Bratislava[a] (German:Pressburg; Hungarian:Pozsony)[b] is thecapital and largest city of theSlovak Republic and the fourth largest of allcities on the river Danube. Officially, the population of the city is about 475,000; however, some sources estimate the daily number of people moving around the city based on mobile phoneSIM cards is more than 570,000.[13] Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia at the foot of theLittle Carpathians, occupying both banks of theDanube and the left bank of theRiver Morava. The city is situated on the border of three countries—Slovakia,Austria, andHungary—and is the onlynational capital to have land borders with two othersovereign states.[c] Its geographic position places it exceptionally close to the Austrian capitalVienna, making them the closest pair of capital cities in Europe at just 50 kilometres (31 mi) apart.[14]
Today, Bratislava is thepolitical,cultural andeconomic centre of Slovakia. It is the seat of theSlovak president, theparliament, and theSlovak Executive. It has several universities, and many museums, theatres, galleries, and other cultural and educational institutions.[17] Many large businesses and financial institutions have headquarters there. Bratislava is the 19th-richest region of the European Union by GDP (PPP) per capita.[18] GDP at purchasing power parity is about three times higher than in other Slovak regions.[19][20] The city receives around one million tourists every year, mostly from the Czech Republic, Germany, and Austria.[21]
The name Pozsony was first mentioned inEstablishing charter of the abbey of Pannonhalma[hu] in 1002. The linguist Ján Stanislav believed the city's Hungarian name,Pozsony, to be attributed to the surname Božan, likely a prince who owned the castle before 950. Although the Latin name was also based on the same surname, according to research by the lexicologist Milan Majtán, the Hungarian version is not found in any official records from the time in which the theorised prince would have lived. All three versions, however, were related to those found in Slovak, Czech, and German: Vratislaburgum (905), Braslavespurch, and Preslavasburc (both 907).[22] This however was disproved by János Melich, explaining that contemporary sources prove, that Bozan actually comes from agermanisation byOtto von Freising from the Hungarian namePoson, along with another etymological theory claiming the name traces its origins toPožúň. He, similar to historian Nandor Knauz, claims that the popularity of the name ofOld Hungarian origin Poson in the era is the personal name from which the city's name is derived.[23] Flóris Rómer and linguist Lajos Kiss also attributes the name Pozsony (originally spelled Posony) to the Hungarian namePoson, likely the firstispán of thecastle.[24][25] The name then evolved to Praslavia, Praslaburck, and to Preßburg.[26][27]
The nameBratislava, which had been used only by some Slovak patriots, became official on 16 March 1919 with the aim that a Slavic name could support demands for the city to be part of Czechoslovakia.[28][29] Until then, it wasPozsony, mostly known in English asPressburg (from its German name,Preßburg), since after 1526, it was dominated mostly by the Habsburg monarchy and the city had a relevant ethnic German population.[30] That is the term from which the pre-1919 Slovak (Prešporok) and Czech (Prešpurk) names are derived.[30]
The city's modern nameBratislava is credited toPavol Jozef Šafárik's misinterpretation ofBraslav asBratislav in his analysis of medieval sources, which led him to invent the termBřetislaw, which later becameBratislav.[31]
Other alternative names of the city in the past includeGreek:Ιστρόπολις,romanized: Istropolis (meaning 'Danube City', also used in Latin),Latin:Posonium,Romanian:Pojon,Croatian:Požun.
