Bratislava
Encyclopedia
Bratislava (ˈbracɪslava; formerly Preßburg) is the capital of Slovakia
and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country
's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube
River. Bordering Austria
and Hungary
, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.
Bratislava is the political
, cultural
, and economic
centre of Slovakia. It is the seat of the Slovak president, the parliament
, and the executive branch of the government
. It is home to several universities, museums, theatres, galleries and other important cultural and educational institutions. Many of Slovakia's large businesses and financial institutions also have headquarters there.
The history of the city, long known by the German name Preßburg, has been strongly influenced by people of different nations and religions, namely by Austrians
, Czechs, Germans
, Hungarians, Slovaks
, and Jews
. The city was the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary
, a part of the larger Habsburg Monarchy
territories, from 1536 to 1783 and has been home to many Slovak
, Hungarian, and German
historical figures.
, was probably Brezalauspurc (literally: Braslav's castle). Notable alternative names are: ˈpʁɛsbʊɐk (still used in German speaking countries today – mostly in Austria, only seldom in Germany), poʒoɲ (still used in Hungarian today), former Slovak
name: Prešporok.
Other names are or were: Greek
: Ιστρόπολις Istropolis (meaning "Danube
City", also used in Latin), , , , , , . The name Pressburg was also used in English language publications until 1919, and it is still occasionally used today. For the history and etymology of the various names, see History of Bratislava.
In older documents, confusion can be caused by the Latin forms Bratislavia, Wratislavia etc., which refer to Wrocław (Breslau), Poland – not to Bratislava.
The first known permanent settlement of the area began with the Linear Pottery Culture
, around 5000 BC in the Neolithic
era. About 200 BC, the Celtic Boii
tribe founded the first significant settlement, a fortified town known as an oppidum
, and also established a mint
which produced silver coins known as biatec
s.
The area fell under Roman
influence from the 1st to the 4th century AD and formed part of the Limes Romanus
, a border defence system. The Romans introduced grape growing
to the area and began a tradition of winemaking
, which survives to the present.
The Slavs
arrived between the 5th and 6th centuries during the Migration Period
. As a response to onslaughts by Avars
, the local Slavic tribes rebelled and established Samo
's Empire (623–658), the first known Slavic political entity. In the 9th century, the castles at Bratislava (Brezalauspurc) and Devín
(Dowina) were important centres of the Slavic states the Principality of Nitra
and Great Moravia
. On the other hand, the identification of the two castles as fortresses built in Great Moravia has been under debate based on linguistic arguments and because of the absence of convincing archaeological evidence. The first written reference to a settlement named "Brezalauspurc" dates to 907 and is related to a battle during which a Bavaria
n army was defeated by the Hungarians and which is connected to the fall of Great Moravia — already weakened by its own inner decline — under the attacks of the Hungarians. However, the exact location of the battle remains unknown and some interpretations place it west of Lake Balaton
.
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In the 10th century, the territory of Pressburg (what would later become Pozsony county) became part of Hungary (called "the Kingdom of Hungary
" from 1000) and became a key economic and administrative centre on the kingdom's frontier. 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 Hungarian King Andrew III, and was declared a free royal town in 1405 by King
Sigismund
, who also entitled the town to use its own coat of arms
in 1436.
The Kingdom of Hungary was defeated by the Ottoman Empire
in the Battle of Mohács
in 1526. Thereafter the Turks besieged and damaged Pressburg but failed to conquer it. Owing to Ottoman advances into Hungarian territory, the city was designated the new capital of Hungary in 1536, becoming part of the Austrian Habsburg 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 at St. Martin's Cathedral. Nevertheless, the 17th century was marked by anti-Habsburg uprisings, fighting with the Turks, floods, plagues and other disasters.
Pressburg flourished during the 18th century reign of Queen Maria Theresa
, becoming the largest and most important town in Hungary. The population tripled; many new palaces, monasteries, mansions, and streets were built, and the city was the centre of social and cultural life of the region. However, the city started to lose its importance under the reign of Maria Theresa's son Joseph II
, especially when the crown jewels were taken to Vienna
in 1783 in an attempt to strengthen the union between Austria and Hungary. Many central offices subsequently moved to Buda
, followed by a large segment of the nobility. The first newspapers in Hungarian and Slovak were published here, resp. Magyar hírmondó in 1780, and Presspurske Nowiny in 1783. In the course of the 18th century, the city became a centre for the
Slovak national movement.
19th century history was closely tied to the major events in Europe. The Peace of Pressburg
between Austria and France was signed here in 1805. Theben Castle
was ruined by Napoleon
's French troops in 1809. In 1825 the Hungarian National Learned Society
(the present Hungarian Academy of Sciences) was founded in Pressburg using a donation from István Széchenyi
. In 1843 Hungarian was proclaimed the official language in legislation, public administration and education by the Diet in the city. As a reaction to the Revolutions of 1848
, Ferdinand V
signed the so-called April laws
, which included the abolition of serfdom
, at the Primate's Palace
.Kováč et al., "Kronika Slovenska 1", p. 444 The city chose the revolutionary Hungarian side, but was captured by the Austrians in December 1848. Industry grew rapidly in the 19th century. The first horse-drawn railway
in the Kingdom of Hungary, from Pressburg to Svätý Jur
, was built in 1840. A new line to Vienna using steam locomotive
s was opened in 1848, and a line to Pest in 1850. Many new industrial, financial and other institutions were founded; for example, the first bank established in present-day Slovakia was founded in 1842. The city's first permanent bridge over the Danube, Starý most
, was built in 1891.
Before World War I
, the city had 42% German, 41% Hungarian and 15% Slovak population (1910 census). After World War I
and the formation of Czechoslovakia
on October 28, 1918, the city was incorporated into the new state despite its representatives' reluctance. The dominant Hungarian and German population tried to prevent annexation of the city to Czechoslovakia and declared it a free city. However, the Czechoslovak Legions
occupied the city on January 1, 1919, thereby making it part of Czechoslovakia. The city became the seat of Slovakia's political organs and organizations and became Slovakia's capital on 4 – February 5. On February 12, 1919 the German and Hungarian population started a protest against the Czechoslovak occupation, but the Czechoslovak Legions opened fire upon the unarmed demonstrators. On March 27, 1919, the name Bratislava was officially adopted for the first time. Left without any protection after the retreat of the Hungarian army, many Hungarians were expelled or fled and Czechs and Slovaks took their houses and moved to Bratislava. Education in Hungarian
and German was radically reduced. In the 1930 Czechoslovakia
n census
the Hungarian population of Bratislava had decreased to 15.8% (see the Demographics of Bratislava
article for more details).
In 1938, Nazi Germany
annexed neighbouring Austria in the Anschluss
; later that year it also annexed the still-independent Petržalka
and Devín boroughs on ethnic grounds. Bratislava was declared the capital of the first independent Slovak Republic on March 14, 1939, but the new state quickly fell under Nazi influence. In 1941–1942 and 1944–1945, the new Slovak government expelled most of Bratislava's approximately 15,000 Jews, with most of them being sent into concentration camp
s. Bratislava was bombarded by the Allies
, occupied by German troops in 1944 and eventually taken by the Soviet
Red Army
on April 4, 1945. At the end of World War II, most Bratislava Germans were evacuated by German authorities; a few returned after the war, but were expelled without their properties under the Beneš decrees
.
After the Communist Party
seized power in Czechoslovakia in February 1948, the city became part of the Eastern Bloc
. The city annexed new land, and the population rose significantly, becoming 90% Slovak. Large residential areas consisting of high-rise prefabricated
panel buildings
, such as those in the Petržalka borough, were built. The Communist government also built several new grandiose buildings, such as the Nový Most
bridge and the Slovak Radio
headquarters, sometimes at the expense of the historical cityscape.
In 1968, after the unsuccessful Czechoslovak attempt
to liberalise the Communist regime, the city was occupied by Warsaw Pact
troops. Shortly thereafter, it became capital of the Slovak Socialist Republic
, one of the two states of the federalized Czechoslovakia.
Bratislava's dissidents anticipated the fall of Communism with the Bratislava candle demonstration
in 1988, and the city became one of the foremost centres of the anti-Communist Velvet Revolution
in 1989.
In 1993, the city became the capital of the newly formed Slovak Republic
following the Velvet Divorce
. In the 1990s and the early 21st century, its economy boomed due to foreign investment. The flourishing city also hosted several important cultural and political events, including the Slovakia Summit 2005
between George W. Bush
and Vladimir Putin
.
Bratislava is situated in south-western Slovakia, within the Bratislava Region
. Its location on the borders with Austria
and Hungary
makes it the only national capital that borders two countries. It is only 62 kilometres (38.5 mi) from the border with the Czech Republic
and only 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) from the Austria
n capital Vienna
.
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 of Vysoké Tatry
). Bratislava straddles the Danube River
, which crosses the city from the west to the south-east. The Middle Danube basin begins at Devín Gate
in western Bratislava. Other rivers are the Morava River, which forms the north-western border of the city and enters the Danube at Devín, the Little Danube
, and the Vydrica
, which enters the Danube in the borough of Karlova Ves
.
The Carpathian
mountain range begins in city territory with the Little Carpathians
(Malé Karpaty). The Záhorie
and Danubian
lowlands stretch into Bratislava. The city's lowest point is at the Danube's surface at 126 metres (413.4 ft) above mean sea level
, and the highest point is Devínska Kobyla
at 514 metres (1,686.4 ft). The average altitude is 140 metres (459.3 ft).
with four distinct seasons. It is often windy with a marked variation between hot summers and cold, humid winters. The city is in one of the warmest and driest parts of Slovakia. 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. Some areas, particularly Devín and Devínska Nová Ves
, are vulnerable to floods from the Danube and Morava rivers. New flood protection has been built on both banks.
The cityscape of Bratislava is characterised by medieval towers and grandiose 20th-century buildings, but it has undergone profound changes in a construction boom at the start of the 21st century.
Most historical buildings are concentrated in the Old Town
. Bratislava's Town Hall
is a complex of three buildings erected in the 14th–15th centuries and now hosts the Bratislava City Museum
. Michael's Gate
is the only gate that has been preserved from the medieval fortifications
, and it ranks among the oldest of the town's buildings; the narrowest house in Europe is nearby. The University Library building, erected in 1756, was used by the Diet
of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1802 to 1848. Much of the significant legislation of the Hungarian Reform Era
(such as the abolition of serfdom
and the foundation of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
) was enacted there.
The historic centre is characterised by many baroque
palaces. The Grassalkovich Palace
, built around 1760, is now the residence of the Slovak president, and the Slovak government now has its seat in the former Archiepiscopal Palace
. In 1805, diplomats of emperors Napoleon
and Francis II
signed the fourth Peace of Pressburg
in the Primate's Palace
, after Napoleon's victory in the Battle of Austerlitz
. Some smaller houses are historically significant; composer Johann Nepomuk Hummel
was born in an 18th-century house in the Old Town.
Notable cathedrals and churches include the Gothic
St. Martin's Cathedral built in the 13th–16th centuries, which served as the coronation church of the Kingdom of Hungary between 1563 and 1830. The Franciscan Church
, dating to the 13th century, has been a place of knighting ceremonies and is the oldest preserved sacral building in the city. The Church of St. Elisabeth
, better known as the Blue Church due to its colour, is built entirely in the Hungarian Secessionist
style.
A curiosity is the underground (formerly ground-level) restored portion of the Jewish cemetery where 19th-century Rabbi Moses Sofer
is buried, located at the base of the castle hill near the entrance to a tram tunnel. The only military cemetery in Bratislava is Slavín
, unveiled in 1960 in honour of Soviet Army
soldiers who fell during the liberation of Bratislava in April 1945. It offers an excellent view of the city and the Little Carpathians
.
Other prominent 20th-century structures include the Nový Most
(New Bridge) across the Danube
featuring a UFO
-like tower restaurant, Slovak Radio
's inverted-pyramid-shaped headquarters, and the uniquely designed Kamzík TV Tower
with an observation deck and rotating restaurant. In the early 21st century, new edifices have transformed the traditional cityscape. The construction boom has spawned new public buildings, such as the Most Apollo and a new building of the Slovak National Theatre
, as well as private real-estate development
.
, situated on a plateau 85 metres (279 ft) above the Danube. The castle hill site has been inhabited since the transitional period between the Stone
and Bronze
ages and has been the acropolis
of a Celtic town, part of the Roman
Limes Romanus
, a huge Slavic fortified settlement, and a political, military and religious centre for Great Moravia
. A stone castle
was not constructed until the 10th century, when the area was part of the Kingdom of Hungary
. The castle was converted into a Gothic
anti-Hussite
fortress under Sigismund of Luxemburg
in 1430, became a Renaissance
castle in 1562, and was rebuilt in 1649 in the baroque
style. Under Queen
Maria Theresa
, the castle became a prestigious royal seat. In 1811, the castle was inadvertently destroyed by fire and lay in ruins until the 1950s, when it was rebuilt mostly in its former Theresian style.
is in the borough of Devín
, on top of a rock where the Morava 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. Due to its strategic location, Devín Castle was a very important frontier castle of Great 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.
, with its English park
, is in the Rusovce borough. The house was originally built in the 17th century and was turned into an English neo-Gothic
-style mansion in 1841–1844. The borough is also known for the ruins of the Roman military camp Gerulata
, part of Limes Romanus, a border defence system. Gerulata was built and used between the 1st and 4th centuries AD
.
Due to its location in the foothills of the Little Carpathians
and its riparian vegetation
on the Danubian floodplain
s, 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 (1,184 sq ft) per inhabitant.
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 as Železná studienka and Koliba
. The Forest Park covers an area of 27.3 square kilometres (10.5 sq mi), of which 96% is forested, and contains original flora and fauna such as European badgers, red fox
es and mouflon
s. On the right bank of the Danube, in the borough of Petržalka, is Janko Kráľ Park
founded in 1774–76. A new city park is planned for Petržalka between the Malý Draždiak and Veľký Draždiak lakes.
