Bratislava, Slovakia » Entertainment » Attractions

Bratislava, located on the banks of the Danube river, has become one of the favourite tourist destinations in Europe. The city has several architectural styles, cultural influences, and fascinating historical tourist attractions such as castles, churches, and palaces.

Main Square is one of Bratislava's top tourist spots. Here, attractive colourful buildings reminiscent of the baroque and renaissance eras fill the perimeters. The Old Town Hall and The Roland Fountain are part of the usual route for guests. Many foreign embassies take domain in the buildings on the Main Square, steadily dwelling among the cheerful ambience of the area. Some retail shops and cafes are also located in the area.

The castle reigns atop a hill by the River Danube. If the weather is clear, three countries can be seen from the castle windows - Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary. Now the castle is home to collections of the Slovak National Museum.

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The Presidential Palace is a summer palace with an elaborate French garden, also a public park. The facade architecture is of late baroque/rococo style, while the interior boasts a grand staircase and impressive rooms.

The attractive building has contributed significantly to the Baroque musical life of the city, having been a venue for many musical events, recitals, and royal parties. There is a statue of Bratislava-born composer Jan Nepomuk Hummel in the palace's park. The President of Slovakia resides in the palace, hence the name.

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The Archbishop's Palace is next to the Presidential Palace, complete with its sprawling English garden. It used to serve as a summer seat for the archbishops of Esztergom. Currently, it houses the government of Slovakia.

The palace itself is an artistic jewel from the old Pressburg era. Along with its Rococo-style architecture, colourful engravings are also preserved from the original interior design. After renovations and reconstructions, the palace became the seat of Bratislava City Gallery. Mirbach Palace now holds occasional gallery shows in its halls and houses the permanent exhibition of Central European Baroque Painting and Sculptures, attracting many tourists.

The newest addition to Bratislava's modern architecture is the sophisticated bridge crossing the Danube River. The bridge was inaugurated in 2005. It was the sole European structure to be named one of the five finalists for the 2006 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award (OPAL Award) conducted by the American Civil Engineering Society. This attractive bridge is designed to carry vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists across the river.

Above The futuristic Bridge of the Slovak National Uprising (also known as the Nový Most or New Bridge) at the top of a single tower is the circular UFO Observation Deck. It is crowded with tourists all the time. There are informative graphics and telescopes around the deck. You can also meet your hunger on the UFO Deck is Taste, Bratislava's highest restaurant.

One of Bratislava's historical landmarks is the Devin Castle. This castle has played an enormous role in Slovakian history. The Celts occupied it in the 1st century BC; the Roman Empire used it as a military station. The Moravian Empire used it as a boundary fortress of the Hungarian state. In 1809, retreating forces of Napoleon I of France had blown up the area after the Siege of Pressburg. The castle is now the property of the Municipal Museum.

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The St. Martin's Cathedral is one of the oldest and largest churches in Slovakia. Built in the 14th century, this Roman Catholic Church is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bratislava. It is situated below Bratislava Castle. St. Martin's Cathedral was famous for being the coronation church of the Kingdom of Hungary between the 16th and 18th centuries. The top pyramidal structure of the church spire is fitted with a gold-plated replica of the Crown of St. Stephen instead of a cross. The church towers above the city and is one of Bratislava's best-known landmarks.

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Michael's Gate is a part of the Bratislava City Museum housing the Exhibit of Weapons. It's a historic structure and the only remaining city gates preserved from the city's medieval fortifications. Initially built in 1300, the gate's present architecture was the baroque style when the statue of St. Michael and a Dragon was placed at the top in 1758.

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The statue of Schoner Naci stands by the sidewalk in Old Town, bidding his hat among passersby's. The famous sculpture by Juraj Melus is said to be famous in Bratislava, whose real name was Ignác Lamar. Known around town as a true gentleman, Ignác walked from Michael's Gate to the river, waving his hat and greeting local ladies with flowers.

Taunter is a unique sculpture of a supposedly naked man set in the facade of a house. There are many explanations offered for this strange carving. Some say it mocks the neighbour for spying on clueless passersby's, and others say it is a man rushing to the windows to watch the coronation feast.

The domain between St. Michael's Gate and St. Michael's Tower is the narrowest house in Europe. With 130cm wide, this 3-storey structure attracts attention as curious and fascinated tourists visit the site.

A statue of Napoleon's soldier leans forward upon a bench where many tourists take the opportunity to get photographed with the famous sculpture.

The paparazzi sculpture stands by the corner of the Paparazzi Cocktail Bar, armed with his full lens camera, sculpted into spy mode.