In older documents, confusion can be caused by the Latin formsBratislavia, Wratislavia etc., which refer toWrocław (Breslau), Poland, not Bratislava. The Polish city has a similar etymology despite spelling differences.[32]
The first known permanent settlement of the area began with theLinear Pottery Culture, around 5000 B.C. in theNeolithic era. About 200 B.C., theCelticBoii tribe founded the first significant settlement, a fortified town known as anoppidum. They also established amint, producing gold and silver coins known asbiatecs.[33]
The area fell underRoman influence from the 1st to the 4th century A.D. and was made part of theDanubian Limes, a border defence system.[34] The Romans introducedgrape growing to the area and began a tradition ofwinemaking, which survives to the present.[35]
TheSlavs arrived from the East between the 5th and 6th centuries during theMigration Period.[36] As a response to onslaughts byAvars, the local Slavic tribes rebelled and establishedSamo's Empire (623–658), the first known Slavic political entity. In the 9th century, the castles at Bratislava(Brezalauspurk) andDevín(Dowina) were important centres of the Slavic states: thePrincipality of Nitra andGreat Moravia.[37] Scholars have debated the identification as fortresses of the two castles built in Great Moravia, based on linguistic arguments and because of the absence of convincingarchaeological evidence.[38][39]
The first written reference to a settlement named "Brezalauspurc" dates to 907 and is related to theBattle of Pressburg, during which aBavarian army was defeated by theHungarians. It is connected to the fall of Great Moravia, already weakened by its own inner decline[40] and under the attacks of the Hungarians.[41] The exact location of the battle remains unknown, and some interpretations place it west ofLake Balaton.[42]
In the 10th century, the territory of Pressburg (what would later becomePozsony county) became part of Hungary (called the "Kingdom of Hungary" from 1000). It developed as a key economic and administrative centre on the kingdom's frontier.[43] In 1052, German EmperorHenry III undertook a fifth campaign against theKingdom of Hungary, and besieged Pressburg without success, as the Hungarians sank his supply ships on the riverDanube. This strategic position destined the city to be the site of frequent attacks and battles, but also brought it economic development and high political status. It was granted its first known "town privileges" in 1291 by the HungarianKing Andrew III,[44] and was declared afree royal city(Libera Regia Civitas). Confirmation and expansion of privileges was made in 1405 byKingSigismund. In 1436, he authorised the town to use itsown coat of arms.[45]
The earliest known depiction of Pressburg Castle (Chronicon Pictum, 1358)
Pressburg (Bratislava) in 1588
The Kingdom of Hungary was defeated by theOttoman Empire in theBattle of Mohács in 1526. The Ottomans besieged and damaged Pressburg, but failed to conquer it.[46] Owing to Ottoman advances into Hungarian territory, the city was designated the new capital of Hungary in 1536, after becoming part of theHabsburg monarchy and marking the beginning of a new era. The city became a coronation town and the seat of kings, archbishops (1543), the nobility, and all major organisations and offices. Between 1536 and 1830, eleven Hungarian kings and queens were crowned atSt. Martin's Cathedral.[47]
The 17th century was marked by anti-Habsburg uprisings, fighting with the Ottomans, floods,plagues, and other disasters, which diminished the population.[48] Great epidemics were spreading in Bratislava in 1541–1542, 1552–1553, 1660–1665, and 1678–1681. Aterrible outbreak of 1678–1681 left approximately 11,000 casualties among Bratislava's residents (the city population was in that time around 30,000 people). The lastplague outbreak of Bratislava was between the years 1712–1713.[49]
The city started to lose its importance under the reign of Maria Theresa's sonJoseph II,[50] especially after thecrown jewels were taken toVienna in 1783 in an attempt to strengthen the relations between Austria and Hungary. Many central offices subsequently moved toBuda, followed by a large segment of the nobility.[55] The first newspapers in Hungarian and Slovak were published here:Magyar hírmondó in 1780, andPresspurske Nowiny in 1783.[56] In the course of the 18th century, the city became a centre for theSlovak national movement.[citation needed]
The city's 19th-century history was closely tied to the major events in Europe. ThePeace of Pressburg between theAustrian Empire andFrench Empire was signed here in 1805.[57]Devín Castle was ruined byNapoleon's French troops during an invasion of 1809.[58] In 1825, theHungarian National Learned Society (the present Hungarian Academy of Sciences) was founded in Pressburg using a donation fromIstván Széchenyi. In 1843, Hungarian was proclaimed the official language in legislation, public administration, and education by the Diet in the city.[59]
Industry developed rapidly in the 19th century. The firsthorse-drawn railway in the Kingdom of Hungary,[62] from Pressburg to Szentgyörgy (Svätý Jur), was built in 1840.[63] A new line to Vienna usingsteam locomotives was opened in 1848, and a line toPest in 1850.[64] Many new industrial, financial, and other institutions were founded; for example, the first bank in present-day Slovakia was founded in 1842.[65] The city's first permanent bridge over the Danube,Starý most (Old Bridge), was built in 1891.[66] Between the years 1867-1918, the territory of Pressburg became part ofAustro-Hungarian Empire.