Bratislava's zoological park
is located in Mlynská dolina
, near the headquarters of Slovak Television. The zoo, founded in 1960, currently houses 152 species of animals, including the rare white lion
and white tiger
. The Botanical Gardens, which belong to Comenius University
, can be found on the Danube riverfront and house more than 120 species of domestic and foreign origin.
The city has a number of natural and man-made lakes, most of which are used for recreation. Examples include Štrkovec lake in Ružinov
, Kuchajda in Nové Mesto
, Zlaté Piesky
and the Vajnory
lakes in the north-east, and Rusovce
lake in the south, which is popular with nudists
.
From the city's origin until the 19th century, Germans were the dominant ethnic group. However, after the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, active Magyarisation
took place, and by the end of World War I 40% of the population of Pressburg spoke Hungarian as native language, 42% German, and 15% Slovak. After the formation of the Czechoslovak Republic in 1918, Bratislava remained a multi-ethnic city, but with a different demographic trend. Due to Slovakization
, the proportion of Slovaks and Czechs increased in the city, while the proportion of Germans and Hungarians fell. In 1938, 59% of population were Slovaks or Czechs, while Germans represented 22% and Hungarians 13% of the city's population. The creation of the first Slovak Republic in 1939 brought other changes, most notably the expulsion of many Czechs and the deportation or flight of the Jews during the Holocaust. In 1945, most of the Germans were evacuated. After the restoration of Czechoslovakia, the Beneš 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.
The city thereby obtained its clearly Slovak character. Hundreds of citizens were expelled during the communist oppression of the 1950s, with the aim of replacing "reactionary" people with the proletarian class. Since the 1950s, the Slovaks have been the dominant ethnicity in the town, making up around 90% of the city's population.
Bratislava is the seat of the Slovak parliament
, presidency, ministries, supreme court , and central bank
. It is the seat of the Bratislava Region
and, since 2002, also of the Bratislava Self-Governing Region. The city also has many foreign embassies
and consulates
.
The current local government (Mestská samospráva) structure has been in place since 1990. It is composed of a mayor
(primátor), a city board (Mestská rada), a city council
(Mestské zastupiteľstvo), city commission
s (Komisie mestského zastupiteľstva), and a city magistrate
's office (Magistrát).
The mayor, based at the Primate's Palace
, is the city's top executive officer and is elected to a four-year term of office. The current mayor of Bratislava is Milan Ftáčnik
, who won the election held on November 28, 2010 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. 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. 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.
Administratively, Bratislava is divided into five districts
: 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 in Central Europe
).
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. Each of the boroughs coincides with the city's 20 cadastral 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.
The Bratislava Region
is the wealthiest and most economically prosperous region in Slovakia, despite being the smallest by area and having the second smallest population of the eight Slovak regions
. It accounts for about 26% of the Slovak GDP
. The GDP per capita (PPP
), valued at €
41,800 (2008), is 167% of the EU
average and is the ninth-highest of all regions in the EU member states.
The average brutto salary in Bratislava region in first three quarters of 2009 was € 1052.
The unemployment rate in Bratislava was 1.83% in December 2007. Many governmental institutions and private companies have their headquarters in Bratislava. More than 75% of Bratislava's population works in the service sector, mainly composed of trade
, bank
ing, IT
, telecommunication
s, and tourism
. The Bratislava Stock Exchange (BSSE), the organiser of the public securities market, was founded on March 15, 1991.
The automaker Volkswagen
built a factory in Bratislava in 1991 and has expanded since. Currently, its production focuses on SUVs
, which represent 68% of all production. The VW Touareg
is produced in Bratislava, and the Porsche Cayenne
and Audi Q7
are partially built there.
In recent years, service and high-tech
-oriented businesses have prospered in Bratislava. Many global companies, including IBM
, Dell
, Lenovo, AT&T
, SAP
, and Accenture
, have built outsourcing
and service centres here or plan to do so soon. Reasons for the influx of multi-national corporation
s include proximity to the Western Europe, skilled labour force and the high density of universities and research facilities.
Other large companies and employers with headquarters in Bratislava include Slovak Telekom
, Orange Slovensko
, Slovenská sporiteľňa
, Tatra banka
, Doprastav
, Hewlett-Packard Slovakia
, Slovnaft
, Henkel Slovensko
, Slovenský plynárenský priemysel
, Kraft Foods
Slovakia, Whirlpool Slovakia, Železnice Slovenskej republiky, and Tesco
Stores Slovak Republic.
The Slovak 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. Areas attracting developers include the Danube riverfront, where two major projects are already finished: River Park in the Old Town, and Eurovea near the Apollo Bridge. Other locations under development include the areas around the main railway and bus stations, around the former industrial zone near the Old Town and in the boroughs of Petržalka, Nové Mesto and Ružinov. It is expected that investors will spend €1.2 billion on new projects by 2010.
The city has a balanced budget of 277 milion Euro
s (as of 2010), with one fifth used for investment. Bratislava holds shares in 17 companies directly, for example, in the public transport company (Dopravný podnik Bratislava
), the waste collection and disposal
company, and the water utility. The city also manages municipal organisations such as the City Police
(Mestská polícia), Bratislava City Museum
and ZOO Bratislava
.
In 2006, Bratislava had 77 commercial accommodation facilities (of which 45 were hotels) with a total capacity of 9,940 beds. A total of 686,201 visitors, 454,870 of whom were foreigners, stayed overnight. Altogether, visitors made 1,338,497 overnight stays. However, a considerable share of visits is made by those who visit Bratislava for a single day, and their exact number is not known. Largest numbers of foreign visitors come from the Czech Republic
, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland
and Austria
.
Among other factors, the growth of low-cost airline
flights to Bratislava, led by Ryanair
, has led to conspicuous stag parties
, primarily from the UK. While these are a boon to the city's tourist industry, cultural differences and vandalism
have led to concern by local officials.
Bratislava is the seat of the Slovak National Theatre
, housed in two buildings. The first is a Neo-Renaissance theatre building situated in the Old Town at the end of Hviezdoslav Square
. The new building, opened to the public in 2007, is on the riverfront. The theatre has three ensembles: opera, ballet and drama. Smaller theatres include the Bratislava Puppet Theatre, the Astorka Korzo '90 theatre, the Arena Theatre
, L+S Studio, and the Naive Theatre of Radošina.
Music in Bratislava flourished in the 18th century and was closely linked to Viennese musical life. Mozart
visited the town at the age of six. Among other notable composers who visited or lived in the town were Haydn
, Liszt
, Bartók
and Beethoven
. It is also the birthplace of the composers Johann Nepomuk Hummel
and Franz Schmidt
. Bratislava is home to both the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra and the chamber orchestra, Capella Istropolitana
. The city hosts several annual festivals, such as the Bratislava Music Festival
and Bratislava Jazz Days. The Wilsonic Festival
, held annually since 2000, brings dozens of international musical acts to the city each year. During the summer, various musical events take place as part of the Bratislava Cultural Summer at Bratislava Castle
, Park kultúry a oddychu
and elsewhere. Apart from musical festivals, it is possible to hear music ranging from underground to well known pop stars.
The Slovak 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 museum and cultural institution in Slovakia. The museum manages 16 specialised museums in Bratislava and beyond. The Bratislava City Museum
(Múzeum mesta Bratislavy), established in 1868, is the oldest museum in continuous operation in Slovakia. 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.
The Slovak National Gallery
, founded in 1948, offers the most extensive network of galleries in Slovakia. Two displays in Bratislava are next to one another at Esterházy Palace
(Esterházyho palác,Eszterházy palota) and the Water Barracks (Vodné kasárne,Vizikaszárnya) on the Danube riverfront in the Old Town. The Bratislava City Gallery
, founded in 1961, is the second-largest Slovak gallery of its kind. The gallery offers permanent displays at Pálffy Palace
(Pálffyho palác,Pálffy palota) and Mirbach Palace
(Mirbachov palác,Mirbach palota), in the Old Town. Danubiana Art Museum, one of the youngest art museums in Europe, is near Čunovo
waterworks.
As the national capital, Bratislava is home to national and many local media outlets. Notable TV stations based in the city include Slovak Television (Slovenská televízia), Markíza
, JOJ
and TA3. Slovak Radio
(Slovenský rozhlas) has its seat in the centre, and many Slovak commercial radio stations are based in the city. National newspapers based in Bratislava include SME
, Pravda
, Nový čas
, Hospodárske noviny
and the English-language The Slovak Spectator
. Two news agencies are headquartered there: the News Agency of the Slovak Republic
(TASR) and the Slovak News Agency (SITA).
s and sports teams have a long tradition in Bratislava, with many teams and individuals competing in Slovak and international leagues
and competition
s.
Football is currently represented by two clubs playing in the top Slovak football league, the Corgoň Liga. ŠK Slovan Bratislava
, founded in 1919, has its home ground at the Tehelné pole
stadium. ŠK Slovan is the most successful football club in Slovak history, being the only club from the former Czechoslovakia
to win the European football competition the Cup Winners' Cup
, in 1969.
FC Artmedia Bratislava is the oldest of Bratislava's football clubs, founded in 1898, and is based at Štadión Pasienky
in Nové Mesto (formerly at Štadión Petržalka in Petržalka). They are currently the only Slovak team to win at least one match in the UEFA Champions League
group stage, with a 5–0 win over Celtic FC in the qualifying round being the most well-known, alongside a 3–2 win over FC Porto. Before then FC Košice in the 1997–98 season lost all six matches, despite being the first Slovak side since independence to play in the competition. In 2010 Artmedia were relegated from the Corgon Liga under their new name of MFK Petržalka, finishing 12th and bottom. Another known club from the city is FK Inter Bratislava
. Founded in 1945, they have their home ground at Štadión Pasienky and currently play in the Slovak Second Division
.
Bratislava is home to three winter sports arenas: Ondrej Nepela
Winter Sports Stadium, V. Dzurilla
Winter Sports Stadium, and Dúbravka
Winter Sports Stadium. The HC Slovan Bratislava
ice hockey team represents Bratislava in Slovakia's top ice hockey league, the Slovak Extraliga
. Samsung Arena
, a part of Ondrej Nepela
Winter Sports Stadium, is home to HC Slovan. The Ice Hockey World Championships
in 1959 and 1992 were played in Bratislava, and the 2011 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships will be held in Bratislava and Košice
, for which a new arena is being planned.
The Water Sports Centre Čunovo
is a whitewater slalom and rafting
area, close to the Gabčíkovo dam. It hosts several international and national canoe
and kayak
competitions annually.
The National Tennis Centre, which includes Sibamac Arena
, hosts various cultural, sporting and social events. Several Davis Cup
matches have been played there, including the 2005 Davis Cup
final. The city is represented in the top Slovak leagues in women's and men's basketball
, women's handball
and volleyball
, and men's water polo
. The Devín–Bratislava National run is the oldest athletic event in Slovakia, and the Bratislava City Marathon has been held annually since 2006. A race track
is located in Petržalka
, where horse racing
and dog racing
events and dog shows
are held regularly.
Bratislava is also the centre of rugby union in Slovakia
.
The first university in Bratislava, in the Kingdom of Hungary
(and also in the territory of present-day Slovakia
) was Universitas Istropolitana, founded in 1465 by King Matthias Corvinus
. It was closed in 1490 after his death.
Bratislava is the seat of the largest university (Comenius University
, 27,771 students), the largest technical university (Slovak University of Technology
, 18,473 students), and the oldest art schools (the Academy of Performing Arts
and the Academy of Fine Arts and Design
) in Slovakia. Other institutions of tertiary education are the public University of Economics
and the first private college in Slovakia, City University of Seattle
. In total, about 56,000 students attend university in Bratislava.
There are 65 public primary schools, nine private primary schools and ten religious primary schools. Overall, they enroll 25,821 pupils. The city's system of secondary education
(some middle schools and all high schools) consists of 39 gymnasia
with 16,048 students, 37 specialized high school
s with 10,373 students, and 27 vocational school
s with 8,863 students (data as of 2007).
The Slovak Academy of Sciences
is also based in Bratislava. However, the city is one of the few European capitals to have neither an observatory
nor a planetarium
. The nearest observatory is in Modra
, 30 kilometres (19 mi) away, and the nearest planetarium is in Hlohovec, 70 kilometres (43 mi) away. CEPIT, the Central European Park For Innovative Technologies, is slated for development in Vajnory
. This science and technology park will combine public and private research and educational institutions. Construction was expected to begin in 2008, but has since stalled.
The geographical position of Bratislava in Central Europe has long made it a natural crossroads for international trade traffic.
Public transport in Bratislava is managed by Dopravný podnik Bratislava
, a city-owned company. The transport system is known as Mestská hromadná doprava (MHD, Municipal Mass Transit) and employs buses, tram
s, and trolleybus
es. An additional service, Bratislavská integrovaná doprava (Bratislava Integrated Transport), links train and bus routes in the city with points beyond.
As a rail hub, the city has direct connections to Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany and the rest of Slovakia. Petržalka
and Bratislava hlavná stanica
are the main stations.
The motorway system provides direct access to Brno
in the Czech Republic, Trnava
and other points in Slovakia, and Budapest
in Hungary. The A6 motorway
between Bratislava and Vienna was opened in November 2007. The Port of Bratislava
provides access to the Black Sea
via the Danube and to the North Sea
through the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal. M. R. Štefánik Airport
is 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) north-east of the city centre. It served 2,024,000 passengers in 2007.
* Numbers in brackets list the year of twinning. The first agreement was signed with the city of Perugia
, Umbria
in Italy on July 18, 1962.
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country
Country
A country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously...
's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
River. Bordering Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.
Bratislava is the political
Politics of Slovakia
Politics of Slovakia takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, with a multi-party system. Legislative power is vested in the parliament and it can be exerced in some cases also by the government or directly by citizens. Executive power is exercised by the...
, cultural
Culture of Slovakia
The culture of Slovakia is the result of various folk traditions and because of its position in the Central Europe, it is also influenced by Austrian, German, Hungarian and Slavic cultures....
