Upon seeing the Primate's Palace in person in July 2002, it reminded me of a giant birthday cake with its neoclassical design and pink and gold marble exterior. I just wanted to add candles and blow!

The Primate's Palace was constructed from 1778 to 1781 and was designed by Hungarian architect Melchior Hefele. It was originally built for the Archbishop of Esztergom and Primate of Hungary, Cardinal Josef Batthyany. Today, the Primate's Palace is part of the Bratislava City Hall.

The Primate's Palace became a favorite place to stay for many members of the Hapsburg family. Leopold II was said to have stayed here in 1790 following his coronation as Emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After Bratislava Castle burned down in 1811, many members of the Hapsburg family came to stay at the Primate's Palace whenever they were in town.

A historic event did take place at the Primate's Palace on 26 December 1805, when the Treaty of Pressburg was signed in the Palace's Versailles-like Hall of Mirrors. The treaty followed the Battle of Austerlitz and allowed Napoleon to carve up huge amounts of Hapsburg lands and territories. The Hall of Mirrors and a plaque commemorating the treaty can be seen when visiting the Palace.

The State Rooms of the Primate's Palace are beautiful and contain six tapestries that were buried behind wallpaper until remodeling was done on the Palace in 1903. The tapestries come from Mortlake, England, and date from the mid-16th century.

The sunny courtyard of the Primate's Palace is beautiful with its statue of St. George slaying the dragon. I got to pose with the statue, and it is one of my favorite photos from Bratislava.

The Primate's Palace is open daily, except for holidays and special occasions. There is a small fee to go inside, but it is free to tour the exteriors and the courtyard. Don't miss it.