Li-2 Aircraft |
Banska Bystrica
Banska Bystrica is a historical city in Central Europe with the main sites in the pedestrianized market square. As in the rest of Slovakia there are religious monuments and churches next to secularized buildings with most of the city being built in the 12 century. It was a beautiful day so I sat outside for lunch and enjoyed people watching.
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| Clock Tower built in 1552 used as a look out and prison |
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| Pub door detail |
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| Church of Our Lady |
Banska Bystrica is one of the most interesting places in Slovakia. I've seen also the museum of SNP. Interesting architecture.
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