, and economic
Economy of Slovakia
Slovakias economy increasingly resembles that of a so-called developed country. With the highest sustained GDP growth in the European Union, reporting 10.4% in 2007 and the highest rating from V4 countries, the Slovak economy has been considered a tiger economy known as the Tatra Tiger. Slovakia...
centre of Slovakia. It is the seat of the Slovak president, the parliament
National Council of the Slovak Republic
The National Council of the Slovak Republic , abbreviated to NR SR, is the national parliament of Slovakia. It is unicameral, and consists of 150 MPs, who are elected by universal suffrage under proportional representation every four years....
, and the executive branch of the government
Government of Slovakia
The Government of the Slovak Republic is the executive branch of government in Slovakia.It is led by a prime minister , who is nominated by the president, and is usually a leader of majority party or of a majority coalition after an election to the National Council of the Slovak Republic...
. It is home to several universities, museums, theatres, galleries and other important cultural and educational institutions. Many of Slovakia's large businesses and financial institutions also have headquarters there.
The history of the city, long known by the German name Preßburg, has been strongly influenced by people of different nations and religions, namely by Austrians
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
, Czechs, Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, Hungarians, Slovaks
Slovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
, and Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
. The city was the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
, a part of the larger Habsburg Monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
territories, from 1536 to 1783 and has been home to many Slovak
Slovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
, Hungarian, and German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
historical figures.
Names
Bratislava, as it was renamed on 6 March 1919, has been known by many names in different languages throughout its history. Its first recorded name, in the 10th century Annales IuvavensesAnnales Iuvavenses
The Annales iuvavenses or Annals of Salzburg were a series of annals written in the 9th and 10th centuries at Salzburg in the East Frankish stem duchy of Bavaria...
, was probably Brezalauspurc (literally: Braslav's castle). Notable alternative names are: ˈpʁɛsbʊɐk (still used in German speaking countries today – mostly in Austria, only seldom in Germany), poʒoɲ (still used in Hungarian today), former Slovak
Slovak language
Slovak , is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages .Slovak is the official language of Slovakia, where it is spoken by 5 million people...
name: Prešporok.
Other names are or were: Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
: Ιστρόπολις Istropolis (meaning "Danube
Hister
Hister is the Latin name for the Danube River , or for the people living along its banks....
City", also used in Latin), , , , , , . The name Pressburg was also used in English language publications until 1919, and it is still occasionally used today. For the history and etymology of the various names, see History of Bratislava.
In older documents, confusion can be caused by the Latin forms Bratislavia, Wratislavia etc., which refer to Wrocław (Breslau), Poland – not to Bratislava.
History
Linear Pottery culture
The Linear Pottery culture is a major archaeological horizon of the European Neolithic, flourishing ca. 5500–4500 BC.It is abbreviated as LBK , is also known as the Linear Band Ware, Linear Ware, Linear Ceramics or Incised Ware culture, and falls within the Danubian I culture of V...
, around 5000 BC in the Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
era. About 200 BC, the Celtic Boii
Boii
The Boii were one of the most prominent ancient Celtic tribes of the later Iron Age, attested at various times in Cisalpine Gaul , Pannonia , in and around Bohemia, and Transalpine Gaul...
tribe founded the first significant settlement, a fortified town known as an oppidum
Oppidum
Oppidum is a Latin word meaning the main settlement in any administrative area of ancient Rome. The word is derived from the earlier Latin ob-pedum, "enclosed space," possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *pedóm-, "occupied space" or "footprint."Julius Caesar described the larger Celtic Iron Age...
, and also established a mint
Mint (coin)
A mint is an industrial facility which manufactures coins for currency.The history of mints correlates closely with the history of coins. One difference is that the history of the mint is usually closely tied to the political situation of an era...
which produced silver coins known as biatec
Biatec
Biatec was the name of a person, presumably a king, who appeared on the Celtic coins minted by the Boii in Bratislava in the 1st century BC. The word Biatec is also used as the name of those coins. In the literature, they are also sometimes referred to as "hexadrachms of the Bratislava type"...
s.
The area fell under Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
influence from the 1st to the 4th century AD and formed part of the Limes Romanus
Limes
A limes was a border defense or delimiting system of Ancient Rome. It marked the boundaries of the Roman Empire.The Latin noun limes had a number of different meanings: a path or balk delimiting fields, a boundary line or marker, any road or path, any channel, such as a stream channel, or any...
, a border defence system. The Romans introduced grape growing
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
to the area and began a tradition of winemaking
Winemaking
Winemaking, or vinification, is the production of wine, starting with selection of the grapes or other produce and ending with bottling the finished wine. Although most wine is made from grapes, it may also be made from other fruit or non-toxic plant material...
, which survives to the present.
The Slavs
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
arrived between the 5th and 6th centuries during the Migration Period
Migration Period
The Migration Period, also called the Barbarian Invasions , was a period of intensified human migration in Europe that occurred from c. 400 to 800 CE. This period marked the transition from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages...
. As a response to onslaughts by Avars
Eurasian Avars
The Eurasian Avars or Ancient Avars were a highly organized nomadic confederacy of mixed origins. They were ruled by a khagan, who was surrounded by a tight-knit entourage of nomad warriors, an organization characteristic of Turko-Mongol groups...
, the local Slavic tribes rebelled and established Samo
Samo
Samo was a Frankish merchant from the "Senonian country" , probably modern Soignies, Belgium or Sens, France. He was the first ruler of the Slavs whose name is known, and established one of the earliest Slav states, a supra-tribal union usually called Samo's empire, realm, kingdom, or tribal...
's Empire (623–658), the first known Slavic political entity. In the 9th century, the castles at Bratislava (Brezalauspurc) and Devín
Devín
Devín originally a separate town at the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers, is now a suburb of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. It is an important archaeological site, famous for the ruins of Devín Castle...
(Dowina) were important centres of the Slavic states the Principality of Nitra
Principality of Nitra
The Principality of Nitra also Nitrian Principality or Slovak Principality is the name for a polity of Nitra Sloviens, centered on large agglomeration, a multi-tribal centre around Nitra, Slovakia. The initially independent Principality of Nitra came into existence in the early 9th century...
and Great Moravia
Great Moravia
Great Moravia was a Slavic state that existed in Central Europe and lasted for nearly seventy years in the 9th century whose creators were the ancestors of the Czechs and Slovaks. It was a vassal state of the Germanic Frankish kingdom and paid an annual tribute to it. There is some controversy as...
. On the other hand, the identification of the two castles as fortresses built in Great Moravia has been under debate based on linguistic arguments and because of the absence of convincing archaeological evidence. The first written reference to a settlement named "Brezalauspurc" dates to 907 and is related to a battle during which a Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n army was defeated by the Hungarians and which is connected to the fall of Great Moravia — already weakened by its own inner decline — under the attacks of the Hungarians. However, the exact location of the battle remains unknown and some interpretations place it west of Lake Balaton
Lake Balaton
Lake Balaton is a freshwater lake in the Transdanubian region of Hungary. It is the largest lake in Central Europe, and one of its foremost tourist destinations. As Hungary is landlocked , Lake Balaton is often affectionately called the "Hungarian Sea"...
.
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
" from 1000) and became a key economic and administrative centre on the kingdom's frontier. 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 Hungarian King Andrew III, and was declared a free royal town in 1405 by King
King of Hungary
The King of Hungary was the head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 to 1918.The style of title "Apostolic King" was confirmed by Pope Clement XIII in 1758 and used afterwards by all the Kings of Hungary, so after this date the kings are referred to as "Apostolic King of...
Sigismund
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...
, who also entitled the town to use its own coat of arms
Coat of arms of Bratislava
The coat of arms of Bratislava , has been used since 1436, when Sigismund of Luxembourg granted the town the right to use its own coat of arms. The coat of arms depicts, on a red late Gothic background, a silver, three-tower fortification with a gate in the centre. There are two golden spheres...
in 1436.
The Kingdom of Hungary was defeated by the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in the Battle of Mohács
Battle of Mohács
The Battle of Mohács was fought on August 29, 1526 near Mohács, Hungary. In the battle, forces of the Kingdom of Hungary led by King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia were defeated by forces of the Ottoman Empire led by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent....
in 1526. Thereafter the Turks besieged and damaged Pressburg but failed to conquer it. Owing to Ottoman advances into Hungarian territory, the city was designated the new capital of Hungary in 1536, becoming part of the Austrian Habsburg monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
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 at St. Martin's Cathedral. Nevertheless, the 17th century was marked by anti-Habsburg uprisings, fighting with the Turks, floods, plagues and other disasters.
Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma...
, becoming the largest and most important town in Hungary. The population tripled; many new palaces, monasteries, mansions, and streets were built, and the city was the centre of social and cultural life of the region. However, the city started to lose its importance under the reign of Maria Theresa's son Joseph II
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790 and ruler of the Habsburg lands from 1780 to 1790. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I...
, especially when the crown jewels were taken to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
in 1783 in an attempt to strengthen the union between Austria and Hungary. Many central offices subsequently moved to Buda
Buda
For detailed information see: History of Buda CastleBuda is the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest on the west bank of the Danube. The name Buda takes its name from the name of Bleda the Hun ruler, whose name is also Buda in Hungarian.Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's...
, followed by a large segment of the nobility. The first newspapers in Hungarian and Slovak were published here, resp. Magyar hírmondó in 1780, and Presspurske Nowiny in 1783. In the course of the 18th century, the city became a centre for the
Slovak national movement.
19th century history was closely tied to the major events in Europe. The Peace of Pressburg
Peace of Pressburg
The Peace of Pressburg refers to four peace treaties concluded in Pressburg . The fourth Peace of Pressburg of 1805 during the Napoleonic Wars is the best-known.-First:...
between Austria and France was signed here in 1805. Theben Castle
Devín Castle
Devín Castle is a castle in Devín, which is a borough of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia....
was ruined by Napoleon
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
's French troops in 1809. In 1825 the Hungarian National Learned Society
Hungarian Academy of Sciences
The Hungarian Academy of Sciences is the most important and prestigious learned society of Hungary. Its seat is at the bank of the Danube in Budapest.-History:...
(the present Hungarian Academy of Sciences) was founded in Pressburg using a donation from István Széchenyi
István Széchenyi
Széchenyi committed suicide by a shot to his head on April 8, 1860. All Hungary mourned his death. The Academy was in official mourning, along with the most prominent persons of the leading political and cultural associations...
. In 1843 Hungarian was proclaimed the official language in legislation, public administration and education by the Diet in the city. As a reaction to the Revolutions of 1848
Hungarian Revolution of 1848
The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 was one of many of the European Revolutions of 1848 and closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas...
, Ferdinand V
Ferdinand I of Austria
Ferdinand I was Emperor of Austria, President of the German Confederation, King of Hungary and Bohemia , as well as associated dominions from the death of his father, Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, until his abdication after the Revolutions of 1848.He married Maria Anna of Savoy, the sixth child...
signed the so-called April laws
April laws
The April laws, also called March laws, were a collection of laws legislated by Lajos Kossuth with the aim of modernizing Kingdom of Hungary into a nation state. The imperative program included Hungarian control of its popular national guard, national budget and Hungarian foreign policy, as well as...
, which included the abolition of serfdom
Serfdom
Serfdom is the status of peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to Manorialism. It was a condition of bondage or modified slavery which developed primarily during the High Middle Ages in Europe and lasted to the mid-19th century...
, at the Primate's Palace
Primate's Palace
The Primate's Palace is a neo-Classical palace in Bratislava's Old Town. It was built from 1778 to 1781 for Archbishop József Batthyány, after the design of architect Melchior Hefele....
.Kováč et al., "Kronika Slovenska 1", p. 444 The city chose the revolutionary Hungarian side, but was captured by the Austrians in December 1848. Industry grew rapidly in the 19th century. The first horse-drawn railway
Horsecar
A horsecar or horse-drawn tram is an animal-powered streetcar or tram.These early forms of public transport developed out of industrial haulage routes that had long been in existence, and from the omnibus routes that first ran on public streets in the 1820s, using the newly improved iron or steel...
in the Kingdom of Hungary, from Pressburg to Svätý Jur
Svätý Jur
Svätý Jur is a small town northeast of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. The name means Saint George. Between 1960 and 1990, the Communist government forced the town to use a "non-religious" name Jur pri Bratislave. Svätý Jur has a population of almost 5,000.-Geography:Svätý Jur is situated in...
, was built in 1840. A new line to Vienna using steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s was opened in 1848, and a line to Pest in 1850. Many new industrial, financial and other institutions were founded; for example, the first bank established in present-day Slovakia was founded in 1842. The city's first permanent bridge over the Danube, Starý most
Starý most (Bratislava)
Starý most is the oldest still-standing bridge over the river Danube in Bratislava, Slovakia. The 460 meter long bridge includes a wooden pathway for pedestrians, a two-lane road and railway track, connecting unspoiled historic Bratislava with Petržalka. The bridge was closed for all traffic since...
, was built in 1891.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the city had 42% German, 41% Hungarian and 15% Slovak population (1910 census). After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the formation of Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
on October 28, 1918, the city was incorporated into the new state despite its representatives' reluctance. The dominant Hungarian and German population tried to prevent annexation of the city to Czechoslovakia and declared it a free city. However, the Czechoslovak Legions
Czechoslovak Legions
The Czechoslovak Legions were volunteer armed forces composed predominantly of Czechs and Slovaks fighting together with the Entente powers during World War I...
occupied the city on January 1, 1919, thereby making it part of Czechoslovakia. The city became the seat of Slovakia's political organs and organizations and became Slovakia's capital on 4 – February 5. On February 12, 1919 the German and Hungarian population started a protest against the Czechoslovak occupation, but the Czechoslovak Legions opened fire upon the unarmed demonstrators. On March 27, 1919, the name Bratislava was officially adopted for the first time. Left without any protection after the retreat of the Hungarian army, many Hungarians were expelled or fled and Czechs and Slovaks took their houses and moved to Bratislava. Education in Hungarian
Culture of Hungary
The culture of Hungary has a distinctive style of its own in Hungary, diverse and varied, starting from the capital city of Budapest on the Danube, to the Great Plain bordering Ukraine. Hungary was formerly one half of Austria-Hungary. Hungary has a rich folk tradition, for example: embroideries,...
and German was radically reduced. In the 1930 Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
n census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
the Hungarian population of Bratislava had decreased to 15.8% (see the Demographics of Bratislava
Demographics of Bratislava
-Population:According to the 2001 census, the city had 428,672 inhabitants . The average population density was 1,157 inhabitants/km² . The most populous district is Bratislava V with 121,259 inhabitants, followed by Bratislava II with 108,139, Bratislava IV with 93,058, Bratislava III with 61,418...
article for more details).
