BRATISLAVA

Bratislava is the capital of the Slovak Republic. As it has nearly half a million inhabitants, it is
also its largest town. Bratislava is a cultural, social, business and political centre with a
position on both banks of the Danube.
In 1291 Bratislava was granted full privileges of a town and in 1405 it became a free royal
town. In 1465 the Academia Istropolitana was founded by King Matthias Corvinus. From
1536 until 1784 it was the capital of the Hungarian Kingdom. In 1918 Bratislava became the
centre of Slovakia in the new Czechoslovak Republic. When the Slovak Republic came into
being on January 1993, Bratislava became the capital.
Bratislava is rich in cultural monuments. The Castle is the main tourist attraction and the
most significant symbol of Bratislava. In the past it was controlled by Great Moravia and for
almost 200 years stored the crown jewels of Hungary; nowadays it hosts many expositions
and is an ideal place for walks with beautiful surroundings and views. It serves as a
representative venue for the Slovak Parliament and houses collections of the Slovak National
Museum.
There are four entrance gates to the Castle out of which three are currently accessible. A green
lawn covers the whole surrounding area. The benches and standing lamps give the park
romantic atmosphere. A new baroque garden behind the castle was opened in June 2016 and
entry is free of charge. It was reconstructed in order to remind its last baroque stage before
the great fire in 1811 occurred, which damaged the castle and its surroundings. The area in
front of the Castle carries a name “Yard of Honor”. It is bordered by two triumphal gates and
guard houses of the imperial guard. The panoramic views you get from here are just amazing
– that’s why you will meet a lot of people just standing by the wall and taking pictures.
The main Castle building includes 4 towers. The tallest one, „Crown Tower“, is on the
southwest corner and it is an observatory with a beautiful view of the whole Bratislava,
Danube and Austria as well.
Devin Castle is situated in Devin which is a borough of Bratislava, 12 km away from the city
centre. It witnessed the glory and fall of Great Moravia and was blown up by Napoleon’s
army. Later it was declared to be a national cultural monument of Slovakia. Since it is situated
on a high cliff over the Morava and Danube rivers, and standing on the frontier between
Slovakia and Austria, it offers beautiful panoramic views and is a very popular place to visit.
St. Martin´s Cathedral is situated below Bratislava Castle. The cathedral is famous mostly
as the coronation place of the Kingdom of Hungary between 1563 and 1830. It held 19
coronations and the Queen Maria Theresa was one of the crowned people.
The Blue Church stands in the eastern part of the Old Town in Bezručova Street and it’s the
most appealing art nouveau building. The facade is blue. The mosaics are blue. The majolica
is blue. Everything, including the pale blue-gazed roof through the gate is blue. And not only
exterior – its interior is also painted in shades of pale blue.
Primate’s Palace is in the very city centre, in the square with the same name – Primacialne
namestie (Primate square), a few steps from the Main square. The Old Town Hall and
the Museum of City History are next to it. When you walk in, you will see huge tall pillars
in a hallway which will lead you to a small courtyard with a fountain and a statue of St.
George. The statue symbolizes St. George slaying a three-headed dragon.
There is only one room where you have permission to take photos – the Hall of Mirrors. This
chamber is famous for being the seat of signing the Peace Treaty of Pressburg between
Austria and France in 1805. Nowadays it serves as the location for Bratislava City Council
meetings and various concerts and conferences take place here, too.
Tourists can admire wooden floor, red carpets, white high ceiling, huge chandeliers, golden
elements on the walls as well as furniture and big golden mirrors with lamps in each of the
rooms. And of course, the famous English tapestries which were manufactured in Great
Britain in the 17th century and found in the Hall of Mirrors accidentally during
a reconstruction are a must-see when you come to this place.
Grassalkovich Palace, also known as the Presidential Palace, is situated in Hodža Square.
This palace is the official seat of the president of Slovakia. Its large French garden which is
one of the most popular parks in Bratislava is definitely worth of visiting.
Michael’s Gate is the last standing gate in Bratislava. The streets leading from here towards
Danube generally get very busy with very nice cafes, restaurants and exclusive shops.
The Slovak National Gallery on the bank of the Danube is also worth seeing.
The historical building of the Slovak National Theater was built in a Neo-Renaissance
design by two Viennese architects. It is the second oldest professional theater of Slovakia,
founded in 1920. The theater is set in one of the most elegant and charming places in
Bratislava, Hviezdoslav Square. The square has become a favourite spot for walking, reading
a book, meeting friends or just sitting and looking around. There is the second (new) building
of the national theater, too, built in 2007. This one is near Eurovea shopping center and
promenade, 10 minutes walk from this square.
With a pedestrian line, outdoor restaurants, bars and cafes all around, Hviezdoslav Square is
in fact more of a boulevard than a square. The whole place is shaded with big trees. There are
many benches to sit down, and with all the cafes around, we understand why so many people
come to spend time here. The square carries its name after an important Slovak poet Pavol
Országh Hviezdoslav. He is one of the leading personalities of the Slovak literature and
culture in the late 19th century and early 20th century. You can find his statue in the middle of
the square with a fountain.
Some of the most photographed attractions of Bratislava are its sculptures in human size
located all over its Old Town. These statues (Čumil, Paparazzi, Schone Naci, Napoleon
Soldier) add a modern touch to our historical centre and make it even more attractive. As they
are eye catching and so interesting, there are always tourists taking pictures of and with them
or having fun around.

Bratislava is an important traffic route and a crossroad of transport. Its connection with the
world is provided by road transport, railroad, air and river transport.
Very important is its industry: chemical and petro-chemical (Slovnaft), electro-technical,
engineering, clothing, leather-processing, wood-processing, food industries and the
manufacture of glass. In Bratislava the international chemical trade fair Incheba is held.
The town boasts of many universities and colleges (the University of Jan Amos Komensky,
the University of Economics, the Slovak Technical University).
In Bratislava we can find the 7th largest hanging bridge in the world – the Slovak National
Uprising Bridge. We can get a panoramic view of the whole Bratislava from the open-air
observation deck on top of its UFO-shaped cupola. Other bridges include the Lafranconi
Bridge, the Old Bridge, the Apollo Bridge, the Harbour Bridge.
In Bratislava you can also visit a zoo, a botanical garden, you can relax in green areas such as
Bratislava Forest Park Železná studnička, Horský park , Medická záhrada (Medical Garden)
or Sad Janka Kráľa.