Idea #208 – Visiting Bratislava, capital of Slovakia
Bratislava, known historically under the name of Pressburg (Presporok in Slovak, Pozsony in Hungarian, Pozun in Croatian), is the capital of Slovakia since 1993. The city is situated in the Southwest of the country, just on the border with Austria, distant only from 60 km from Vienna, on the border of Hungary, and near the border with the Czech Republic. The Carpathians begin on the territory of the city (Malé Karpaty, ” Small The Carpathians “), which is crossed by the Danube. Bratislava is the seat of the presidency, the parliament and the government Slovak. From the Xth century, the city be a part of Hungary and becomes even, in 1536, the capital of Hungary, after the coming of the Turks. It is considered, in the XVIIIth century, as most Hungarian big city. In 1968, after the failure of the Prague Spring which tried to liberalize the political regime, the city is occupied by the troops of the Warsaw Pact. Shortly after, this one becomes the capital of the Slovak socialist Republic, one of the two States of the federalized Czechoslovakia. In 1993, the city becomes the capital of the new Slovak Republic, consecutive to the dissolution of the federation Czechoslovak.
The urban landscape of Bratislava is characterized by a mixture of styles, shared between medieval elements and buildings new Art or resolutely modern. Most of the historic monuments are concentrated in the old town. The city hall of Bratislava is a set of buildings set up in the XIVth and XVth centuries and shelters the municipal museum today. The gate St Michel is the last vestige of the medieval fortifications and as such one of the oldest buildings of the city. The historic center also includes numerous baroque palaces just like the primatial palace or like the palace Grassalkovitch, built in 1760, residence today of the president of the Slovak Republic. Almost everywhere, cafés and small restaurants to forget you the wintry freshness (-15°C in February), and will allow you to discover Slovakia side “cake store”.
Some Pictures
Where is it ?
Bratislava, Slovakia