BeforeWorld War I, the city had a population that was 42% German, 41% Hungarian, and 15% Slovak (1910 census). The first post-war census in 1919 declared the city's ethnic composition at 36% German, 33% Slovak, and 29% Hungarian, but this may have reflected changing self-identification, rather than an exchange of peoples. Many people were bi- or trilingual and multicultural.[citation needed]
On 28 October 1918,Czechoslovakia was proclaimed, but its borders were not settled for several months.[68] The dominant Hungarian and German population tried to prevent annexation of the city to Czechoslovakia and declared it afree city,[69] while the Hungarian Prime Minister Károlyi protested against the Czech invasion. The Slovak National Assembly, meanwhile, called it a"defensive action of the Slovaks themselves, to end the anarchy caused by the flight of the Hungarians."[70] TheAllies of World War I drew a provisional demarcation line, which was revealed to the Hungarian government on 23 December, in the document known as theVix Note. TheCzechoslovak Legion arrived from Italy, began to advance on 30 December 1918, and by 2 January 1919, all important civil and military buildings were in Czechoslovak hands.[71] It was the beginning of the conflict, which later continued as theHungarian–Czechoslovak War. The city became the seat of Slovakia's political organs and organizations and became Slovakia's capital on 4 February.[72]
On 27 March 1919, the name Bratislava was officially adopted for the first time to replace the previous Slovak name Prešporok.[73]
At the beginning of August 1919, Czechoslovakia got permission to correct the borders for strategic reasons, mainly to secure the port and to prevent a potential attack of theHungarian Army on the town. On the night of 14 August 1919, barefoot Czechoslovak soldiers silently climbed to the Hungarian side of theStarý most (Old Bridge), captured the guards, and annexedPetržalka (currently part of Bratislava's5th district) without a fight.[74] TheParis Peace Conference assigned the area toCzechoslovakia to create abridgehead for the newly created Czechoslovak state for controlling the Danube.
Left without any protection after the retreat of the Hungarian army, many Hungarians were expelled or fled.[75] Czechs and Slovaks moved their households to Bratislava. Education inHungarian andGerman was radically reduced in the city.[76] By the 1930Czechoslovakcensus, the Hungarian population of Bratislava had decreased to 15.8% (see theDemographics of Bratislava article for more details).
In 1938,Nazi Germany annexed neighbouring Austria in theAnschluss; on 10 October 1938, based on theMunich Agreement it also annexed (still-separate from Bratislava)Petržalka andDevín boroughs on ethnic grounds, as these had many ethnic Germans.[77][78] Petržalka was renamed asEngerau and Devín was renamed asTheben an der March. TheStarý most (Old Bridge) became a border bridge betweenCzechoslovakia and Nazi Germany.[citation needed]
Bratislava was declared the capital of thefirst independent Slovak Republic on 14 March 1939, but the new state quickly fell under Nazi influence. In 1941–1942 and 1944–1945, the new Slovak government cooperated in deporting most of Bratislava's approximately 15,000 Jews;[79][80] they were transported toconcentration camps, where most were killed or died before the end of the war in theHolocaust.[81]
At the end of World War II, most of Bratislava's ethnic Germans were evacuated by the German authorities. A few returned after the war, but were soon expelled without their properties under theBeneš decrees,[85] part of a widespreadexpulsion of ethnic Germans from eastern Europe.
Iron Curtain memorial in Bratislava, 400 people were killed trying to cross the border into the West during the communist era.
Large residential areas consisting of high-riseprefabricatedpanel buildings, such as those in thePetržalka orDúbravka borough, were built. The Communist government also built several new grandiose buildings, such as theSlovak Radio Building,Slavín, orKamzík TV Tower. A quarter of Bratislava'sOld Town was demolished in the late 1960s for a single project:the bridge of the Slovak National Uprising. To make space for this development, much of the city's centuries-old, historical Jewish quarter was razed, including the 19th-century Moorish-style Neolog Synagogue.[86]
Bratislava is situated in southwestern Slovakia, within theBratislava Region. Its location on the borders with Austria and Hungary makes it theonly national capital that borders two countries. It is only 18 kilometres (11.2 mi) from the border with Hungary and only 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) from the Austrian capitalVienna.[89]
The city has a total area of 367.58 square kilometres (141.9 sq mi), making it the second-largest city in Slovakia by area (after the township ofVysoké Tatry).[90] Bratislava straddles theDanube, along which it had developed and for centuries the chief transportation route to other areas. The river passes through the city from the west to the southeast. TheMiddle Danube basin begins atDevín Gate in western Bratislava. Other rivers are theMorava River, which forms the northwestern border of the city and enters the Danube at Devín, theLittle Danube, and theVydrica, which enters the Danube in the borough ofKarlova Ves.