In 1938, Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
annexed neighbouring Austria in the Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
; later that year it also annexed the still-independent Petržalka
Petržalka
Petržalka ) is the largest borough of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Situated on the right bank of the river Danube, it is home to approximately 150,000 people.-History:Historical records of Petržalka exist from 1225...
and Devín boroughs on ethnic grounds. Bratislava was declared the capital of the first independent Slovak Republic on March 14, 1939, but the new state quickly fell under Nazi influence. In 1941–1942 and 1944–1945, the new Slovak government expelled most of Bratislava's approximately 15,000 Jews, with most of them being sent into concentration camp
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
s. Bratislava was bombarded by the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
, occupied by German troops in 1944 and eventually taken by the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
on April 4, 1945. At the end of World War II, most Bratislava Germans were evacuated by German authorities; a few returned after the war, but were expelled without their properties under the Beneš decrees
Beneš decrees
Decrees of the President of the Republic , more commonly known as the Beneš decrees, were a series of laws that were drafted by the Czechoslovak Government-in-Exile in the absence of the Czechoslovak parliament during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in World War II and issued by President...
.
Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, in Czech and in Slovak: Komunistická strana Československa was a Communist and Marxist-Leninist political party in Czechoslovakia that existed between 1921 and 1992....
seized power in Czechoslovakia in February 1948, the city became part of the Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
. The city annexed new land, and the population rose significantly, becoming 90% Slovak. Large residential areas consisting of high-rise prefabricated
Prefabrication
Prefabrication is the practice of assembling components of a structure in a factory or other manufacturing site, and transporting complete assemblies or sub-assemblies to the construction site where the structure is to be located...
panel buildings
Panelák
is a colloquial term in Czech and Slovak for a panel building constructed of pre-fabricated, pre-stressed concrete, such as those extant in Czech Republic and elsewhere in the former Soviet bloc...
, such as those in the Petržalka borough, were built. The Communist government also built several new grandiose buildings, such as the Nový Most
Nový Most
Nový Most is a road bridge over the Danube in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. It is the 32nd-tallest, and thus shortest, member of the World Federation of Great Towers, and is the only bridge to be a member...
bridge and the Slovak Radio
Slovenský rozhlas
Slovenský rozhlas is Slovakia's national public-service radio broadcaster. The publicly funded company has its headquarters in Bratislava, capital of the Slovak Republic, housed in a building shaped like an inverted pyramid...
headquarters, sometimes at the expense of the historical cityscape.
In 1968, after the unsuccessful Czechoslovak attempt
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II...
to liberalise the Communist regime, the city was occupied by Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
troops. Shortly thereafter, it became capital of the Slovak Socialist Republic
Slovak Socialist Republic
From 1969 to 1990, the Slovak Socialist Republic was the official name of that part of Czechoslovakia that is Slovakia today. The name was used from 1 January 1969 until March 1990....
, one of the two states of the federalized Czechoslovakia.
Bratislava's dissidents anticipated the fall of Communism with the Bratislava candle demonstration
Candle demonstration in Bratislava
The Candle Demonstration on 25 March 1988 in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, was the first mass demonstration since 1969 against the communist regime in Czechoslovakia....
in 1988, and the city became one of the foremost centres of the anti-Communist Velvet Revolution
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
in 1989.
In 1993, the city became the capital of the newly formed Slovak Republic
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
following the Velvet Divorce
Dissolution of Czechoslovakia
The dissolution of Czechoslovakia, which took effect on 1 January 1993, was an event that saw the self-determined separation of the federal state of Czechoslovakia. The Czech Republic and Slovakia, entities which had arisen in 1969 within the framework of Czechoslovak federalisation, became...
. In the 1990s and the early 21st century, its economy boomed due to foreign investment. The flourishing city also hosted several important cultural and political events, including the Slovakia Summit 2005
Slovakia Summit 2005
The Slovakia Summit 2005 was a summit between George W. Bush, the president of the United States of America, and Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, in Bratislava, Slovakia between 23 and 25 February 2005. This marked the first occasion when a sitting President of the United States visited...
between George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
.
Geography
Bratislava Region
The Bratislava Region is one of the administrative regions of Slovakia. Its capital is Bratislava. It is the smallest of the eight regions of Slovakia.-Geography:...
. Its location on the borders with Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
makes it the only national capital that borders two countries. It is only 62 kilometres (38.5 mi) from the border with the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and only 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) from the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n capital Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
.
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 of Vysoké Tatry
Vysoké Tatry (town)
Vysoké Tatry , informally Mesto Vysoké Tatry , is a town at the feet of the Slovak part of High Tatras in Slovakia including all the major resorts in that region...
). Bratislava straddles the Danube River
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
, which crosses the city from the west to the south-east. The Middle Danube basin begins at Devín Gate
Devín Gate
Devín Gate or Hainburger Gate is a natural gate in the Danube valley at the border of Slovakia and Austria. In a wider sense it begins below Bratislava Castle, in which case the gate is 11.5 km long and 2 to 7 km wide; in a narrower sense it begins below Devín Castle and ends near Hundsheimer Berg...
in western Bratislava. Other rivers are the Morava River, which forms the north-western border of the city and enters the Danube at Devín, the Little Danube
Little Danube
The Little Danube is a branch of the river Danube in Slovakia.It splits from the main river near Bratislava, and flows more or less parallel to the Danube until it flows into the river Váh in Kolárovo...
, and the Vydrica
Vydrica
The Vydrica is a small 17 km long river in south west Slovakia, which originates in the Little Carpathians at about 450 m AMSL. The river passes through the Bratislava Forest Park and enters the Danube in Karlova Ves, city part of Bratislava. Some localities along the river are part of Natura 2000....
, which enters the Danube in the borough of Karlova Ves
Karlova Ves
Karlova Ves is a borough in western Bratislava and part of the Bratislava IV district, located near the southern end of the Little Carpathians....
.
The Carpathian
Carpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the second-longest mountain range in Europe...
mountain range begins in city territory with the Little Carpathians
Little Carpathians
The Little Carpathians are a low, about 100 km long, mountain range, part of the Carpathian Mountains. The mountains are situated in Western Slovakia, covering the area from Bratislava to Nové Mesto nad Váhom, a very small part called Hundsheimer Berge is situated south of Devín Gate in...
(Malé Karpaty). The Záhorie
Záhorie
Záhorie is a region in western Slovakia bordered by the Little Carpathians in the east and the Morava River in the west. Although not an administrative region in its own right, it is one of the 21 official tourism regions in Slovakia...
and Danubian
Danubian Lowland
The Danubian Lowland or Danube Lowland is the name of the part of Little Alföld situated in Slovakia, located between the Danube, the Little Carpathians and all other parts of the Western Carpathians....
lowlands stretch into Bratislava. The city's lowest point is at the Danube's surface at 126 metres (413.4 ft) above mean sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
, and the highest point is Devínska Kobyla
Devínska Kobyla
Devínska Kobyla is a mountain in the Little Carpathians, within the territory of Bratislava, Slovakia, between the boroughs of Devínska Nová Ves, Devín and Dúbravka. At an altitude of 514 m AMSL, it is the highest point of Bratislava. The area has been a national natural reserve since 1965...
at 514 metres (1,686.4 ft). The average altitude is 140 metres (459.3 ft).
Climate
Bratislava lies in the north temperate zone and has a continental climateContinental climate
Continental climate is a climate characterized by important annual variation in temperature due to the lack of significant bodies of water nearby...
with four distinct seasons. It is often windy with a marked variation between hot summers and cold, humid winters. The city is in one of the warmest and driest parts of Slovakia. 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. Some areas, particularly Devín and Devínska Nová Ves
Devínska Nová Ves
Devínska Nová Ves ) is a borough of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Its western borders are formed by the Morava River, which also represents the national border between Slovakia and Austria....
, are vulnerable to floods from the Danube and Morava rivers. New flood protection has been built on both banks.
Cityscape and architecture
Most historical buildings are concentrated in the Old Town
Old Town, Bratislava
The Old Town of Bratislava is the historic center and one of the boroughs of Bratislava, in the Bratislava Region of Slovakia. It is coextensive with the smallest Slovak administrative district by area, Bratislava I. It contains the small, but preserved medieval city center, Bratislava Castle and...
. Bratislava's Town Hall
Old Town Hall (Bratislava)
Old Town Hall in Bratislava is one of the oldest stone buildings in the historical Old Town and the oldest city hall in Slovakia, with the tower being built approximately in 1370...
is a complex of three buildings erected in the 14th–15th centuries and now hosts the Bratislava City Museum
Bratislava City Museum
The Bratislava City Museum is a museum in Bratislava, Slovakia, established in 1868. Its headquarters are located in the Old Town, near the Main Square at the Old Town Hall. The museum is owned by one of the 11 allowance organizations of the City of Bratislava.The museum documents the history of...
. Michael's Gate
Michael's Gate
In Bratislava, Slovakia, Michael's Gate is the only city gate that has been preserved of the medieval fortifications and ranks among the oldest town buildings. Built about the year 1300, its present shape is the result of baroque reconstructions in 1758, when the statue of St. Michael and the...
is the only gate that has been preserved from the medieval fortifications
Bratislava Fortifications
The Bratislava fortifications are the system of fortifications of the city of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, of which one gate and two sections of walls remain today. Most of the medieval fortification system was demolished in the year 1775 by the order of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria,...
, and it ranks among the oldest of the town's buildings; the narrowest house in Europe is nearby. The University Library building, erected in 1756, was used by the Diet
Diet (assembly)
In politics, a diet is a formal deliberative assembly. The term is mainly used historically for the Imperial Diet, the general assembly of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire, and for the legislative bodies of certain countries.-Etymology:...
of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1802 to 1848. Much of the significant legislation of the Hungarian Reform Era
Hungarian Reform Era
The Hungarian Reform Era was a period of Hungarian history which saw the abolition of serfdom and the foundation of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences....
(such as the abolition of serfdom
Serfdom
Serfdom is the status of peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to Manorialism. It was a condition of bondage or modified slavery which developed primarily during the High Middle Ages in Europe and lasted to the mid-19th century...
and the foundation of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Hungarian Academy of Sciences
The Hungarian Academy of Sciences is the most important and prestigious learned society of Hungary. Its seat is at the bank of the Danube in Budapest.-History:...
) was enacted there.
The historic centre is characterised by many baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
palaces. The Grassalkovich Palace
Grassalkovich Palace
The Grassalkovich Palace is a palace in Bratislava and the residence of the president of Slovakia. It is situated on Hodžovo námestie, near the Summer Archbishop's Palace....
, built around 1760, is now the residence of the Slovak president, and the Slovak government now has its seat in the former Archiepiscopal Palace
Summer Archbishop's Palace
The Summer Archbishop's Palace or Summer Archiepiscopal Palace is a palace in Bratislava which houses the government of Slovakia...
. In 1805, diplomats of emperors Napoleon
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
and Francis II
Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis II was the last Holy Roman Emperor, ruling from 1792 until 6 August 1806, when he dissolved the Empire after the disastrous defeat of the Third Coalition by Napoleon at the Battle of Austerlitz...
signed the fourth Peace of Pressburg
Peace of Pressburg
The Peace of Pressburg refers to four peace treaties concluded in Pressburg . The fourth Peace of Pressburg of 1805 during the Napoleonic Wars is the best-known.-First:...
in the Primate's Palace
Primate's Palace
The Primate's Palace is a neo-Classical palace in Bratislava's Old Town. It was built from 1778 to 1781 for Archbishop József Batthyány, after the design of architect Melchior Hefele....
, after Napoleon's victory in the Battle of Austerlitz
Battle of Austerlitz
The Battle of Austerlitz, also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of Napoleon's greatest victories, where the French Empire effectively crushed the Third Coalition...
. Some smaller houses are historically significant; composer Johann Nepomuk Hummel
Johann Nepomuk Hummel
Johann Nepomuk Hummel or Jan Nepomuk Hummel was an Austrian composer and virtuoso pianist. His music reflects the transition from the Classical to the Romantic musical era.- Life :...
was born in an 18th-century house in the Old Town.
Notable cathedrals and churches include the Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
St. Martin's Cathedral built in the 13th–16th centuries, which served as the coronation church of the Kingdom of Hungary between 1563 and 1830. The Franciscan Church
Franciscan Church (Bratislava)
The Franciscan Church is the oldest religious building in the Old Town of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. The church was consecrated in the year 1297 in the presence of King Andrew III of Hungary. In the past, the church building served for larger gatherings of townspeople or Hungarian nobles...
, dating to the 13th century, has been a place of knighting ceremonies and is the oldest preserved sacral building in the city. The Church of St. Elisabeth
Church of St. Elisabeth (Bratislava)
The Church of St. Elisabeth , commonly known as Blue Church , is a Hungarian Secessionist Catholic church located in the eastern part of the Old Town in Bratislava, Slovakia...
, better known as the Blue Church due to its colour, is built entirely in the Hungarian Secessionist
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
style.
A curiosity is the underground (formerly ground-level) restored portion of the Jewish cemetery where 19th-century Rabbi Moses Sofer
Moses Sofer
Moses Schreiber, known to his own community and Jewish posterity as Moshe Sofer, also known by his main work Chasam Sofer, , , was one of the leading Orthodox rabbis of European Jewry in the first half of the nineteenth century...
is buried, located at the base of the castle hill near the entrance to a tram tunnel. The only military cemetery in Bratislava is Slavín
Slavín
Slavín in Bratislava, Slovakia , is a memorial monument and cemetery for Soviet Army soldiers who fell during World War II while liberating the city of Bratislava in April 1945 from the occupying German Wehrmacht units and the remaining Slovak troops who supported the Tiso government...
