Sightseeing in Bratislava

Bratislava is the youthful, dynamic, and bustling capital of Slovakia. It is also an historic town full of traditions, nostalgia and music, and proud of its rich past. This is where three different countries meet with their languages, traditions, and cultures producing something very pleasant and attractive, a certain microcosm of central Europe.

Bratislava lies at the southwestern edge of Slovakia, a few minutes’ drive from Austria and Hungary. The city occupies both banks of the Danube River, and is the largest city in the country with a population of around 450,000.

Bratislava, formerly known as Pressburg in German or Pozsony in Hungarian, is a city with a rich history dating back at least six thousand years. The site of Bratislava has been inhabited as early as the Stone Age. In the course of later centuries, the Celts, Romans, Slavs, Germans and the Hungarians have ruled the area.

Although the economic and political boon started here in 1291, as the city was granted extensive municipal privileges, the real heyday of Bratislava begun in 1536, when the greater part of Hungary was seized by the Turks and Bratislava became the political centre of the country.

During the reign of the Empress Maria Theresia, Bratislava became the most important and largest city in Hungary. After the defeat of Turks by the Habsburgs, most government offices moved back to Buda and Bratislava fell on hard times. Now it is enjoying its new freedoms and becoming an important tourist and business center with good shopping, excellent hotels, and some fine restaurants.

There is much to see in the historic Old Town. Small art and antique galleries and shops mingle with restaurants and cafes. These attractions are within walking distance of each other.

St Martin’s Cathedral and its surroundings, particularly the adjacent seminary on Kapitulska Street with its robed adepts, give an almost intact physical overview of the environs of a major coronation cathedral.

Bratislava Castle, apart from offering a quick look at historical architecture and artifacts, gives you a wonderful view of the city, especially pretty in the evening. The Slovak National Gallery displays an overview of Slovak art, with an extensive collection focusing on Gothic church art.

The Slovak National Museum centres on natural history (geology, wildlife, and ancient man), and recently has increasingly invested in outstanding temporary exhibits.

Quick Tips:

Bratislava is a city of contrasts. Parts consist of square, ugly, communist-era concrete buildings while other areas are beautiful, quiet, and thoroughly picturesque. The Old Town is where you need to concentrate your activities.

Most of the Bratislava Old Town and the Bratislava Castle can be explored conveniently on foot. Scheduled walking tours are available all-year-round leaving every day at 2pm from the Bratislava Tourist Service Information Agency office at Venturska 9. The tours are conducted in English and German. Of course, you can use a Bratislava guide-book or visit the official Bratislava Tourist Information Centre in the Primatial Square for a map and some local information.

Weekends become very crowded because Austrians and Hungarians flood in to sightsee and buy at prices cheaper than at home.

Best Way To Get Around:

The best way to explore the Old Town is on foot. Stroll anywhere and enjoy.

Apart from this, the only real option is to take the tour in the red mini-trains. Two operators presently offer tours of the city using these vehicles. The Presporacik, a bio-fuel powered vehicle traveling at a leisurely pace, is available for hire in the Main Square from 9am to 5pm for half-hour and full-hour tours around the Old Town.

Bratislava Old Town is an absolute delight. It is mainly a pedestrian-only area and this allows you to walk around at leisure exploring the streets, side alleys and squares.

Michael’s Gate, the eastern entrance to the Old Town, is the only surviving watchtower of the original city fortification. Over 50 meters high, the tower was built in the early 14th century, and has been rebuilt many times since. There is an excellent view of Bratislava from here, and it also contains the Museum of Arms and City Fortification, open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 9:30am to 4:30pm in the summer season.

The Main Square, the real heart of the Old Town, is a great place to take a seat, have a coffee, and watch the intimate atmosphere of the Old Town. There are numerous cafes, beautifully renovated burghers’ houses, and the historical Old Town Hall. The Main Square’s extension, Frantiskanske namestie, features a 17th century Church of the Holy Saviour, the originally Gothic Franciscan Church of the Annunciation and the 18th century Mirbach’s Palace, with its small collection of Renaissance religious art.

The Old Town Hall of Bratislava, is a fascinating combination of styles. Its core is a 14th century Gothic house of the then Mayor Jacob. The city purchased this house and gradually, the neighboring houses were bought as well, and the whole complex was steadily rebuilt over the centuries. Today, the Old Town Hall with the clock tower and the romantic courtyard with Renaissance arcades, is one of the most appealing historical buildings in Bratislava and houses the Municipal Museum. This offers a large collection documenting the city’s rich history, including the torture chambers in the basement.

The Museum is open from Tuesday to Friday, from 10am to 5pm, an 11am to 6 pm on weekends. It is also possible to climb the Old Town Hall’s tower on Wednesdays from 2pm to 4pm and on weekends from 3pm to 5pm.