TheCarpathian mountain range begins in city territory with theLittle Carpathians (Malé Karpaty). TheZáhorie andDanubian lowlands stretch into Bratislava. The city's lowest point is at the Danube's surface at 126 metres (413 ft)above mean sea level, and the highest point isDevínska Kobyla at 514 metres (1,686 ft). The average altitude is 140 metres (460 ft).[91]
Bratislava has recently shifted into thehumid subtropical climate underKöppen–Geiger climate classification (Cfa), closely bordering onDfa, and is classified as temperate oceanic climate underTrewartha climate classification (Doak), It is in USDAPlant Hardiness Zone 7b[92] with a mean annual temperature of around 11.1 °C (52.0 °F), an average temperature of 22.0 °C (71.6 °F) in the warmest month and 0.3 °C (32.5 °F) in the coldest month, four distinct seasons[93] and precipitation spread rather evenly throughout the year. It is often windy with a marked variation between hot summers and cold, humid winters. There can also sometimes be a significant difference in the weather between the parts of the city. Bratislava, just like any other city, has anurban heat island effect, but there is no weather station directly in the urban core, so the temperature there can be slightly higher than the official weather station reports. The city is in one of the warmest and driest parts of Slovakia.[94]
Recently, the transitions from winter to summer and summer to winter have been rapid, with short autumn and spring periods. Snow occurs less frequently than previously.[93] Extreme temperatures (1981–2013) – record high: 39.4 °C (102.9 °F),[95] record low: −24.6 °C (−12.3 °F). Some areas, particularly Devín andDevínska Nová Ves, are vulnerable to floods from the rivers Danube and Morava.[96] New flood protection has been built on both banks.[97]
Climate data forBratislava Airport (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1951–present)
The cityscape of Bratislava is characterized by medieval towers and grandiose 20th-century buildings, but it underwent profound changes in a construction boom at the start of the 21st century.[102]
Notable cathedrals and churches include theGothicSt. Martin's Cathedral, built in the 13th–16th centuries, which served as the coronation church of the Kingdom of Hungary between 1536 and 1830.[108] TheFranciscan Church, dating to the 13th century, has been a place of knighting ceremonies and is the oldest preserved sacral building in the city.[109] TheChurch of St. Elizabeth, better known as the Blue Church due to its colour, is built entirely in theHungarian Secessionist style. Bratislava has one surviving functioningsynagogue, out of the three major ones existing before theholocaust.
A curiosity is the underground (formerly ground-level) restored portion of the Jewish cemetery where 19th-century RabbiMoses Sofer is buried, located at the base of the castle hill near the entrance to a tram tunnel.[110] The only military cemetery in Bratislava isSlavín, unveiled in 1960 in honour ofSoviet Army soldiers who fell during the liberation of Bratislava in April 1945. It offers a view of the city and theLittle Carpathians.[111][112]
Franciscan Church and Monastery with the tall gothic tower was built in the late 13th century. The oldest building in Bratislava.
One of the most prominent structures in the city isBratislava Castle (Bratislavský hrad), situated on a plateau 85 metres (279 ft) above the Danube. The castle hill site has been inhabited since the transitional period between theStone andBronze ages[116] and has been theacropolis of aCeltic town, part of theRomanlimes Romanus, a huge Slavic fortified settlement, and a political, military and religious centre forGreat Moravia.[117] A stonecastle was not constructed until the 10th century, when the area was part of theKingdom of Hungary, however, in the9th century apre-romanesque stone basilica, was standing in the area of the hillfort.
The castle was converted into aGothic anti-Hussite fortress underSigismund of Luxemburg in 1430, became aRenaissance castle in 1562,[118] and was rebuilt in 1649 in thebaroque style. UnderQueenMaria Theresa, the castle became a prestigious royal seat. In 1811, the castle was inadvertently destroyed by fire and lay in ruins until the 1950s,[119] when it was rebuilt mostly in its former Theresian style. In the 1940s, it was planned to demolish the castle ruins and replace them with a new university complex. However, it was never realised, and in the 1960s, reconstruction began. Nowadays, it serves ceremonial purposes and as a historical museum of theSlovak National Museum.
