Zochova

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Zochova Street is in Bratislava’s Old Town, and Zochova is also the name of a busy bus stop where the street meets Staromestská Street, near Nový Most. The lower part of the street has existed since the Middle Ages; the first written record is from the 14th century. The street is a short walk from the historical city center and from the Presidential Palace at Hodžovo námestie.

In 1930 the street was renamed after Samuel Zoch (1882–1928), a Slovak evangelical bishop and politician who helped co-author the Declaration of the Slovak Nation in 1918 and later served as the mayor of Bratislava.

The upper part of the street was built in the late 19th century. It has had many names: Sluttergasse in 1379, Turnergasse in 1536 (meaning “Practice Street”), Schluder Gassel in the 18th century, Telocvičná Street before 1930, and finally Zochova Street after 1930.

Historically, the area was home to craftsmen such as winemakers, potters, carpenters, painters and customs men. Two large gardens nearby, Prepoštská Garden (1873) and Pálffy Garden (1890), were split up to create Edlova Street (Podjavorinskej) and many houses on Zochova and Kozia Streets. The oldest surviving structure on the street is a fragment of a stone wall from the mid-17th century next to the former Pálffy mansion. The second oldest is the maternity hospital and school for midwives, built in 1882 by Ignác Feigler Jr. It later became part of the Comenius University maternity clinic. In the late 2000s the building was abandoned and became the subject of ownership disputes.

Over the years, new schools and other buildings appeared. The street hosted Orthodox and Neolog grammar schools, a civil school for boys, and other educational institutions. The area also housed the Pressburg riding club. Today, No. 1 is the home of the Faculty of Music and Dance of the Academy of Performing Arts, including the concert hall Dvorana. No. 6/8 houses FitRelax, a fitness center, and No. 5 hosts several law firms. Zochova Street is mostly residential.

Zochova is also the name of a major public transport stop. Buses stopping here include 31, 39, 80, 83, 84, 93, 94 and 184, with night lines N31, N34, N80, N93 and N95 as well. A nearby minibus line 147 stops at a nearby stop also named Zochova. Buses toward Petržalka and toward Slávičie údolie (where most universities are) can be crowded, especially at peak times and at night. The next stops are Aupark or Chatam Sófer toward Nový Most, and Hodžovo námestie or Nám. 1. mája or Kollárovo námestie in the opposite direction.

On 2 October 2022 a car driven by a drunk driver crashed into the bus stop, killing five people and injuring six, including students heading to Slávičie údolie. The incident prompted calls for tougher anti-drunk driving measures in Slovakia.