Much has changed in new Slovakia

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — For most Americans, Slovakia and its capital city, Bratislava, are still seen as secondary stops on the express train between Prague and Budapest or other better-known Eastern European destinations.

But Bratislava is charming, vibrant and will especially appeal to tourists who enjoy mixing with the locals — rather than bumping into other visitors at every step as in other European hotspots.

The city is also awash in new construction and new wealth, the spoils of Slovakia's recent entry into the European Union. Yet the mostly mountainous countryside beyond the city remains as undiscovered as ever.

I had heard about all the changes in Slovakia, still one of Europe's newest countries, and I couldn't wait to see all of it. I had lived here for five years in the 1990s, beginning in 1993, the year that Czechoslovakia dissolved into two independent countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

I lived my first year in the country with a local family, the Repasskys, in east Slovakia, a region of cultural treasures and breathtaking scenery. They had introduced me to their land and patiently taught me the language. I later founded — with three other journalists — an English-language newspaper called The Slovak Spectator. Now I was returning for the newspaper's 10th anniversary.

I also intended to see the Repasskys again — although I felt awkward about it. When I left the country in 1998, I had married a Slovak. But the marriage didn't last and I fell out of touch with the Repasskys. Now I felt like the prodigal son seeking a second chance as I called Mrs. Repasska and sheepishly said I'd like to visit — if she'd have me.

"Dear child," she said, "of course, we want you to visit. You are our son."

But my trip to the Repasskys' home was a few days away, so I had ample time to again explore Bratislava, the hub of the country's progress.

Prosperity oozes in many places here — in the fashionable dress of young people, plentiful goods in shiny new boutiques, and historic buildings bathed in bright, playful pastels.

The Old Town district is the city's jewel, with cobblestone squares, narrow, labyrinthine streets and a castle offering sweeping views of the city and the Danube River.