Ruins of Devín Castle, the first written reference to the Devín Castle dates back to 864.[120]
View from Devín Castle
The ruined and recently renovatedDevín Castle is in the borough ofDevín, on top of a rock where theMorava River, which forms the border between Austria and Slovakia, enters the Danube. It is one of the most important Slovak archaeological sites and contains a museum dedicated to its history.[121] Due to its strategic location, Devín Castle was a very important frontier castle ofGreat Moravia and the early Hungarian state. It was destroyed by Napoleon's troops in 1809. It is an important symbol of Slovak and Slavic history.[122]
Rusovce mansion, with itsEnglish park, is in the Rusovce borough. The house was originally built in the 17th century and was turned into an Englishneo-Gothic-style mansion in 1841–1844.[123] The borough is also known for the ruins of the Roman military campGerulata, part of limes Romanus, a border defence system. Gerulata was built and used between the 1st and 4th centuriesAD.[124]
Due to its location in the foothills of theLittle Carpathians and itsriparian vegetation on the Danubianfloodplains, Bratislava has forests close to the city centre. The total amount of public green space is 46.8 square kilometres (18.1 sq mi), or 110 square metres (1,200 sq ft) per inhabitant.[125]
The largest city park is Horský park (literally, Mountainous Park), in the Old Town.Bratislavský lesný park (Bratislava Forest Park) is located in the Little Carpathians and includes many locales popular among visitors, such asŽelezná studienka andKoliba. The Forest Park covers an area of 27.3 square kilometres (10.5 sq mi), of which 96% is forested mostly withoak and mixed oak/hornbeam forest, and contains original flora and fauna such asEuropean badgers,red foxes,wild boar andred androe deer. On the right bank of the Danube, in the borough of Petržalka, isJanko Kráľ Park founded in 1774–1776.[126] A new city park is planned for Petržalka between the Malý Draždiak and Veľký Draždiak lakes.[115]
The city has several natural and human-made lakes, most of which are used for recreation. Examples include Štrkovec lake inRužinov, Kuchajda inNové Mesto,Zlaté Piesky and theVajnory lakes in the north-east, andRusovce lake in the south, which is popular withnudists.[128]
From the city's origin until the 19th century, Germans were the dominant ethnic group.[30] By the end ofWorld War I, 42% of the population of Pressburg spoke German as their native language, 40% Hungarian, and 15% Slovak.[30]
After the formation of theCzechoslovak Republic in 1918, Bratislava remained a multi-ethnic city, but with a different demographic trend. Due toSlovakization,[134][135] the proportion of Slovaks and Czechs increased in the city, while the proportion of Germans and Hungarians fell. In 1938, 59% of the population were Slovaks or Czechs, while Germans represented 22% and Hungarians 13% of the city's population.[79] The creation of thefirst Slovak Republic in 1939 brought other changes, most notably the expulsion of many Czechs and the deportation or flight of the Jews during theHolocaust.[30][136] In 1945, most of the Germans were evacuated. After the restoration of Czechoslovakia, theBeneš decrees (partly revoked in 1948) collectively punished ethnic German and Hungarian minorities by expropriation and deportation to Germany, Austria, and Hungary for their alleged collaborationism with Nazi Germany and Hungary against Czechoslovakia.[81][137][138]
The city thereby obtained its clearly Slovak character.[81] Hundreds of citizens were expelled during the communist oppression of the 1950s, to replace "reactionary" people with the proletarian class.[30][81] Since the 1950s, the Slovaks have been the dominant ethnicity in the city, making up around 90% of the city's population.[30]
The current local government (Mestská samospráva)[140] structure has been in place since 1990.[141] It is composed of amayor (primátor),[142] a city board (Mestská rada),[143] acity council (Mestské zastupiteľstvo),[144]city commissions (Komisie mestského zastupiteľstva),[145] and a citymagistrate's office (Magistrát).[146]
The mayor, based at thePrimate's Palace, is the city's top executive officer and is elected to a four-year term of office. The current mayor of Bratislava isMatúš Vallo, who won theelection held on 29 October 2022, as an independent candidate. The city council is the city's legislative body, responsible for issues such as budget, local ordinances,city planning, road maintenance, education, and culture.[147]
The building of the City CouncilEmbassy of Japan (left) and Greece (right) at theMain Square. There are 41 embassies and 22 honorary consulates in Bratislava.
The Bratislava City Council is the legislature of the City of Bratislava. It has 45 members. The Council usually convenes once a month and consists of 45 members elected to four-year terms concurrent with the mayor's. Many of the council's executive functions are carried out by the city commission at the council's direction.[145] The city board is a 28-member body composed of the mayor and his deputies, the borough mayors, and up to ten city council members. The board is an executive and supervisory arm of the city council and also serves in an advisory role to the mayor.[143]
Administratively, Bratislava is divided into fivedistricts: Bratislava I (the city centre), Bratislava II (eastern parts), Bratislava III (north-eastern parts), Bratislava IV (western and northern parts) and Bratislava V (southern parts on the right bank of the Danube, including Petržalka, the most densely populated residential area inCentral Europe).[148]
For self-governance purposes, the city is divided into 17 boroughs, each of which has its own mayor (starosta) and council. The number of councillors in each depends on the size and population of the borough.[149] Each of the boroughs coincides with the city's 20cadastral areas, except for two cases: Nové Mesto is further divided into the Nové Mesto and Vinohrady cadastral areas and Ružinov is divided into Ružinov, Nivy and Trnávka. Further unofficial division recognizes additional quarters and localities.