, unveiled in 1960 in honour of Soviet Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
soldiers who fell during the liberation of Bratislava in April 1945. It offers an excellent view of the city and the Little Carpathians
Little Carpathians
The Little Carpathians are a low, about 100 km long, mountain range, part of the Carpathian Mountains. The mountains are situated in Western Slovakia, covering the area from Bratislava to Nové Mesto nad Váhom, a very small part called Hundsheimer Berge is situated south of Devín Gate in...
.
Other prominent 20th-century structures include the Nový Most
Nový Most
Nový Most is a road bridge over the Danube in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. It is the 32nd-tallest, and thus shortest, member of the World Federation of Great Towers, and is the only bridge to be a member...
(New Bridge) across the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
featuring a UFO
Unidentified flying object
A term originally coined by the military, an unidentified flying object is an unusual apparent anomaly in the sky that is not readily identifiable to the observer as any known object...
-like tower restaurant, Slovak Radio
Slovenský rozhlas
Slovenský rozhlas is Slovakia's national public-service radio broadcaster. The publicly funded company has its headquarters in Bratislava, capital of the Slovak Republic, housed in a building shaped like an inverted pyramid...
's inverted-pyramid-shaped headquarters, and the uniquely designed Kamzík TV Tower
Kamzík TV Tower
The Kamzík TV Tower is a 200 metre tall television transmission tower in the Koliba area of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. It sits 433 m AMSL on the Kamzík hill, part of the Little Carpathians, overlooking much of the city. The tower lies within the territory of the Bratislava Forest Park. It...
with an observation deck and rotating restaurant. In the early 21st century, new edifices have transformed the traditional cityscape. The construction boom has spawned new public buildings, such as the Most Apollo and a new building of the Slovak National Theatre
Slovak National Theatre
The Slovak National Theatre denotes:* the oldest Slovak professional theatre consisting of 3 ensembles ,* a Neo-Renaissance theatre building in the Old Town of Bratislava, Slovakia, which formerly housed two of the theatre's ensembles , and* the theatre's large modern theatre building in...
, as well as private real-estate development
Real estate development
Real estate development, or Property Development, is a multifaceted business, encompassing activities that range from the renovation and re-lease of existing buildings to the purchase of raw land and the sale of improved land or parcels to others...
.
Bratislava Castle
One of the most prominent structures in the city is Bratislava CastleBratislava Castle
Bratislava Castle is the main castle of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia.The massive rectangular building with four corner towers stands on a quite isolated rocky hill of the Little Carpathians directly above the Danube river in the middle of Bratislava...
, situated on a plateau 85 metres (279 ft) above the Danube. The castle hill site has been inhabited since the transitional period between the Stone
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
and Bronze
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
ages and has been the acropolis
Acropolis
Acropolis means "high city" in Greek, literally city on the extremity and is usually translated into English as Citadel . For purposes of defense, early people naturally chose elevated ground to build a new settlement, frequently a hill with precipitous sides...
of a Celtic town, part of the Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
Limes Romanus
Limes
A limes was a border defense or delimiting system of Ancient Rome. It marked the boundaries of the Roman Empire.The Latin noun limes had a number of different meanings: a path or balk delimiting fields, a boundary line or marker, any road or path, any channel, such as a stream channel, or any...
, a huge Slavic fortified settlement, and a political, military and religious centre for Great Moravia
Great Moravia
Great Moravia was a Slavic state that existed in Central Europe and lasted for nearly seventy years in the 9th century whose creators were the ancestors of the Czechs and Slovaks. It was a vassal state of the Germanic Frankish kingdom and paid an annual tribute to it. There is some controversy as...
. A stone castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
was not constructed until the 10th century, when the area was part of the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
. The castle was converted into a Gothic
International Gothic
International Gothic is a phase of Gothic art which developed in Burgundy, Bohemia, France and northern Italy in the late 14th century and early 15th century...
anti-Hussite
Hussite
The Hussites were a Christian movement following the teachings of Czech reformer Jan Hus , who became one of the forerunners of the Protestant Reformation...
fortress under Sigismund of Luxemburg
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...
in 1430, became a Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
castle in 1562, and was rebuilt in 1649 in the baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
style. Under Queen
Queen regnant
A queen regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right, in contrast to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king. An empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right over an empire....
Maria Theresa
Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma...
, the castle became a prestigious royal seat. In 1811, the castle was inadvertently destroyed by fire and lay in ruins until the 1950s, when it was rebuilt mostly in its former Theresian style.
Devín Castle
The ruined and recently renovated Devín CastleDevín Castle
Devín Castle is a castle in Devín, which is a borough of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia....
is in the borough of Devín
Devín
Devín originally a separate town at the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers, is now a suburb of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. It is an important archaeological site, famous for the ruins of Devín Castle...
, on top of a rock where the Morava 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. Due to its strategic location, Devín Castle was a very important frontier castle of Great Moravia
Great Moravia
Great Moravia was a Slavic state that existed in Central Europe and lasted for nearly seventy years in the 9th century whose creators were the ancestors of the Czechs and Slovaks. It was a vassal state of the Germanic Frankish kingdom and paid an annual tribute to it. There is some controversy as...
and the early Hungarian state. It was destroyed by Napoleon's troops in 1809. It is an important symbol of Slovak and Slavic history.
Rusovce
Rusovce mansionRusovce mansion
Rusovce Mansion or Rusovce manor house is a neoclassical mansion located in the Rusovce borough, part of Bratislava, capital of Slovakia...
, with its English park
English garden
The English garden, also called English landscape park , is a style of Landscape garden which emerged in England in the early 18th century, and spread across Europe, replacing the more formal, symmetrical Garden à la française of the 17th century as the principal gardening style of Europe. The...
, is in the Rusovce borough. The house was originally built in the 17th century and was turned into an English neo-Gothic
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
-style mansion in 1841–1844. The borough is also known for the ruins of the Roman military camp Gerulata
Gerulata
Gerulata was a Roman military camp located near today's Rusovce, a borough of Bratislava, Slovakia. It was part of the Roman province Pannonia and built in the 2nd century as a part of the Limes Romanus system...
, part of Limes Romanus, a border defence system. Gerulata was built and used between the 1st and 4th centuries AD
Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
.
Parks and lakes
Due to its location in the foothills of the Little Carpathians
Little Carpathians
The Little Carpathians are a low, about 100 km long, mountain range, part of the Carpathian Mountains. The mountains are situated in Western Slovakia, covering the area from Bratislava to Nové Mesto nad Váhom, a very small part called Hundsheimer Berge is situated south of Devín Gate in...
and its riparian vegetation
Riparian zone
A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the fifteen terrestrial biomes of the earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks are called riparian vegetation, characterized by...
on the Danubian floodplain
Floodplain
A floodplain, or flood plain, is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent a stream or river that stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls and experiences flooding during periods of high discharge...
s, 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 (1,184 sq ft) per inhabitant.
The largest city park is Horský park (literally, Mountainous Park), in the Old Town. Bratislavský lesný park
Bratislavský lesný park
Bratislavský lesný park or Bratislava Forest Park is a "forest park" in Bratislava, Slovakia, located in the foothills of the Little Carpathians. The park is managed by Bratislava City Forests, a non-profit organization....
(Bratislava Forest Park) is located in the Little Carpathians and includes many locales popular among visitors, such as Železná studienka and Koliba
Koliba
Koliba is the name of a locality in Bratislava, Slovakia, which is situated on the foothills of the Little Carpathians. It administratively belongs to the Nové Mesto borough and is part of the Bratislava Forest Park....
. The Forest Park covers an area of 27.3 square kilometres (10.5 sq mi), of which 96% is forested, and contains original flora and fauna such as European badgers, red fox
Red Fox
The red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
es and mouflon
Mouflon
The mouflon is a subspecies group of the wild sheep Ovis aries. Populations of Ovis aries can be partitioned into the mouflons and urials or arkars...
s. On the right bank of the Danube, in the borough of Petržalka, is Janko Kráľ Park
Sad Janka Krála
Sad Janka Kráľa . But former names were: .It is a park in Bratislava's Petržalka borough. It is located in the northern part of Petržalka, bordered by the Danube in the north, the Old Bridge access road in the east, a main road in the south and the Nový Most access road in the west. The park is one...
founded in 1774–76. A new city park is planned for Petržalka between the Malý Draždiak and Veľký Draždiak lakes.
Bratislava's zoological park
Bratislava Zoo
The ZOO Bratislava is a zoo in Bratislava, Slovakia, in the borough of Karlova Ves. It lies in the Little Carpathians forest. As of 2007, the zoo has an area of , and is home to 1307 specimens of 152 animal species. In 2006, the zoo received 203,000 visitors....
is located in Mlynská dolina
Mlynská dolina
Mlynská dolina Mlynská dolina Mlynská dolina (literally: Mill valley; before 1894 is part of the borough of Karlova Ves in Bratislava, located in the Bratislava IV district. The Vydrica river flows through it....
, near the headquarters of Slovak Television. The zoo, founded in 1960, currently houses 152 species of animals, including the rare white lion
White lion
The white lion is occasionally found in wildlife reserves in South Africa and is a rare color mutation of the Kruger subspecies of lion . It has been perpetuated by selective breeding in zoos around the world...
and white tiger
White tiger
The white tiger is a recessive mutant of the Bengal tiger, which was reported in the wild from time to time in Assam, Bengal, Bihar and especially from the former State of Rewa.-Color comparison:...
. The Botanical Gardens, which belong to Comenius University
Comenius University in Bratislava
Comenius University in Bratislava is the largest university in Slovakia, with most of its faculties located in Bratislava. It was founded in 1919, shortly after the creation of Czechoslovakia. It is named after Jan Amos Comenius, a 17th century Czech teacher and philosopher.In 2006, Comenius...
, can be found on the Danube riverfront and house more than 120 species of domestic and foreign origin.
The city has a number of natural and man-made lakes, most of which are used for recreation. Examples include Štrkovec lake in Ružinov
Ružinov
Ružinov is a borough of eastern Bratislava. It is the city's second most populated borough, housing over 70,000 inhabitants.-History:In place of today's Ružinov there were originally meadows, pastures, grasslands and woodland, interspersed with islands and channels of the Danube. The people living...
, Kuchajda in Nové Mesto
Nové Mesto, Bratislava
Nové Mesto is a borough of Bratislava, in the Bratislava III district. It is located north and north-east of the Old Town. The borough also borders Rača, Vajnory, Ružinov, Lamač and Záhorská Bystrica boroughs.-History:...
, Zlaté Piesky
Zlaté Piesky
Zlaté Piesky is a lake and a summer resort in northeastern Bratislava, Slovakia, near the D1 motorway.-Characteristics:...
and the Vajnory
Vajnory
Vajnory is a small borough in the northeast of Bratislava, Slovakia.Milan Rastislav Štefánik international airport is located near Vajnory. Another airport - Vajnory Airport, which was the first airport in Slovakia - closed in 2006.-History:...
lakes in the north-east, and Rusovce
Rusovce
Rusovce castle")) is a borough in southern Bratislava on the right bank of the Danube river, close to the Hungarian border.- History :In the 1st century, there was a Roman settlement named Gerulata in today's Rusovce area. The first preserved written reference to the settlement is from 1208. It...
lake in the south, which is popular with nudists
Naturism
Naturism or nudism is a cultural and political movement practising, advocating and defending social nudity in private and in public. It may also refer to a lifestyle based on personal, family and/or social nudism....
.
Demographics
| With Vienna, Bratislava forms the Twin City metropolitan area, with a rough population of 3.1 million inhabitants. |
|||
| District | Population | Ethnic group | Population |
| Bratislava I–V | 471,061 | Slovaks Slovaks The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia... |
452,767 |
| Bratislava I Bratislava I Bratislava I is a district in the city of Bratislava. It is identical with its sole borough, Bratislava's Old Town . It is completely surrounded by other Bratislava districts: Bratislava II, Bratislava III, Bratislava IV and Bratislava V.... |
44,798 | Hungarians | 11,541 |
| Bratislava II Bratislava II The Bratislava II is an okres of Bratislava in the Bratislava Region of Slovakia. It covers south-eastern part of Bratislava, including the boroughs of Ružinov, Podunajské Biskupice and Vrakuňa. It is bordered by the Bratislava I, Bratislava III, Bratislava V and Senec districts.... |
108,139 | Czechs | 7,972 |
| Bratislava III Bratislava III Bratislava III is an okres of Bratislava in the Bratislava Region of Slovakia. The district includes the boroughs of Nové Mesto, Rača and Vajnory. It has an area of 75 km² and 61,418 inhabitants. It is bordered by the Bratislava I, Bratislava II, Bratislava IV, Pezinok and Senec districts.... |
61,418 | Germans Germans The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages.... |
1,200 |
| Bratislava IV Bratislava IV Bratislava IV is an okres of Bratislava in the Bratislava Region of Slovakia. It covers the north-western parts of Bratislava, including the boroughs of Devín, Devínska Nová Ves, Dúbravka, Karlova Ves, Lamač and Záhorská Bystrica.... |
93,058 | Moravians Moravians (ethnic group) Moravians are the modern West Slavic inhabitants of the historical land of Moravia, the easternmost part of the Czech Republic, which includes the Moravian Slovakia. They speak the two main groups of Moravian dialects , the transitional Bohemian-Moravian dialect subgroup and standard Czech... |
635 |
| Bratislava V Bratislava V Bratislava V is an okres of Bratislava in the Bratislava Region of Slovakia. It is the largest Bratislava district and covers southern areas of Bratislava, including the boroughs of Petržalka, Jarovce, Rusovce and Čunovo. It is bordered by the Danube river to the north and east, which forms its... |
121,259 | Croats Croats Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have... |
614 |
From the city's origin until the 19th century, Germans were the dominant ethnic group. However, after the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, active Magyarisation
Magyarization
Magyarization is a kind of assimilation or acculturation, a process by which non-Magyar elements came to adopt Magyar culture and language due to social pressure .Defiance or appeals to the Nationalities Law, met...
took place, and by the end of World War I 40% of the population of Pressburg spoke Hungarian as native language, 42% German, and 15% Slovak. After the formation of the Czechoslovak Republic in 1918, Bratislava remained a multi-ethnic city, but with a different demographic trend. Due to Slovakization
Slovakization
Slovakization or Slovakisation is a term used to describe a cultural change in which ethnically non-Slovak people are made to become Slovak. The process can be named as 'accelerated assimilation'....