There are two unusual statues worth seeing. The first is the bronze Cumil (The Watcher) which is definitely the most popular piece of art in the city. Where else could you possibly find a man inconspicuously peeping from a street manhole? No Bratislava visitor can leave without taking a picture of this world rarity. You can easily find him on the corner of Panska and Rybarska brana streets. As Cumil has almost lost his head twice because of the incaution of drivers, he has even got his own traffic sign - Man at Work.

Cumil is not the only quirky statue in Bratislava. There is also the French army soldier, looking like Napoleon himself, leaning on a bench right on the historical Main Square. Napoleon’s armies attacked Bratislava twice and Napoleon himself visited the city in 1809. The legend says that a wounded French soldier called Hubert fell in love with a nurse from Bratislava, decided to live here and started to produce a sparkling wine based on the French tradition. Hubert is now the name of the most famous sparkling wine in Slovakia.

Situated on the edge of the Old Town, St. Martin’s Cathedral is Bratislava’s foremost Gothic structure. The church, originally built in the 13th century in the Romanesque style, was replaced by a 3-nave Gothic Dome in the late 14th century. The new St. Martin's Cathedral was consecrated in 1452 and underwent several lengthy reconstructions in later centuries. In the 16th century, the Dome became the coronation church of Hungarian kings and there were 19 Hungarian Emperors (including Maria Theresia) crowned in the cathedral until the 19th century. The cathedral was actually built into the town's outer walls as part of its fortification.

The cathedral has three naves, with several chapels added from time to time over the centuries. Its most famous work of art is an 18th century statue of St. Martin and the Beggar sculpted by famous Austrian baroque sculptor Raphael Donner. Another sight not to miss is St. Stephen's Crown, a 1m high copy of the Hungarian royal crown placed on the church tower, some 85 meters (280 feet) above town. Over the portal that used to be the cathedral's main entrance, there is a Gothic relief depicting the Holy Trinity.

Facing the rear of the church after walking in, there is a gallery where the king could sit above the congregation during services. On a tablet underneath this gallery on the rear wall of the church is a notice commemorating Beethoven's op. 123, which premiered here during the 18th century. The especially vivid stained glass in St Martin's draws the viewer forward into the main body of the church, where thick columns support the church roof. In the section of the ceiling over the high altar, where the choirstalls house a number of tiny carved men and beasts, the Hungarian colors of red, white, and green are everywhere among the intricate gold and colored designs. Unless the church is going through one of the numerous renovations caused by vibrations from the New Bridge Traffic, admission is available from 10am to 4:45pm free of charge.

The surroundings of St Martins are as memorable as the structure itself. In the cathedral’s case, this includes the picturesque remains of outbuildings in a spacious staired courtyard, and a working seminary with robed adepts on a cobblestoned side street. A small but significant neighbour of the cathedral is a monument to the synagogue, which stood next door for centuries until the communist government demolished it around 1970 to make room for the new bridge.

Bratislava Castle, the dominating landmark of the city, is situated on the hill overlooking the Danube River and the entire city. It is a massive building with a rich history, reaching back to the late Stone Age. The first residents of the castle were the Celts, later the Roman and then the Slavs. The first written evidence dates back to the year 907 in the annals of Salzburg, in reference to the battle of Brezalauspurch, that marked the end of the Great Moravian Empire. During later centuries, the Germans, the Hungarians and the Austrians have ruled the area and Bratislava Castle was repeatedly rebuilt.

In the 11, 12, and 13th century the castle underwent big changes. A new basilica with a chapter house was built. Two stone towers were built in the 13th century. The reconstruction in 15th century brought the shape of an extensive Gothic palace surrounded by defense stonewalls with a gate in Gothic style on its eastern side that is still standing.

The next reconstruction started in 1552 after the Hungarian state administration was moved from Buda to Bratislava and the town was declared the official coronation town for Hungarian Kings. The old Gothic building was soon changed into a fortified Renaissance castle. The south-west tower also known as the jewel's tower, housed the Hungarian coronation jewels for two centuries.

The last large-scale reconstruction in Baroque style took place under the reign of Maria Theresia (1740-1780). A new, three winged building, the so called Theresianum was erected at the eastern side, together with a covered riding hall east of the palace. On May 30, 1811, the castle was burnt down and only ruins were left. It was reconstructed In the 1950s and 60s.

Nowadays, it is used for state functions and exhibitions. On the ground floor, there is the Treasury of Slovakia, an interesting collection of archaeological findings, and taking up a couple of floors is a branch of the Slovak National Museum, covering historical furniture, modern art, and history. The Museum of History is open everyday except Mondays from 9am to 5pm.

There are rooms and rooms of museum exhibits, which by themselves would not be exceptionally memorable. Fortunately, there are a number of windows through which to enjoy the castle’s magnificent views. The collection is a mix of various items of historical interest: Slovakia’s ancient history, antique furnishings and clocks, weaponry and centuries-old portraits. The climax of the visit is a walk up to the castle’s highest tower. This and the other views on offer make for a fine overview to the city.

