Artmedia Petrzalka football guide

• Who are yer? Artmedia Petrzalka
• Where do you come from? Stadion Petrzalka
  
• We're on our way: Getting to the ground
• Bag a seat: Buying a ticket

IMPORTANT NOTE: In 2009-10 Artmedia have been playing their home games at Stadion Pasiensky across the city, home of Inter Bratislava. But i'll keep the review below just in case they head back to their spiritual home, it's a great ground full of character.

Who are yer? Artmedia Petrzalka

Check out the recent football tables of the Slovakian league - as you do on a regular basis, I'm sure - and you'll note this club changes its name more than than some people change their underwear.

It has an identity crisis, not quite knowing whether to name itself after the capital city of Bratislava or the district it's based in, Petrzalka.

It was Artmedia Bratislava when it had its finest hours in the autumn of 2005.  A run through Europe saw the side famously beat Celtic - 5-0 at home - and romp through qualifiers to make the group stages of the European Champions League. There it pulled off two draws against Rangers and beat Porto in Portugal, only to narrowly miss out on the next stage.

It has been the historical highlight for Artmedia, which has long lived in the shadows of Bratislava rivals Inter and Slovan. The success continues, however, as the side lifted the domestic title with ease in May 2008.


Where do you come from? Stadion Petrzalka

Artmedia Petrzalka is based in Petrzalka, in the district of Bratislava south of the Danube where the club is based.

Petrzalka is a pretty infamous place, with scores of tower blocks dominating the skyline of one of the most deprived areas of the country.

However, before that puts you off, the ground of Artmedia - Štadión Petržalka - is actually based on the edge of Janka Krala Park close to the river.

Think Craven Cottage, home of Fulham, and you have some idea of the location. It's one of the most chilled and quietest parts of the city and on non-match days looks an unlikely place for a football fixture.

The exterior of the ground is no great shakes. A modest clubhouse lines the road and the turnstiles wouldn't look out of place at a non-league game - in the 1920s.

However, the compact ground is quite smart. Apart from the old clubhouse side, the other three sides are all seater and covered and the green seats sit well with the park surroundings.

It is small - with a capacity of around 9,500 it is the smallest of the main three teams in Bratislava and European games are frequently held elsewhere, usually at Slovan's ground.  However, the stands are tight on the pitch and are sure to generate a good atmosphere.


We're on our way: Getting to the ground

Stadion Petrzalka is in walking distance from Bratislava old town - a long walk, admittedly, so easy on the lunchtime soup, but give yourself half an hour and it's probably as good a way as getting to the ground as any.

From the old town, head down towards the river and to the Novy Most bridge (that's the big one with the UFO tower at the top).

Cross over the bridge. You could take the opportunity to head on up the tower and check out the view - I'd spare around half an hour if you want to give that a go. Once on the south side of the river bear left. You can then follow the road that runs close to the riverside - this road leads to the ground. Alternatively you can head into the park and walk parallel to the river until you reach the stadium.

Check out this map showing the river area of Bratislava - the ground is towards the bottom right.



View Larger Map

You can also cross the other main bridge over the Danube, Stary Most on the right hand side of the map, to get to the ground.

That is the bridge you will cross if you head there via public transport. if you're coming directly from the main train station, get on Tram 13 and take this all the way to  Šafárikovo nám. This tram takes you on a loop and you head briefly close to the Danube before dipping slightly inland before reaching the Šafárikovo nám stop.

From there you can either catch Bus 50 heading in the direction of Aupark -  buses run every 15 minutes and they stop right outside the ground - or you can simply walk the ten minute journey over Stary Most bridge.

Click here for a full map of the public transport system. Buses routes are in blue, trams in red. The airport is on the far right, the ground is just below the river close to Stary Most bridge.

You can also check out tonnes of info on times, routes etc - and it's all available in English - by clicking here.


Bag a seat: Buying a ticket

Seats are likely to set you back the princely sum of £2 or £3. For the vast majority of games, crowd numbers rock in at 4-5,000 so it's easy enough to simply walk up and buy on the day. Info on how to get tickets isn't that easy to come by but if Artmedia are playing one of their big rivals, it's worth checking the official website for news.