, the proportion of Slovaks and Czechs increased in the city, while the proportion of Germans and Hungarians fell. In 1938, 59% of population were Slovaks or Czechs, while Germans represented 22% and Hungarians 13% of the city's population. The creation of the first Slovak Republic in 1939 brought other changes, most notably the expulsion of many Czechs and the deportation or flight of the Jews during the Holocaust. In 1945, most of the Germans were evacuated. After the restoration of Czechoslovakia, the Beneš decrees
Beneš decrees
Decrees of the President of the Republic , more commonly known as the Beneš decrees, were a series of laws that were drafted by the Czechoslovak Government-in-Exile in the absence of the Czechoslovak parliament during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in World War II and issued by President...
(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.
The city thereby obtained its clearly Slovak character. Hundreds of citizens were expelled during the communist oppression of the 1950s, with the aim of replacing "reactionary" people with the proletarian class. Since the 1950s, the Slovaks have been the dominant ethnicity in the town, making up around 90% of the city's population.
Government
National Council of the Slovak Republic
The National Council of the Slovak Republic , abbreviated to NR SR, is the national parliament of Slovakia. It is unicameral, and consists of 150 MPs, who are elected by universal suffrage under proportional representation every four years....
, presidency, ministries, supreme court , and central bank
National Bank of Slovakia
National Bank of Slovakia , is the central bank of Slovakia, which is a member of the European Union and the European System of Central Banks. Since 1 January 2009, it has also been a member of Eurosystem.-History:...
. It is the seat of the Bratislava Region
Bratislava Region
The Bratislava Region is one of the administrative regions of Slovakia. Its capital is Bratislava. It is the smallest of the eight regions of Slovakia.-Geography:...
and, since 2002, also of the Bratislava Self-Governing Region. The city also has many foreign embassies
Diplomatic mission
A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one state or an international inter-governmental organisation present in another state to represent the sending state/organisation in the receiving state...
and consulates
Consul (representative)
The political title Consul is used for the official representatives of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, and to facilitate trade and friendship between the peoples of the two countries...
.
The current local government (Mestská samospráva) structure has been in place since 1990. It is composed of a mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
(primátor), a city board (Mestská rada), a city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
(Mestské zastupiteľstvo), city commission
City commission government
City commission government is a form of municipal government which once was common in the United States, but many cities which were formerly governed by commission have since switched to the council-manager form of government...
s (Komisie mestského zastupiteľstva), and a city magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
's office (Magistrát).
The mayor, based at the Primate's Palace
Primate's Palace
The Primate's Palace is a neo-Classical palace in Bratislava's Old Town. It was built from 1778 to 1781 for Archbishop József Batthyány, after the design of architect Melchior Hefele....
, is the city's top executive officer and is elected to a four-year term of office. The current mayor of Bratislava is Milan Ftáčnik
Milan Ftáčnik
Milan Ftáčnik is a Slovak politician, former Minister of Education of the Slovak Republic from 1998 to 2002 and the current Mayor of Bratislava...
, who won the election held on November 28, 2010 as an independent candidate. The city council is the city's legislative body, responsible for issues such as budget, local ordinances, city planning
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
, road maintenance, education, and culture. 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. 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.
Administratively, Bratislava is divided into five districts
Districts of Slovakia
An okres is an administrative unit in Slovakia. It is inferior to a Region and superior to a municipality.-Characteristics:Several districts form a "Region"...
: 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 in Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
).
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. Each of the boroughs coincides with the city's 20 cadastral areas
Cadastre
A cadastre , using a cadastral survey or cadastral map, is a comprehensive register of the metes-and-bounds real property of a country...
, 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.
 |
Bratislava's territorial divisions (districts and boroughs) | ||||
| Bratislava I Bratislava I Bratislava I is a district in the city of Bratislava. It is identical with its sole borough, Bratislava's Old Town . It is completely surrounded by other Bratislava districts: Bratislava II, Bratislava III, Bratislava IV and Bratislava V.... |
Bratislava II Bratislava II The Bratislava II is an okres of Bratislava in the Bratislava Region of Slovakia. It covers south-eastern part of Bratislava, including the boroughs of Ružinov, Podunajské Biskupice and Vrakuňa. It is bordered by the Bratislava I, Bratislava III, Bratislava V and Senec districts.... |
Bratislava III Bratislava III Bratislava III is an okres of Bratislava in the Bratislava Region of Slovakia. The district includes the boroughs of Nové Mesto, Rača and Vajnory. It has an area of 75 km² and 61,418 inhabitants. It is bordered by the Bratislava I, Bratislava II, Bratislava IV, Pezinok and Senec districts.... |
Bratislava IV Bratislava IV Bratislava IV is an okres of Bratislava in the Bratislava Region of Slovakia. It covers the north-western parts of Bratislava, including the boroughs of Devín, Devínska Nová Ves, Dúbravka, Karlova Ves, Lamač and Záhorská Bystrica.... |
Bratislava V Bratislava V Bratislava V is an okres of Bratislava in the Bratislava Region of Slovakia. It is the largest Bratislava district and covers southern areas of Bratislava, including the boroughs of Petržalka, Jarovce, Rusovce and Čunovo. It is bordered by the Danube river to the north and east, which forms its... |
|
| Staré Mesto Old Town, Bratislava The Old Town of Bratislava is the historic center and one of the boroughs of Bratislava, in the Bratislava Region of Slovakia. It is coextensive with the smallest Slovak administrative district by area, Bratislava I. It contains the small, but preserved medieval city center, Bratislava Castle and... |
Ružinov Ružinov Ružinov is a borough of eastern Bratislava. It is the city's second most populated borough, housing over 70,000 inhabitants.-History:In place of today's Ružinov there were originally meadows, pastures, grasslands and woodland, interspersed with islands and channels of the Danube. The people living... |
Nové Mesto Nové Mesto, Bratislava Nové Mesto is a borough of Bratislava, in the Bratislava III district. It is located north and north-east of the Old Town. The borough also borders Rača, Vajnory, Ružinov, Lamač and Záhorská Bystrica boroughs.-History:... |
Karlova Ves Karlova Ves Karlova Ves is a borough in western Bratislava and part of the Bratislava IV district, located near the southern end of the Little Carpathians.... |
Petržalka Petržalka Petržalka ) is the largest borough of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Situated on the right bank of the river Danube, it is home to approximately 150,000 people.-History:Historical records of Petržalka exist from 1225... |
|
| Vrakuňa Vrakuna Vrakuňa is a borough of Bratislava, Slovakia. It is divided by into two parts by the Little Danube river.-History:The first written mention of Vrakuňa was in 1279 as a village named Verekne, which was its name until 1948, when it was renamed to the current name. It became an official borough of... |
Rača Raca, Bratislava Rača is a borough of Bratislava, Slovakia, in the Bratislava III district.-History:Rača was mentioned for the first time in 1296 as a vineyard village under the name villa Racha. Until 1946, the village was known as Račistorf, when it was annexed to Bratislava.-External links:*... |
Dúbravka Dúbravka, Bratislava Dúbravka is a borough of Bratislava, Slovakia. It lies in the western part of the city on the eastern slope of Devínska Kobyla hill, covers 862 ha and is home to some 35,000 inhabitants.- History :... |
Jarovce Jarovce Jarovce is a small borough of Bratislava, Slovakia.- History :The village was first mentioned in 1208 under the name Ban. During the Ottoman wars, many Croats settled here in the 16th century . They are still a strong minority... |
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| Podunajské Biskupice Podunajské Biskupice Podunajské Biskupice is a borough of Bratislava. It is the largest borough in the terms of area in Bratislava.-History:... |
Vajnory Vajnory Vajnory is a small borough in the northeast of Bratislava, Slovakia.Milan Rastislav Štefánik international airport is located near Vajnory. Another airport - Vajnory Airport, which was the first airport in Slovakia - closed in 2006.-History:... |
Lamač Lamac Lamač is the smallest borough of Bratislava, and part of the Bratislava IV district.The first written record of the German settlement dates to 1240. The German village was destroyed during the first siege of vienna by Turkish troops. Croats fleeing from the Ottomans in the south settled this area... |
Rusovce Rusovce Rusovce castle")) is a borough in southern Bratislava on the right bank of the Danube river, close to the Hungarian border.- History :In the 1st century, there was a Roman settlement named Gerulata in today's Rusovce area. The first preserved written reference to the settlement is from 1208. It... |
||
| Devín Devín Devín originally a separate town at the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers, is now a suburb of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. It is an important archaeological site, famous for the ruins of Devín Castle... |
Čunovo Cunovo Čunovo is a small part of Bratislava, Slovakia, in the southern area near the Hungarian border. It is located close to the Gabčíkovo - Nagymaros Dams.- History :... |
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| Devínska Nová Ves Devínska Nová Ves Devínska Nová Ves ) is a borough of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Its western borders are formed by the Morava River, which also represents the national border between Slovakia and Austria.... |
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| Záhorská Bystrica Záhorská Bystrica Záhorská Bystrica is a borough in northern Bratislava. It is a small borough with preserved peasants' houses and more recent modern villas and estates.... |
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Economy
Bratislava Region
The Bratislava Region is one of the administrative regions of Slovakia. Its capital is Bratislava. It is the smallest of the eight regions of Slovakia.-Geography:...
is the wealthiest and most economically prosperous region in Slovakia, despite being the smallest by area and having the second smallest population of the eight Slovak regions
Regions of Slovakia
Since 1949 , Slovakia has been divided into a number of kraje . Their number, borders and functions have been changed several times. There are currently eight regions of Slovakia and they correspond to the EU's NUTS 3 level of local administrative units. Each kraj consists of okresy...
. It accounts for about 26% of the Slovak GDP
Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living....
. The GDP per capita (PPP
Purchasing power parity
In economics, purchasing power parity is a condition between countries where an amount of money has the same purchasing power in different countries. The prices of the goods between the countries would only reflect the exchange rates...
), valued at €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
41,800 (2008), is 167% of the EU
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
average and is the ninth-highest of all regions in the EU member states.
The average brutto salary in Bratislava region in first three quarters of 2009 was € 1052.
The unemployment rate in Bratislava was 1.83% in December 2007. Many governmental institutions and private companies have their headquarters in Bratislava. More than 75% of Bratislava's population works in the service sector, mainly composed of trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
, bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
ing, IT
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
, telecommunication
Telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
s, and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
. The Bratislava Stock Exchange (BSSE), the organiser of the public securities market, was founded on March 15, 1991.
The automaker Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
built a factory in Bratislava in 1991 and has expanded since. Currently, its production focuses on SUVs
Sport utility vehicle
A sport utility vehicle is a generic marketing term for a vehicle similar to a station wagon, but built on a light-truck chassis. It is usually equipped with four-wheel drive for on- or off-road ability, and with some pretension or ability to be used as an off-road vehicle. Not all four-wheel...
, which represent 68% of all production. The VW Touareg
Volkswagen Touareg
The Volkswagen Touareg is a mid-size crossover SUV produced by German automaker Volkswagen since 2002. The vehicle was named after the Tuareg people, a Berber-speaking group in North Africa...
is produced in Bratislava, and the Porsche Cayenne
Porsche Cayenne
The Porsche Cayenne is a five seat mid-size luxury crossover manufactured by the German manufacturer Porsche since 2002, with North American sales beginning in 2003. Its platform was developed by Porsche and is shared with the Volkswagen Touareg and the Audi Q7. It is the first V8-engined vehicle...
and Audi Q7
Audi Q7
The Audi Q7 is a full-size luxury crossover SUV unveiled in September 2005 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Production of the Q7 began in autumn of 2005 in Bratislava, Slovakia. It is the first SUV offering from Audi and went on sale in 2007. Later, Audi's second SUV, the Q5, was unveiled as a 2009...
are partially built there.
In recent years, service and high-tech
High tech
High tech is technology that is at the cutting edge: the most advanced technology currently available. It is often used in reference to micro-electronics, rather than other technologies. The adjective form is hyphenated: high-tech or high-technology...
-oriented businesses have prospered in Bratislava. Many global companies, including IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, Dell
Dell
Dell, Inc. is an American multinational information technology corporation based in 1 Dell Way, Round Rock, Texas, United States, that develops, sells and supports computers and related products and services. Bearing the name of its founder, Michael Dell, the company is one of the largest...
, Lenovo, AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
, SAP
SAP AG
SAP AG is a German software corporation that makes enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations. Headquartered in Walldorf, Baden-Württemberg, with regional offices around the world, SAP is the market leader in enterprise application software...
, and Accenture
Accenture
Accenture plc is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company headquartered in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. It is the largest consulting firm in the world and is a Fortune Global 500 company. As of September 2011, the company had more than 236,000 employees across...
, have built outsourcing
Outsourcing
Outsourcing is the process of contracting a business function to someone else.-Overview:The term outsourcing is used inconsistently but usually involves the contracting out of a business function - commonly one previously performed in-house - to an external provider...
and service centres here or plan to do so soon. Reasons for the influx of multi-national corporation
Multinational corporation
A multi national corporation or enterprise , is a corporation or an enterprise that manages production or delivers services in more than one country. It can also be referred to as an international corporation...
s include proximity to the Western Europe, skilled labour force and the high density of universities and research facilities.
Other large companies and employers with headquarters in Bratislava include Slovak Telekom
Slovak Telekom
Slovak Telekom is the largest telecommunications company operating in Slovakia .-Ownership:It is majority owned by Germany's Deutsche Telekom...
, Orange Slovensko
Orange Slovensko
Orange Slovensko is a member of the global communications group Orange. The Orange Group operates in 19 countries of the world and currently serves almost 172 million customers....
