Bratislava - the Capital of Slovakia

 

 

Bratislava is a small historical city, but largest in Slovakia and a youngest european metropolis. Enjoy the shopping, dining and natural wonders Bratislava has to offer as a reemerging sparkler of history, culture, business and recreation.

 

Inexpensive by comparison to western Europe, small enough to manage on a short visit, with charm enough for a longer one, Slovakia’s capital offers a variety of activities to travelers with any goal. In beautiful Old Town or elsewhere, the Bratislava area today offers a wide variety of very good lodgings. Take a look at ourBratislava hotels listing!

Come and experience it for yourself. A few days in Bratislava, building in a tour or two, is the perfect beginning to your Slovakia vacation.

Historic old town

If you have a half day in Bratislava, concentrate on the historic old town. It’s easy to find, downhill from the hill-top dominating medieval castle, and past the tall spire of St. Martin’s Cathedral. The maze of cobblestone streets are mostly limited to pedestrians. Shade trees and fountains decorate small parks, and you have an abundant choice of cafes and restaurants, with outdoor seating in appropriate seasons and places.

Bratislava Castle

The oldest surviving remnant, a basilica on the lawn facing Bratislava's Old Town, dates from the 9th century. The aristocratic Palffy family completed extensions that make for today’s "upside-down table" appearance of four peaked corner towers. In 1811 a fire in what was then a barracks left the castle an abandoned hulk, and restoration was to start only in the 1950s. Serving briefly as seat of government for independent Slovakia in 1993, the castle today serves as museum and special events venue, notably as the site of the Bush-Putin summit in February 2005.

The castle dominates the centre of Bratislava, towering over the second-highest point of St Martin’s cathedral spire.