Bratislava / Slovakia

Bratislava is the capital and, with its nearly 476,000 inhabitants, also the largest city in Slovakia. The city is located in the southwestern part of the country on both banks of the Danube and the left bank of the Morava, making it the most important river port in Slovakia.

The area of the city has been permanently inhabited since the Neolithic period, 5,000 years before our era. Around 200 BC, a Celtic oppidum was founded here, and later the city was under Roman and finally Great Moravian influence. After the fall of the Great Moravian Empire, the area became part of Hungary and prospered. In 1536, Pressburg, as Bratislava was called at the time, even became the capital of the country and part of the Habsburg Empire. At that time, it was the seat of kings, whose coronations took place in St. Martin's Cathedral, and it continued to flourish under the reign of Maria Theresa. After World War I, Pressburg became part of Czechoslovakia and received its current name. In March 1939, Bratislava became the capital of the first independent Slovak Republic, which was soon taken over by Nazi Germany. In 1948, the Communist Party took control of the country, ruling until 1989. Since the division of Czechoslovakia in 1993, Bratislava has been the capital of Slovakia and the political, economic, and cultural center of the country. In 2017, it was even the third richest region in the European Union in terms of GDP per capita.

Bratislava is a mix of medieval and modern architecture. A large part of the historical buildings is located in the Old Town, among the oldest is the Michael's Gate, the only remaining part of the medieval fortifications. The town hall building from the 14th – 15th century now hosts the City Museum. In the historic center, there are a number of baroque palaces, in one of them – the Grassalkovich Palace, built around 1760 – the Slovak president has his residence today.

The oldest religious building in Bratislava is the Franciscan Church from the 13th century, and between the 13th and 16th centuries, the Gothic St. Martin's Cathedral, the coronation church of Hungarian kings, was built.

The dominant feature of the city is Bratislava Castle. Already in the 10th century, a stone castle was built on its site, later rebuilt in Renaissance and Baroque style. In 1811, the castle was severely damaged by fire and lay in ruins until the 1950s, when it was completely reconstructed. At the foot of the castle hill lies the old Jewish cemetery, a restored part of which is now located underground.

The city can also boast interesting modern buildings: the headquarters of Slovak Radio in the shape of an inverted pyramid or the Kamzík TV tower with an observation deck and a revolving restaurant.

In December, the city center lights up with Christmas markets, where you can taste mulled wine or Slovak specialties such as bryndza dumplings.

Places worth seeing

Old Town – Stroll through the oldest part of the city with remnants of medieval fortifications and beautiful baroque palaces.

Bratislava Castle – Visit the city's landmark, a castle built as early as the 10th century, overlooking the landscape from 85 meters above the Danube.

Bratislava City Museum – Learn about the history of the city from ancient times to the present in Slovakia's oldest museum, founded in 1868.

Danubiana – Admire works by Slovak, European, and world authors in the museum of modern art, founded by Dutch collector and art patron Gerard Maulensteen in 2000.

Devín Castle – Take a trip out of the city and discover the recently reconstructed castle, destroyed in 1809 by Napoleonic troops, where the Morava flows into the Danube.

Bratislava Zoo – Don't miss a visit to the zoo, home to such rare animal species as the white lion or tiger.

UFO Observation Deck – Enjoy a 360-degree view from the unique modern lookout tower, built on top of the only pillar of the New Bridge over the Danube River.