Outdoors, the castle and grounds are restored to sufficient grandeur to enable you to imagine its days of pomp. An ornamental lawn, rejuvenated outbuildings and fortifications together are good for another hour of relaxed enjoyment in good weather.

The Slovak National Theatre is built on the location of the city's original professional theatre. (Professional, as opposed to the traveling bands of entertainers so common in the middle ages). That first theatre, built in 1776, was improved upon by Viennese architects Fellner and Helmer in 1884-1886. Two years later Bratislava native sculptor Victor Tilgner crafted Ganymede's Fountain which was placed in front of the Theatre.

The beautiful Neo-renaissance building crowning Hviezdoslavovo Square is one of the few in the Old Town of Bratislava that is still used for their original purpose. It is home to fine opera and ballet performances. To attend one of these is the only way to see the splendid interior of the theatre.

The Opera in Bratislava is popular among international visitors - for its quality as well as favourable prices. Opera performances are usually performed in the original language with program notes in Slovak or German, so it is advisable for English-language speakers to familiarise themselves with the plot in advance. Performances usually start at 7pm. You can find the schedule for upcoming performances at the Slovak National Theatre website – www.snd.sk

Unfortunately, we didn’t have the opportunity to see a performance but a friend who did advises that the building was as garlanded within as it was colonnaded without, and almost identical to the ones in Zagreb and Sarajevo. They sat in the front row of the dress circle, just about where any visiting Hapsburg might have sat. And the whole thing cost about $60 for two, including the glasses of wine in the interval.

While it doesn’t usually hold performances at the national theatre, the Slovak National Philharmonic is a body of international reputation, already in its 58th season. Most concerts are held at the Philharmonic's Reduta building very close to the National Theatre just off Hviezdoslavovo Square (behind Hotel Carlton). The Philharmonic consists of several ensembles: Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, Slovak Philharmonic Choir, Bohdan Warchal Slovak Chamber Orchestra, and other chamber orchestras. Tickets for foreigners are SKK600 ($16), SKK300 ($10) for Chamber concerts and SKK 200 ($7) for Junior and Family concerts. Tickets can be reserved on-line.

If you are planning to visit in the fall, you may want to consider enjoying the music festival of Bratislava. This is where you can experience the most prestigious music festival in Slovakia. Concerts are a large part of the festivities and people from all over come to witness it.

Bratislava has a fine array of historic and interesting churches. The Church and the Monastery of Franciscans (destroyed in 1236 together with a rare archive and rebuilt in 1278), the Clare Nun’s Church and the romantic Chapel of St Catharine, belong to the earliest Gothic monuments.

The Reformation spread into Bratislava along with merchants and students from German universities quite early. The Evangelic Protestants built for themselves German, Slovak and Hungarian churches. Baroque art entered the town with the Counter-Reformation. In those days, Bratislava was the capital city, coronation place and largest city of Hungary as well as a prosperous hub. A range of churches and monasteries in baroque style were built - the Church of St Trinity, the Brothers of Mercy Monastery, the Church of St Elizabeth, the Chapel of St John the Almoner by the Cathedral, etc. Many are worth visiting today.

St. Catherine’s Chapel was built on request of the Cistercian Frantisek of Colomba in 1311 A.D. on today’s Michalska Street. The chapel belonged to Cistercians until the beginning of the 16th century and then it came under the auspices of Capuchins. The interior is originally Gothic and the facade is in classicist style.

The Church of the Order of the Holy Trinity stands in front of the entrance gate to the town. It was built in the first third of the 18th century. It is the most beautiful baroque building in the town. The interior is a copy of St. Peter's Cathedral in Vienna. The church and the monastery were built by the Order of the Holy Trinity. The former monastery standing in the neighbourhood of the church was rebuilt for the needs of the district administration house in the middle of the 19th century.

The Church of the Annunciation also known as the Franciscan Church, is one of Bratislava's oldest churches, completed 1297 but significantly altered over the years. It is across from the Mirbach Palace. Only a stone Pieta sculpture remains from the original Gothic interior - like so many Central European churches, this church has been "baroquified." The two-story St John the Evangelist chapel, incorporating a burial crypt and originally built for the family of a city administrator named Jacob, is the only remaining Gothic interior segment, but one of the finest examples of Gothic art in Slovakia.

The Church of the Holy Savior has also been altered by Central European history. Once a 3-nave hall-style Protestant church built by German settlers between 1636-1638 for use as their parish church, it was co-opted by the Jesuits in 1672. The exterior was more or less left alone, while the inside was then richly decorated. The Jesuits were so rich, and had been given such free rein over all aspects of the religious world they controlled, that they could afford the very best artists and sculptors and religious objects. They typically overdecorated the buildings they took over, and this is no exception. The front of the church is littered with religious memorials and monuments.