TheBratislava Region is the wealthiest and most economically prosperous region in Slovakia, despite being the smallest by area and having the third smallest population ofthe eight Slovak regions. It accounts for about 26% of the SlovakGDP.[150] According toGDP per capita, Bratislava is the 19th-richest region in the European Union in 2023.[151] The unemployment rate in Bratislava was 2,38% in June 2023.[152] The average monthly salary in the Bratislava region in 2024 was 2150€.[153]
Residential buildingEurovea Tower, the tallest building in Slovakia
Companies operating predominantly in Bratislava with the highest value added according to the 2018Trend Top 200 ranking, include theVolkswagen Bratislava Plant, Slovnaft refinery (MOL),Eset (software developer), Asseco (software company), PPC Power (producer of heat and steam) and Trenkwalder personnel agency.[156]
High-rise buildings in new Bratislava downtown. The area is composed ofSky Park,Eurovea City and New Nivy, 2024.
TheSlovak economy's strong growth in the 2000s has led to a boom in the construction industry, and several major projects have been completed or are planned in Bratislava.[113] Areas attracting developers include theDanube riverfront, where two major projects are already finished: River Park in the Old Town, andEurovea near the Apollo Bridge.[161][162] Other locations under development include the areas around the main railway and bus stations, the former industrial zone near the Old Town and in the boroughs of Petržalka, Nové Mesto and Ružinov.[148][163][164] In 2010, the city had a balanced budget of 277€ million, with one fifth used for investment.[165] Bratislava holds shares in 17 companies directly, including the city's public transport companyDopravný podnik Bratislava, thewaste collection and disposal company named OLO (Odvoz a likvidácia odpadu), and the water utility.[166] The city also manages municipal organisations such as the city police (Mestská polícia),Bratislava City Museum andZOO Bratislava.[167]
In 2022, a total of 927,950 people came to visit Bratislava and spent 1,719,409 nights there.[168] These were most commonly 65% foreigners. Bratislava attracts predominantly visitors from the neighboring and nearby countries - the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, and Poland. The top 5 is closed by visitors from the UK. Bratislava offered 272 accommodation facilities with 10,338 rooms in 2022.[168] A considerable share of visits is made by those who visit Bratislava for a single day, but their exact number is not available.
Among other factors, the growth oflow-cost airline flights to Bratislava, led byRyanair, has led to conspicuousstag parties, primarily from the UK. While these are a boom to the city's tourism industry, cultural differences andvandalism have led to concern by local officials.[169] Reflecting the popularity of rowdy parties in Bratislava in the early to mid-2000s, the city was a setting in the 2004 comedy filmEurotrip, which was actually filmed in the city ofPrague, the Czech Republic.
A month before Christmas, theMain Square in Bratislava is illuminated by a Christmas tree, and the Christmas market stalls are officially opened. Around 100 booths are opened every year. It is open most of the day as well as in the evening.
Bratislava is the cultural heart of Slovakia. Owing to its historical multi-cultural character, local culture is influenced by various ethnic and religious groups, including Germans, Slovaks, Hungarians, and Jews.[170] Bratislava enjoys numerous theatres, museums, galleries, concert halls, cinemas, film clubs, and foreign cultural institutions.[171]
TheSlovak National Museum (Slovenské národné múzeum), founded in 1961, has its headquarters in Bratislava on the riverfront in the Old Town, along with the Natural History Museum, which is one of its subdivisions. It is the largest culturalinstitution in Slovakia, and manages 16 specialized museums in Bratislava and beyond.[179] TheBratislava City Museum (Múzeum mesta Bratislavy), established in 1868, is the oldest museum in continuous operation in Slovakia.[180] Its primary goal is to chronicle Bratislava's history in various forms from the earliest periods using historical and archaeological collections. It offers permanent displays in eight specialised museums.
TheSlovak National Gallery, founded in 1948, offers the most extensive network of galleries in Slovakia. Two displays in Bratislava are next to one another atEsterházy Palace (Esterházyho palác) and the Water Barracks (Vodné kasárne) on the Danube riverfront in the Old Town. TheBratislava City Gallery, founded in 1961, is the second-largest Slovak gallery of its kind. The gallery offers permanent displays atPálffy Palace (Pálffyho palác) andMirbach Palace (Mirbachov palác), in the Old Town.[181] Danubiana Art Museum, one of the youngest art museums in Europe, is nearČunovowaterworks.[182]
As the national capital, Bratislava is home to national and many local media outlets. Notable TV stations based in the city includeSlovak Television and Radio (Slovenská televízia a rozhlas),Markíza,JOJ andTA3.STVR radio'sheadquarters has its seat in the centre, and many Slovak commercial radio stations are based in the city. National newspapers based in Bratislava includeSME,Pravda,Nový čas,Hospodárske noviny and the English-languageThe Slovak Spectator. Two news agencies are headquartered there: theNews Agency of the Slovak Republic (TASR, Tlačová agentúra Slovenskej republiky) and the Slovak News Agency (SITA, Slovenská tlačová agentúra).
