Bratislava
The Bratislava Region lies in West and Southwest Slovakia, and contains the southern part of the Little Carpathian Mountains, the Záhorie Lowlands and the Danube Lowlands. Its neighbours are the Trnava Region in the north and east, Hungary in the south, and Austria and the Czech Republic in the west. The Slovak capital Bratislava is the natural centre of the region in terms of political, economic and social life.
Although relatively modest in size, the region boasts beautiful and diverse nature and excellent infrastructure, which makes it a place offering ample opportunity for the growth of tourism. In particular, Bratislava‘s tourism services focus on the local history, culture and traditions, catering, shopping and congress tourism.
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History
The first written records of Bratislava – then called Bresalauspruch – date back to 907. Later, the town became part of the Hungarian kingdom. Receiving royal privileges in the 13th century, Bratislava was made Hungary‘s capital in 1536. In addition to being home to the Hungarian kings, archbishops and assembly, the town was used for the coronation ceremonies. The 18th century saw Bratislava as the biggest and most important town not only in Slovakia, but in the entire Hungarian Empire. This was a time of busy construction, leaving behind a number of spectacular palaces of the Hungarian nobility, churches or monasteries; the new streets bustled with cultural and social life. It was the reign of the Austro-Hungarian Empress Maria Theresia of the Habsburg Family that is known as the golden age of Bratislava.
Bratislava is a city rich in historical monuments. The Bratislava Castle is clearly the dominant feature, and standing next to it are the Slovak Parliament – called the National Council – and St. Martin‘s Cathedral. The Main Square boasts a fountain with the statue of King Maximilian II and the Old Town Hall. The internal courtyard of the town hall takes us to another square which is home to the Primatial Palace. Its Mirror Hall hosted the signing of the Peace Treaty of Pressburg in 1805, whereas these days visitors come to admire its collection of 17th century English tapestry. The nearby Hviezdoslav Square is home to the Slovak National Theatre, its design drawing inspiration from Paris architecture. You can still feel the atmosphere of Bratislava‘s past in its fi ne narrow streets.
Geography Location
Bratislava is situated on both banks of the river Danube at the feet of the Little Carpathian Mountains. It is the only capital in the world to border on two other countries: the Hungarian borders run to the south of the city, the Austrian borders to the west. No less importantly, Bratislava is situated only 60 kilometers away from Vienna, which is the shortest distance between two capitals in Europe. Bratislava is home to Slovakia‘s president, government and all important political bodies and institutions.
Famous Buildings
Bratislava Castle
A dominant feature of the city, the majestic Bratislava Castle is visible from long distances. Starting in the mid 16th century, the Castle was home to Hungarian kings for two centuries, this is where the Hungarian assembly held their sessions, and the coronation tower was home to the Hungarian coronation jewels. May 1811 saw a disastrous fi re that destroyed the castle completely, and the ruins remained untouched for another 150 years. Starting in 1953, the reconstruction gave Bratislava Castle the castle its original shape. The interior has retained some features dating back to the Gothic era (such as a knights hall, arcades) and the Baroque times. The festive features such as the grand stairway and the entrance hall with three naves remind of the representative purposes that the Castle has fulfi lled for centuries. The only features left behind from the Renaissance times are fragments 
with rich stucco paintings on the ceilings depicting plants and fi gures in the southeast wing. The main palace is home to the exhibition showing historical furniture and clocks, and jewels from the dawn of Slovak history.
The Castle‘s park contains remnants of a church dating back to the Great Moravian Empire in the 9th century.
St. Martin‘s Cathedral
St. Martin‘s Cathedral (also known as St. Martin‘s Dome) is the biggest and most important church in Bratislava, built in the 14th century on the site of a former church and cemetery from the Romanesque times. The tower reaches as high as 85 meters. Sitting on the top of the tower is a golden pillow the size of two by two meters with a golden copy of the Hungarian royal crown on it. The Cathedral boasts works by numerous artists of world renown. One corner of the south nave contains a jewel of Baroque visual arts: equestrian statue of St. Martin sharing his coat with a poor man, made by Juraj Rafael Donner in 1735. Moreover, the visitors to the Dome admire tombstones from Gothic and Renaissance times, beautiful colourful windows or octagonal columns. Among the people buried in the cathedral are members of the nobility, church leaders, and artists.
Theatres & Festivities
Coronation Festivities
Starting in 2003, coronation festivities have been held on the first weekend in September to commemorate the splendid history of Bratislava. The very coronation rituals are imitated in St. Martin‘s Cathedral based on historical documents: the king is anointed and receives the royal insignia, including St. Stephen‘s crown, sword, cloak, sceptre and orb.
The Slovak National Theatre
The Slovak National Theatre, one of Slovakia‘s most prominent cultural institutions, was established in 1920. These days, the theatre comprises three separate resident companies: drama, opera, and ballet. Opera and ballet performances are held both in the historical building in Hviezdoslav Square and in the new
venue in Pribinova Street. The Slovak National Theatre is a repertory theatre, with performances running in all venues every day throughout the season, i.e. from September to June. With fi rst-rate quality of perfor-mances, the Slovak National Opera and Ballet are popular among visitors from abroad.
Music Festival
The Bratislava Music Festival is the most important and prominent international festival of classical music in Slovakia, established as early as 1964. Every autumn, the venues at the Slovak Philharmonic and Reduta host a number of soloists, orchestras and choirs from Slovakia and other countries alike.
Museums & Galleries
Bratislava boasts a number of museums and galleries showing exhibitions of historical as well as modern art. The Slovak National Museum is situated in Vajanského nábrežie on the quayside, and offers several permanent exhibitions of history and natural sciences. Exhibitions of the Museum of Music are on display at Bratislava Castle. The history of Bratislava is shown in the various exhibitions of the Bratislava City Museum, located in the Old Town Hall at Primaciálne Square. In addition to the exhibitions featuring the city‘s history and feudal justice, it has a section on wine-growing and wine-making. A local specialty, the Museum of Clocks – situated at the House of the Good Shepherd in Židovská Street – focuses on clocks made in the 18th and 19th centuries by Bratislava-based masters.
Slovak National Gallery
With the total number of works amounting to 55 thousand, the Slovak National Gallery specializes in the Slovak cultural heritage in the fi eld of visual arts. The gallery also hosts displays of Gothic and Baroque art in Slovakia and a collection of 19th century Slovak paintings.
The City Gallery of Bratislava
Housed in the Mirbach Palace in Franciscan Square, the City Gallery offers permanent displays of Central European Baroque paintings and sculptures. The City Gallery of Bratislava is also housed in the Primatial Palace – known for a fi ne collection of English tapestry – with several smaller displays including 17th century Dutch and Flemish genre paintings and Italian paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries.
Nature
The area along the river Danube between Bratislava‘s neighborhoods of Petržalka and Čunovo is a magnet for cyclists and inline skaters especially in the summer. The place boasts a modern water sports centre with two artifi cial canals for competitions in water slalom and rafting. The centre is open from May to October, and is used both by professional sportsmen and complete beginners.
Situated in the southwest of Slovakia, 25 kilometers from the capital Bratislava, the town of Senec is an ideal destination for family holidays with children. The area is known for having a higher amount of sunlight, resulting in the popular name of Sunny Lakes.
The Senec Aquapark is a round-the-year venue for the lovers of water, offering 9 inside and outside swimming pools with different temperatures. The inside also features a children‘s pool and a toboggan, saunas and massage facilities.