, Slovenská sporiteľňa
Slovenská sporitelna
Slovenská sporiteľňa is the largest commercial bank in Slovakia. It provides comprehensive banking services to more than 2 million clients via the largest distribution network with 400 retail outlets...
, Tatra banka
Tatra banka
Tatra banka is a commercial bank in Slovakia. It was founded in 1990 as the first private bank in Slovakia. It took the name of the former bank, established in 1885, but not its assets. It started financial operations in December 1991....
, Doprastav
Doprastav
Doprastav a.s. is a Slovak construction company, which was established in 1953. The company focuses mainly on transportation construction - roads, bridges and railways....
, Hewlett-Packard Slovakia
Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA that provides products, technologies, softwares, solutions and services to consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including...
, Slovnaft
Slovnaft
Slovnaft is the largest oil refinery in Slovakia. It was established in 1957 in Bratislava. In 2000, Slovnaft became part of the Hungarian MOL Group, which owns 98.4 % of the shares. Slovnaft has two foreign branches nowadays: Slovnaft CZ in the Czech Republic and Slovnaft Polska in Poland...
, Henkel Slovensko
Henkel
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA is an multinational company headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany.The company operates in three business areas: Home Care , Personal Care ,...
, Slovenský plynárenský priemysel
Slovenský plynárenský priemysel
Slovenský plynárenský priemysel, a.s. is a Slovak key natural gas supplier. The company follows on from over 150 years of gas industry in Slovakia...
, Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...
Slovakia, Whirlpool Slovakia, Železnice Slovenskej republiky, and Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
Stores Slovak Republic.
The Slovak economy's
Economy of Slovakia
Slovakias economy increasingly resembles that of a so-called developed country. With the highest sustained GDP growth in the European Union, reporting 10.4% in 2007 and the highest rating from V4 countries, the Slovak economy has been considered a tiger economy known as the Tatra Tiger. Slovakia...
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. Areas attracting developers include the Danube riverfront, where two major projects are already finished: River Park in the Old Town, and Eurovea near the Apollo Bridge. Other locations under development include the areas around the main railway and bus stations, around the former industrial zone near the Old Town and in the boroughs of Petržalka, Nové Mesto and Ružinov. It is expected that investors will spend €1.2 billion on new projects by 2010.
The city has a balanced budget of 277 milion Euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
s (as of 2010), with one fifth used for investment. Bratislava holds shares in 17 companies directly, for example, in the public transport company (Dopravný podnik Bratislava
Dopravný podnik Bratislava
Dopravný podnik Bratislava, akciová spoločnosť is the only provider of city public transport in Bratislava and Chorvátsky Grob...
), the waste collection and disposal
Waste collection
Waste collection is the component of waste management which results in the passage of a waste material from the source of production to either the point of treatment or final disposal...
company, and the water utility. The city also manages municipal organisations such as the City Police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
(Mestská polícia), Bratislava City Museum
Bratislava City Museum
The Bratislava City Museum is a museum in Bratislava, Slovakia, established in 1868. Its headquarters are located in the Old Town, near the Main Square at the Old Town Hall. The museum is owned by one of the 11 allowance organizations of the City of Bratislava.The museum documents the history of...
and ZOO Bratislava
Bratislava Zoo
The ZOO Bratislava is a zoo in Bratislava, Slovakia, in the borough of Karlova Ves. It lies in the Little Carpathians forest. As of 2007, the zoo has an area of , and is home to 1307 specimens of 152 animal species. In 2006, the zoo received 203,000 visitors....
.
Tourism
- For the list of sights in the city, see cityscape and architecture above.
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
Among other factors, the growth of low-cost airline
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
flights to Bratislava, led by Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
, has led to conspicuous stag parties
Bachelor party
A bachelor party , also known as a stag party, stag night or stag do , a bull's party , or a buck's party or buck's night , is a party held for a man shortly before he enters marriage, to celebrate his "last night of freedom" or merely to spend...
, primarily from the UK. While these are a boon to the city's tourist industry, cultural differences and vandalism
Vandalism
Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
have led to concern by local officials.
Culture
Bratislava is the cultural heart of Slovakia. Owing to its historical multi-cultural character, local culture is influenced by various ethnic groups, including Germans, Slovaks, Hungarians, and Jews. Bratislava enjoys numerous theatres, museums, galleries, concert halls, cinemas, film clubs, and foreign cultural institutions.Performing arts
Slovak National Theatre
The Slovak National Theatre denotes:* the oldest Slovak professional theatre consisting of 3 ensembles ,* a Neo-Renaissance theatre building in the Old Town of Bratislava, Slovakia, which formerly housed two of the theatre's ensembles , and* the theatre's large modern theatre building in...
, housed in two buildings. The first is a Neo-Renaissance theatre building situated in the Old Town at the end of Hviezdoslav Square
Hviezdoslavovo námestie (Bratislava)
Hviezdoslavovo námestie is one of the best-known squares in Bratislava. It is located in the Old Town, between the New Bridge and the Slovak National Theatre.The square is named after Pavol Országh Hviezdoslav.-History:...
. The new building, opened to the public in 2007, is on the riverfront. The theatre has three ensembles: opera, ballet and drama. Smaller theatres include the Bratislava Puppet Theatre, the Astorka Korzo '90 theatre, the Arena Theatre
Arena Theatre
Arena Theatre is one of the oldest theatres in Bratislava.It was established in 1828 on the right bank of Danube. In the beginning it served asan open summer amphitheatre, hence the name Arena. The current building was built in1898....
, L+S Studio, and the Naive Theatre of Radošina.
Music in Bratislava flourished in the 18th century and was closely linked to Viennese musical life. Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
visited the town at the age of six. Among other notable composers who visited or lived in the town were Haydn
Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn , known as Joseph Haydn , was an Austrian composer, one of the most prolific and prominent composers of the Classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these forms...
, Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
, Bartók
Béla Bartók
Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
and Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
. It is also the birthplace of the composers Johann Nepomuk Hummel
Johann Nepomuk Hummel
Johann Nepomuk Hummel or Jan Nepomuk Hummel was an Austrian composer and virtuoso pianist. His music reflects the transition from the Classical to the Romantic musical era.- Life :...
and Franz Schmidt
Franz Schmidt
Franz Schmidt was an Austrian composer, cellist and pianist of Hungarian descent and origin.- Life :Schmidt was born in Pozsony , in the Hungarian part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire . His father was half Hungarian and his mother entirely Hungarian...
. Bratislava is home to both the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra and the chamber orchestra, Capella Istropolitana
Capella Istropolitana
The Cappella Istropolitana, sometimes spelt Capella Istropolitana, is a Slovakian chamber orchestra based in Bratislava, Slovakia.The orchestra was formed in 1983, and in 1991 the Bratislava City council appointed the orchestra as the Chamber Orchestra of the City of Bratislava.- External links :**...
. The city hosts several annual festivals, such as the Bratislava Music Festival
Bratislava Music Festival
The Bratislava Music Festival is an international festival of classical music that takes place annually in the city of Bratislava, Slovakia. It is a major Slovak musical event...
and Bratislava Jazz Days. The Wilsonic Festival
Wilsonic Festival
Wilsonic is a music festival held in Bratislava, Slovakia since 2000. The festival is held annually, but it was not held in 2002. Wilsonic tries to fuse the atmosphere of a concert, a club and a party.Wilsonic presents modern urban and electronic music...
, held annually since 2000, brings dozens of international musical acts to the city each year. During the summer, various musical events take place as part of the Bratislava Cultural Summer at Bratislava Castle
Bratislava Castle
Bratislava Castle is the main castle of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia.The massive rectangular building with four corner towers stands on a quite isolated rocky hill of the Little Carpathians directly above the Danube river in the middle of Bratislava...
, Park kultúry a oddychu
Park kultúry a oddychu
Park kultúry a oddychu abbreviated PKO and in the past commonly referred to as Pekáč is a complex of buildings in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia by the Danube riverbank, built from 1943 to 1948...
and elsewhere. Apart from musical festivals, it is possible to hear music ranging from underground to well known pop stars.
Museums and galleries
Slovak National Museum
The Slovak National Museum is the most important institution focusing on scientific research and cultural education in the field of museological activity in Slovakia...
(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 museum and cultural institution in Slovakia. The museum manages 16 specialised museums in Bratislava and beyond. The Bratislava City Museum
Bratislava City Museum
The Bratislava City Museum is a museum in Bratislava, Slovakia, established in 1868. Its headquarters are located in the Old Town, near the Main Square at the Old Town Hall. The museum is owned by one of the 11 allowance organizations of the City of Bratislava.The museum documents the history of...
(Múzeum mesta Bratislavy), established in 1868, is the oldest museum in continuous operation in Slovakia. 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.
The Slovak National Gallery
Slovak National Gallery
The Slovak National Gallery is a network of galleries in Slovakia. It has its headquarters in Bratislava.The gallery was established by law on 29 July 1949. In Bratislava, it has its displays situated in Esterházy Palace and the Water Barracks which are adjacent to each other...
, founded in 1948, offers the most extensive network of galleries in Slovakia. Two displays in Bratislava are next to one another at Esterházy Palace
Esterházy Palace (Bratislava)
Esterházy Palace is a Neo-Renaissance-style building in the Old Town, Bratislava, near the Danube riverfront, built in the 1870s. The building was reconstructed in the 1920s and in the 1950s, when it was adapted for the Slovak National Gallery needs....
(Esterházyho palác,Eszterházy palota) and the Water Barracks (Vodné kasárne,Vizikaszárnya) on the Danube riverfront in the Old Town. The Bratislava City Gallery
Bratislava City Gallery
The Bratislava City Gallery is a gallery located in Bratislava, Slovakia, in the Old Town. It is the second largest Slovak gallery of its kind...
, founded in 1961, is the second-largest Slovak gallery of its kind. The gallery offers permanent displays at Pálffy Palace
Johann Pálffy Palace
Johann Pálffy Palace is a late Classicism-style building in the Old Town, Bratislava, on the Panská street, near the Hviezdoslav Square. The palace is standing on the site of former building, which was until mid-1850s seat of the Pozsony county...
(Pálffyho palác,Pálffy palota) and Mirbach Palace
Mirbach Palace
Mirbach Palace is a Rococo-style palace in the Old Town, Bratislava, built from 1768 to 1770 for Bratislava brewer Michal Spech. The palace is named after its last owner, Count Emil Mirbach....
(Mirbachov palác,Mirbach palota), in the Old Town. Danubiana Art Museum, one of the youngest art museums in Europe, is near Čunovo
Cunovo
Čunovo is a small part of Bratislava, Slovakia, in the southern area near the Hungarian border. It is located close to the Gabčíkovo - Nagymaros Dams.- History :...
waterworks.
Media
Markíza
Markíza is a television station in Slovakia. The station launched on 31 August 1996. The station was owned by the politician Pavol Rusko, and is now part of CME network...
, JOJ
TV JOJ
-About TV JOJ:It was launched on 2 March 2002 as a successor of the TV Global, which was broadcasting since March 2000. TV Joj was built by former head of Czech Republic channel TV Nova, Vladimír Železný, when he was at war with TV Nova’s U.S. investor Central European Media Enterprises...
and TA3. Slovak Radio
Slovenský rozhlas
Slovenský rozhlas is Slovakia's national public-service radio broadcaster. The publicly funded company has its headquarters in Bratislava, capital of the Slovak Republic, housed in a building shaped like an inverted pyramid...
(Slovenský rozhlas) has its seat in the centre, and many Slovak commercial radio stations are based in the city. National newspapers based in Bratislava include SME
SME (newspaper)
SME or Denník SME is the most widely read and very influential mainstream broadsheet in Slovakia.Its target group is very wide, but officially it focuses on readers in bigger cities and agglomerations. Its circulation in December 2006 was 76 590. It appears 6 times a week. It is issued by Petit...
, Pravda
Pravda (Slovakia)
Pravda is a major newspaper in Slovakia. It is owned by Northcliffe International, part of British media group, the Daily Mail and General Trust.- Communist Pravda :...
, Nový čas
Nový cas
Nový čas is a tabloid and the best-selling daily in Slovakia.Its content is gutter press. Its print run is 190,000 copies . The widely read supplement "Nový čas víkend" is added on Saturdays...
, Hospodárske noviny
Hospodárske noviny
Hospodárske noviny is a daily predominantly economic newspaper in Slovakia. It is issued by ECOPRESS, a subsidiary of Czech ECONOMIA and a member of the Handelsblatt group....
and the English-language The Slovak Spectator
The Slovak Spectator
The Slovak Spectator is Slovakia's only English-language newspaper.It is published weekly by The Rock, s.r.o. publishing house and covers local news, culture and business...
. Two news agencies are headquartered there: the News Agency of the Slovak Republic
News Agency of the Slovak Republic
The News Agency of the Slovak Republic is a Slovak news agency founded on 30 January 1992. Its headquarters are located in Slovak capital Bratislava. TASR's main goal is to gather, store and provide news coverage of Slovak and international events in audio, photo and text form.TASR is partially...
(TASR) and the Slovak News Agency (SITA).
Sport
Various sportSport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
s and sports teams have a long tradition in Bratislava, with many teams and individuals competing in Slovak and international leagues
Sports league
League is a term commonly used to describe a group of sports teams or individual athletes that compete against each other in a specific sport. At its simplest, it may be a local group of amateur athletes who form teams among themselves and compete on weekends; at its most complex, it can be an...
and competition
Competition
Competition is a contest between individuals, groups, animals, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. It arises whenever two and only two strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Competition occurs naturally between living organisms which co-exist in the same environment. For...
s.
Football is currently represented by two clubs playing in the top Slovak football league, the Corgoň Liga. ŠK Slovan Bratislava
ŠK Slovan Bratislava
ŠK Slovan Bratislava is a football club based in Bratislava, Slovakia, that plays in the Corgoň liga. Founded as 1. ČsŠK Bratislava in 1919, the club changed its name to Slovan Bratislava in 1953...
, founded in 1919, has its home ground at the Tehelné pole
Tehelné pole
-External links:*...
stadium. ŠK Slovan is the most successful football club in Slovak history, being the only club from the former Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
to win the European football competition the Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
, in 1969.