Varioussports and sports teams have a long tradition in Bratislava, with many teams and individuals competing in Slovak and internationalleagues, tournaments, andcompetitions.
TheSlovak Academy of Sciences is also based in Bratislava. However, the city is one of the few European capitals to have neither anobservatory nor aplanetarium. The nearest observatory is inModra, 30 kilometres (19 mi) away, and the nearest planetarium is inHlohovec, 70 kilometres (43 mi) away.
Bratislava is also served by theVienna International Airport, located 49 kilometres (30.4 mi) west of the city centre.
The geographical position of Bratislava in Central Europe has long made it a natural crossroads for international trade traffic.[202]
Public transport in Bratislava is managed byDopravný podnik Bratislava, a city-owned company. The transport system is known asMestská hromadná doprava (MHD, Municipal Mass Transit) and employs buses,trams, andtrolleybuses.[203] Most of the Bratislava public transport is coated in a typical color combination of red and black.
Bratislava is also part of an integrated system,IDS BK, connecting city public transport with other transport companies in the Bratislava region. Traveling with a single ticket is possible throughout the system network, both in Bratislava and to the nearby villages and cities, including three other districts of Senec, Malacky, and Pezinok.
Daily trains and buses from Bratislava to Vienna run multiple times every hour, with theWien Hbf train station serving Bratislava as well, with more connections throughout Europe, opening possibilities for travel toItaly andFrance with a quick change of trains in Vienna.
The main bus station (Autobusová stanica orAutobusová stanica Nivy) is located at Mlynské Nivy, east of the city centre, and offers both bus connections to cities in Slovakia and international bus lines. A new bus station attached to a shopping mall, administration centre, and Bratislava's tallest skyscraper, Nivy Tower, was opened on 30 September 2021.[204] The bus station lies underground and its design was inspired by airport terminals. The waiting area offers enough space and comfort to wait for the bus.
The motorway system provides direct access toBrno in the Czech Republic,Vienna in Austria,Budapest in Hungary,Trnava, and other points in Slovakia. TheA6 motorway between Bratislava andVienna was opened in November 2007.[205]
ThePort of Bratislava is one of the two internationalriver ports in Slovakia. The port provides access to theBlack Sea via the Danube and to theNorth Sea through theRhine–Main–Danube Canal. Additionally, tourist lines operate from Bratislava's passenger port, including routes toDevín,Vienna, and elsewhere. In Bratislava there are currently six bridges standing over theDanube (ordered by the flow of the river):Most Lafranconi (Lafranconi Bridge),Most SNP (Bridge of the Slovak National Uprising, previously calledNový most orNew bridge) with the famousUFO Tower,Starý most (The Old Bridge),Most Apollo (Apollo Bridge),Prístavný most (The Harbor Bridge) and Lužný most (The Floodplain bridge).
Bratislava'sM. R. Štefánik Airport is the maininternational airport in Slovakia. The airport is located 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) north-east of the city centre, with fast connections served by the city's public transport. It serves civil and governmental, scheduled and unscheduled domestic and international flights. The current runways support the landing for all common types of aircraft. It served 2,024,000 passengers in 2007.[206] Bratislava is also served by theVienna International Airport located 49 kilometres (30.4 mi) west of the city centre. It is common for Bratislava residents to use the Vienna airport often, as it offers more variety and can be reached in under 60 minutes from Bratislava by car.
^Hungarian:Pozsony,pronounced[ˈpoʒoɲ]ⓘ; German:Pressburg orPreßburg,pronounced[ˈpʁɛsbʊʁk]ⓘ; Slovak (archaic):Prešporok. The name fell out of use after the establishment ofCzechoslovakia.
^City-stateSingapore, has maritime borders with Malaysia and Indonesia.
^Lysá, Žofia (2011)."Privilégium pre Bratislavu z roku 1291" [The charter of privileges granted to Bratislava in 1291].Central and Eastern European Online Library (in Slovak). pp. 189–214.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^János Melich: On the Hungarian, Slovak and German names of Pozsony; Századok – 1923-1924, https://real.mtak.hu/178746/1/717_cut_Szazadok_1923-1924.pdf
^Flóris Rómer: Archeological Monuments of Bratislava
^Kiss Lajos: Földrajzi nevek etimológiai szótára, Akadémiai, 1980.
^Theodore Ortvay: History of the city of Bratislava I.
^Kristó, Gyula, ed. (1994).Korai Magyar Történeti Lexikon – 9–14. század(Encyclopedia of the Early Hungarian History – 9–14th centuries). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó. pp. 128, 167.ISBN963-05-6722-9.
