Bratislava Old Town

Bratislava Old Town

Bratislava Old Town is the historic Baroque and medieval core of the Slovak capital, a compact pedestrianised district on the left bank of the Danube where Central European history converges at a strategic crossing point between Austria and Hungary.

History

Settled since the Bronze Age, the site gained its first royal charter in 1291. Under Hungarian rule as Pozsony, it served as the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1536 to 1783, after the Ottoman occupation of Buda — a period when 11 Habsburg monarchs were crowned at St Martin’s Cathedral. The city’s Main Square (Hlavné námestie) witnessed coronation processions for generations. After World War I it became the capital of Czechoslovakia, and since 1993 of independent Slovakia.

What to See

Bratislava Castle (Bratislavský hrad), rebuilt in its current four-tower form in the 15th century, dominates the old town from a promontory 85 metres above the Danube and now houses the Slovak National Museum. St Martin’s Cathedral (14th century) displays the golden crown replica on its tower steeple. The old town’s Baroque palaces — including the Primate’s Palace with its Hall of Mirrors — cluster around pedestrianised Main Square, dotted with humorous bronze statues.

Getting There

Bratislava is the Slovak capital, 60 km east of Vienna. Frequent trains link Vienna Hauptbahnhof to Bratislava Hlavná stanica (1 hour). The city centre is walkable from the station.

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