FC Artmedia Bratislava is the oldest of Bratislava's football clubs, founded in 1898, and is based at Štadión Pasienky
Štadión Pasienky
Stadion Pasienky is a multi-purpose stadium in Bratislava, Slovakia. The stadium holds 13,000 people. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of FK Inter Bratislava and the temporary home since 2010 of Slovan Bratislava....
in Nové Mesto (formerly at Štadión Petržalka in Petržalka). They are currently the only Slovak team to win at least one match in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
group stage, with a 5–0 win over Celtic FC in the qualifying round being the most well-known, alongside a 3–2 win over FC Porto. Before then FC Košice in the 1997–98 season lost all six matches, despite being the first Slovak side since independence to play in the competition. In 2010 Artmedia were relegated from the Corgon Liga under their new name of MFK Petržalka, finishing 12th and bottom. Another known club from the city is FK Inter Bratislava
FK Inter Bratislava
FK Inter Bratislava is a Slovak football club, playing in the city of Bratislava.FK Inter Bratislava merged with FK Senica on June 18, 2009. Players of Inter Bratislava had to move to other clubs. In season 2010/2011 has been renewed and will start in 5.league...
. Founded in 1945, they have their home ground at Štadión Pasienky and currently play in the Slovak Second Division
Slovak First League
The Corgoň Liga is the top professional competition of association football in Slovakia.As of the 2011/12 season there are 12 teams competing in the league.-1...
.
Bratislava is home to three winter sports arenas: Ondrej Nepela
Ondrej Nepela
Ondrej Nepela was an Olympic gold medalist and three-time World champion Slovak figure skater who competed for Czechoslovakia in the late 1960s and early 1970s.-Career:...
Winter Sports Stadium, V. Dzurilla
Vladimír Dzurilla
Vladimír Dzurilla was a Slovak ice hockey goalkeeper playing for Czechoslovakia....
Winter Sports Stadium, and Dúbravka
Dúbravka, Bratislava
Dúbravka is a borough of Bratislava, Slovakia. It lies in the western part of the city on the eastern slope of Devínska Kobyla hill, covers 862 ha and is home to some 35,000 inhabitants.- History :...
Winter Sports Stadium. The HC Slovan Bratislava
HC Slovan Bratislava
Hockey Club Slovan Bratislava is a professional ice hockey team in the Slovak Extraliga from the Slovak capital Bratislava. They play their home games at Samsung Arena....
ice hockey team represents Bratislava in Slovakia's top ice hockey league, the Slovak Extraliga
Slovak Extraliga
Slovak Extraliga is the name of the highest-level ice hockey league in Slovakia. As of 2009, it is ranked by the IIHF as the fifth strongest league in Europe. The name of the league is leased to sponsor and changes frequently. From 1993/94 to 1997/98 season it was called Extraliga, then the name...
. Samsung Arena
Samsung Arena
Ondrej Nepela Arena , known as Orange Arena during the 2011 IIHF Championship, formerly Samsung Arena, also known as Slovnaft Arena, is an arena in Bratislava, Slovakia. It is primarily used for ice hockey and it is the home arena of HC Slovan Bratislava...
, a part of Ondrej Nepela
Ondrej Nepela
Ondrej Nepela was an Olympic gold medalist and three-time World champion Slovak figure skater who competed for Czechoslovakia in the late 1960s and early 1970s.-Career:...
Winter Sports Stadium, is home to HC Slovan. The Ice Hockey World Championships
Ice Hockey World Championships
The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European...
in 1959 and 1992 were played in Bratislava, and the 2011 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships will be held in Bratislava and Košice
Košice
Košice is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary...
, for which a new arena is being planned.
The Water Sports Centre Čunovo
Water Sports Centre Cunovo
The Water Sports Centre Čunovo is an artificial whitewater slalom course in Slovakia, on an island in the Danube river, 14 km southeast of Bratislava, near the village of Čunovo. It is powered by flow diversion from the Čunovo dam...
is a whitewater slalom and rafting
Rafting
Rafting or white water rafting is a challenging recreational outdoor activity using an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other bodies of water. This is usually done on white water or different degrees of rough water, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers. The development of this...
area, close to the Gabčíkovo dam. It hosts several international and national canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
and kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
competitions annually.
The National Tennis Centre, which includes Sibamac Arena
Sibamac Arena
Sibamac Arena is part of the Slovak National Tennis Centre in Bratislava, Slovakia. It has a capacity of 4,500 people.It has hosted concerts and various tennis matches, including the 2005 Davis Cup final between Slovakia and Croatia.-External links:*...
, hosts various cultural, sporting and social events. Several Davis Cup
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...
matches have been played there, including the 2005 Davis Cup
2005 Davis Cup
The 2005 Davis Cup was the 94th edition of the most important tournament between nations in men's tennis. A total of 130 teams participated in the tournament...
final. The city is represented in the top Slovak leagues in women's and men's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, women's handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
and volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, and men's water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
. The Devín–Bratislava National run is the oldest athletic event in Slovakia, and the Bratislava City Marathon has been held annually since 2006. A race track
Race track
A race track is a purpose-built facility for racing of animals , automobiles, motorcycles or athletes. A race track may also feature grandstands or concourses. Some motorsport tracks are called speedways.A racetrack is a permanent facility or building...
is located in Petržalka
Petržalka
Petržalka ) is the largest borough of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Situated on the right bank of the river Danube, it is home to approximately 150,000 people.-History:Historical records of Petržalka exist from 1225...
, where horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
and dog racing
Greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
events and dog shows
Dog agility
Dog agility is a dog sport in which a handler directs a dog through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy. Dogs run off-leash with no food or toys as incentives, and the handler can touch neither dog nor obstacles...
are held regularly.
Bratislava is also the centre of rugby union in Slovakia
Rugby union in Slovakia
Rugby union in Slovakia is a minor but growing sport.-History:Rugby union was introduced to Czechoslovakia by the Czech/Moravian writer Ondřej Sekora, when he returned from living in France in 1926, with a rugby ball and set of rules....
.
Education and science
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
(and also in the territory of present-day Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
) was Universitas Istropolitana, founded in 1465 by King Matthias Corvinus
Matthias Corvinus of Hungary
Matthias Corvinus , also called the Just in folk tales, was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458, at the age of 14 until his death...
. It was closed in 1490 after his death.
Bratislava is the seat of the largest university (Comenius University
Comenius University in Bratislava
Comenius University in Bratislava is the largest university in Slovakia, with most of its faculties located in Bratislava. It was founded in 1919, shortly after the creation of Czechoslovakia. It is named after Jan Amos Comenius, a 17th century Czech teacher and philosopher.In 2006, Comenius...
, 27,771 students), the largest technical university (Slovak University of Technology
Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava
Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava is the most significant university of technology in Slovakia.- University structure :* Faculty of Civil Engineering* Faculty of Mechanical Engineering...
, 18,473 students), and the oldest art schools (the Academy of Performing Arts
Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava
The Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava is a university founded on June 9, 1949.The university consists of three faculties:*Theatre Faculty...
and the Academy of Fine Arts and Design
Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava
The Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava is an academy in Bratislava, Slovakia.AFAD was founded in the year 1949 at the dawn of totalitarian regime in the former Czechoslovak Socialist Republic...
) in Slovakia. Other institutions of tertiary education are the public University of Economics
University of Economics in Bratislava
University of Economics in Bratislava is the oldest university of economics in Slovakia.-History:The university was established in 1940 as a private university under the name...
and the first private college in Slovakia, City University of Seattle
City University of Seattle (Vysoká Škola Manažmentu)
City University of Seattle , also known as City University of Seattle or just VŠM, is located in Slovak capital Bratislava and cities of Trenčín and Poprad. In 1991, City University of Seattle began its degree programs in former Czechoslovakia. VŠM was founded on December 1, 1999 as the first...
. In total, about 56,000 students attend university in Bratislava.
There are 65 public primary schools, nine private primary schools and ten religious primary schools. Overall, they enroll 25,821 pupils. The city's system of secondary education
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
(some middle schools and all high schools) consists of 39 gymnasia
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
with 16,048 students, 37 specialized high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s with 10,373 students, and 27 vocational school
Vocational school
A vocational school , providing vocational education, is a school in which students are taught the skills needed to perform a particular job...
s with 8,863 students (data as of 2007).
The Slovak Academy of Sciences
Slovak Academy of Sciences
The Slovak Academy of Sciences SAV is the main scientific and research institution in Slovakia fostering basic and strategic basic research...
is also based in Bratislava. However, the city is one of the few European capitals to have neither an observatory
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
nor a planetarium
Planetarium
A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation...
. The nearest observatory is in Modra
Modra
Modra is a city and municipality in the Bratislava Region in Slovakia. It has a population of 8,704 as of 2005. It nestles in the foothills of the Malé Karpaty and is an excellent centre of hiking.Modra is famous for its pottery industry...
, 30 kilometres (19 mi) away, and the nearest planetarium is in Hlohovec, 70 kilometres (43 mi) away. CEPIT, the Central European Park For Innovative Technologies, is slated for development in Vajnory
Vajnory
Vajnory is a small borough in the northeast of Bratislava, Slovakia.Milan Rastislav Štefánik international airport is located near Vajnory. Another airport - Vajnory Airport, which was the first airport in Slovakia - closed in 2006.-History:...
. This science and technology park will combine public and private research and educational institutions. Construction was expected to begin in 2008, but has since stalled.
Transport
Public transport in Bratislava is managed by Dopravný podnik Bratislava
Dopravný podnik Bratislava
Dopravný podnik Bratislava, akciová spoločnosť is the only provider of city public transport in Bratislava and Chorvátsky Grob...
, a city-owned company. The transport system is known as Mestská hromadná doprava (MHD, Municipal Mass Transit) and employs buses, tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
s, and trolleybus
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
es. An additional service, Bratislavská integrovaná doprava (Bratislava Integrated Transport), links train and bus routes in the city with points beyond.
As a rail hub, the city has direct connections to Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany and the rest of Slovakia. Petržalka
Bratislava-Petržalka Railway Station
The Bratislava-Petržalka railway station is a station in Petržalka, the southern part of Bratislava. The station was rebuilt in the 1990s as a stop for international trains to and from Vienna, which restarted in 1999 after having stopped in 1945....
and Bratislava hlavná stanica
Bratislava hlavná stanica
- External links :* *...
are the main stations.
The motorway system provides direct access to Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
in the Czech Republic, Trnava
Trnava
Trnava is a city in western Slovakia, 47 km to the north-east of Bratislava, on the Trnávka river. It is the capital of a kraj and of an okres . It was the seat of a Roman Catholic archbishopric . The city has a historic center...
and other points in Slovakia, and Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
in Hungary. The A6 motorway
Nordostautobahn
The Nordost Autobahn A6 or Northeastern motorway is a motorway in eastern Austria and it connects Slovakia to the Austrian motorway system.It begins at A4 junction near Bruckneudorf, going east, bypassing Potzneusiedl, crossing the Leitha river by a 410 m long bridge, then beyond Gattendorf copying...
between Bratislava and Vienna was opened in November 2007. The Port of Bratislava
Port of Bratislava
The Port of Bratislava is a major port on the river Danube and — in a wider sense — on the Rhine-Main-Danube waterway....
provides access to the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
via the Danube and to the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
through the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal. M. R. Štefánik Airport
M. R. Štefánik Airport
-Cargo airlines:-Charter airlines:winter 2011/12 list-VIP and other operators:*ABS Jets – base*Tatra Jet – focus city*OPERA JET – base*VR Jet – base...
is 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) north-east of the city centre. It served 2,024,000 passengers in 2007.
Twin towns – Sister cities
Bratislava is twinned with:| Yerevan Yerevan Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country... , Armenia Armenia Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia... (2001) Vienna Vienna Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre... , Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... Sofia Sofia Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated... , Bulgaria Bulgaria Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east... Rousse, Bulgaria Bulgaria Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east... Larnaka Larnaca Larnaca, is the third largest city on the southern coast of Cyprus after Nicosia and Limassol. It has a population of 72,000 and is the island's second largest commercial port and an important tourist resort... , Cyprus Cyprus Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the... (1989) Prague Prague Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million... , Czech Republic Czech Republic The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest.... Alexandria Alexandria Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving... , Egypt Egypt Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world... |
Turku Turku Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland... , Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... (1976) Ulm Ulm Ulm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... Bremen Bremen The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... (1989) Thessaloniki Thessaloniki Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace... , Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... (1986) Székesfehérvár Székesfehérvár Székesfehérvár is a city in central Hungary and is the 9th largest in the country. Located around southwest of Budapest. It is inhabited by 101,973 people , with 136,995 in the Székesfehérvár Subregion. The city is the centre of Fejér county and the regional centre of Central Transdanubia... , Hungary Hungary Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The... Perugia Perugia Perugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the River Tiber, and the capital of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area.... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... (1962) Parma Parma Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world.... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... (1967) |
Rotterdam Rotterdam Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre... , Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... (1991) Moscow Moscow Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent... , Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... Saratov Saratov -Modern Saratov:The Saratov region is highly industrialized, due in part to the rich in natural and industrial resources of the area. The region is also one of the more important and largest cultural and scientific centres in Russia... , Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... Ljubljana Ljubljana Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants... , Slovenia Slovenia Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of... (1967) İzmir Izmir Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey... , Turkey Turkey Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe... (2003) Kiev Kiev Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press.... , Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia... Cleveland, Ohio Ohio Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
* Numbers in brackets list the year of twinning. The first agreement was signed with the city of Perugia
Perugia
Perugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the River Tiber, and the capital of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area....
, Umbria
Umbria
Umbria is a region of modern central Italy. It is one of the smallest Italian regions and the only peninsular region that is landlocked.Its capital is Perugia.Assisi and Norcia are historical towns associated with St. Francis of Assisi, and St...
in Italy on July 18, 1962.
External links
- Official Tourism and Travel Guide to Bratislava
- Public urban transport in Bratislava
- Official Erasmus Exchange in Bratislava Guide for foreigner students