^Simon, Attila (2011). "I. Changes of Sovereignty and the New Nation States in the Danube Region 1918–1921 – 3. The Creation of Hungarian Minority Groups – Czechoslovakia: Slovakia". In Bárdi, Nándor; Szarka, Csilla; Szarka, László (eds.).Minority Hungarian Communities in the Twentieth Century (East European Monographs, 774). Translated by McLean, Brian; Suff, Matthew. New York: Columbia University Press, Atlantic Research and Publications, Inc., Institute for Ethnic and National Minority Studies of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.ISBN978-0-88033-677-2.
^Hronský, Marián (2001). "2. The Process of Occupation of the Territory of Slovakia by the Czecho-Slovak Army".The Struggle for Slovakia and the Treaty of Trianon. Bratislava: Slovak Academy of Sciences. p. 133.ISBN80-224-0677-5.
^Hronský, Marián (2001). "2. The Process of Occupation of the Territory of Slovakia by the Czecho-Slovak Army".The Struggle for Slovakia and the Treaty of Trianon. Bratislava: Slovak Academy of Sciences. p. 149.ISBN80-224-0677-5.
^Tibenský, Ján; et al. (1971).Slovensko: Dejiny. Bratislava: Obzor.
^"Bratislava Airport Climate Normals 1991–2020".World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived fromthe original on August 7, 2023. RetrievedAugust 7, 2023.
^"Františkánsky kostol a kláštor" [Franciscan church and monastery] (in Slovak). City of Bratislava. February 14, 2005. Archived fromthe original on May 29, 2007. RetrievedJune 10, 2007.
^ab"Petržalka City". City of Bratislava. March 1, 2007. Archived fromthe original on October 12, 2007. RetrievedJanuary 29, 2008.Petržalka City will transform the largest and most densely populated housing estate in Central Europe from a monotone cement-panel housing scheme into a fully-fledged town with autonomous multipurpose centre.
^"Budget". City of Bratislava. 2010. Archived fromthe original on July 3, 2009. RetrievedDecember 30, 2010.
^"Obchodné spoločnosti mesta" [Municipal business companies] (in Slovak). City of Bratislava. 2005. Archived fromthe original on February 15, 2012. RetrievedApril 29, 2007.
^Zuzana Habšudová (May 29, 2006)."Bratislava wearies of stag tourism".The Slovak Spectator. Archived fromthe original on September 5, 2006. RetrievedApril 28, 2007.We hope the number of British tourists visiting Slovakia will continue to increase, but we want it to be responsible tourism.
^Beáta Husová (January 19, 2007)."Profile of the museum". Bratislava City Museum. Archived fromthe original on September 20, 2007. RetrievedMay 4, 2007.
^"Univerzita Komenského"(PDF) (in Slovak). Ústav informácií a prognóz školstva. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on February 27, 2008. Retrieved2008-02-15.
Horváth, V.; Lehotská, D.; Pleva, J.; et al., eds. (1979).Dejiny Bratislavy [History of Bratislava] (in Slovak) (2nd ed.). Bratislava, Slovakia: Obzor.
Janota, Igor (2006).Bratislavské rarity (Rarities of Bratislava) (in Slovak) (1st ed.). Bratislava, Slovakia: Vydavateľstvo PT.ISBN80-89218-19-9.
Kováč, Dušan (2006).Bratislava 1939–1945 – Mier a vojna v meste (Bratislava 1939–1945 – Peace and war in the town) (in Slovak) (1st ed.). Bratislava, Slovakia: Vydavateľstvo PT.ISBN80-89218-29-6.
Kováč, Dušan; et al. (1998).Kronika Slovenska 1 (Chronicle of Slovakia 1) (in Slovak) (1st ed.). Bratislava, Slovakia: Fortuna Print.ISBN80-7153-174-X.
Kováč, Dušan; et al. (1999).Kronika Slovenska 2 (Chronicle of Slovakia 2) (in Slovak) (1st ed.). Bratislava, Slovakia: Fortuna Print.ISBN80-88980-08-9.
Lacika, Ján (2000).Bratislava. Visiting Slovakia (1st ed.). Bratislava, Slovakia: DAJAMA.ISBN80-88975-16-6.
Špiesz, Anton (2001).Bratislava v stredoveku [Bratislava in the Middle Ages] (in Slovak) (1st ed.). Bratislava, Slovakia: Perfekt.ISBN80-8046-145-7.
Varga, Erzsébet (1995).Pozsony (in Hungarian) (1st ed.). Pozsony: Madách-Posonium.ISBN80-7089-245-5.
Jankovics, Marcell (2000).Húsz esztendő Pozsonyban (Twenty years in Bratislava) (in Hungarian) (2nd ed.). Pozsony: Méry Ratio.ISBN80-88837-34-0.
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