Bratislava Sights

  1. Palace of the Royal Chamber

    Palace of the Royal Chamber. Now a university library, it was formerly the seat of the Hungarian parliament, or diet, from 1802-48. At the last meeting held there, town deputy Ľudovít Štúr spoke out for Slovak rights and the elimination of serfdom.

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  2. Pálffy Palace

    Pálffy Palace, is a pre-1715 house built on the site of a 13th-century structure and contains a mix of 19th- and 20th-century Slovak art.

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  3. Plague Column

    At the western end of Hviezdoslavovo nám is an 18th-century Plague Column on Rybné nám (Fish Sq), all that remains of the city's old fish market (yet another victim of the New bridge).

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  4. Primate's Palace

    One of Slovakia's finest neoclassical buildings, the Primate's Palace is topped with a 150kg cast-iron bishop's hat. Napoleon and the Austrian emperor Franz I signed the Treaty of Pressburg on 26 December 1805 here in the Hall of Mirrors. The 17th-century English tapestries on display in the 2nd-floor gallery were found hidden under wallpaper during a 1903 reconstruction.

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  5. Roland's Fountain

    Built in 1572, Roland's Fountain, at the centre of Hlavné nám, may have originally been a fire hydrant.

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  7. Sad Janka Krála Park

    Close to the centre, across the Danube from the old town, is Sad Janka Krála Park with paths and a few sorry amusement rides.

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  8. Slavín War Memorial

    On Slavín Hill, northwest of the old town, stand a cemetery and garden with fine views over the city. Towering over them is the Slavín War Memorial, an enormous pillar erected in 1960 in memory of the 6000 Soviet soldiers who died pushing the Nazis out of West Slovakia.

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  9. Slovak National Gallery

    Plans to make the Danube riverfront more of an attraction are in the works, but for now it's just a large, pleasant tree-lined place to walk. Waterfront and centre is the Slovak National Gallery, housing the nation's biggest art collection. An 18th-century palace and a Stalinist-modernist building make interesting cohosts for the eclectic showing, which ranges from Gothic to graphic art.

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  10. Slovak National Museum

    The 1st floor exhibits of the Slovak National Museum provide a superb overview of the folk cultures and customs of Slovakia's regions; skip the tired natural history stuff upstairs.

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  11. Slovak Radio Building

    No, you're not seeing things - there is an upside-down pyramid in the new town; that's the Slovak radio building.

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  13. Slovak Shipping & Ports

    A 45-minute Bratislava return-trip Boat Tour, run by Slovak Shipping & Ports, takes you past the city's five bridges. The tour must have 30 passengers to depart, so book ahead

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  14. Slovenská Národná Galéria

    On the riverfront, the Slovak National Gallery incorporates an 18th-century palace into its unusual 'Stalinist chic' design. Housing the nation's largest combined gallery and museum collection, it is well worth a visit, especially for its fine Gothic and baroque sections. Slovak National Museum is close by.

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  15. St Martin's Cathedral

    A relatively modest interior in the Gothic 14th-century St Martin's Cathedral belies the elaborate history of the place. Here 11 Hungarian Hapsburg ruling monarchs were crowned from 1563 to 1830 (10 kings and one queen). The steeple is topped by a golden crown in place of a cross. Inside look for a 1734 statue of St Martin cutting off the corner of his cloak for a beggar; it was created by Georg Raphael Donner, Austria's best-known baroque sculptor.

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  16. State Puppet Theatre

    The fun State Puppet Theatre puts on shows, pretty much daily at , and sometimes again at .

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  17. Synagogue

    Two blocks northeast of Nám SNP is the city's only operating Synagogue.

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  19. Treasury

    At the time of writing, the tiny Bratislava Castle Treasury was closed for reconstruction with no certain reopening date. When it does reopen, the highlight will still be the unbelievable 25,000-year-old Venus of Moravany , a miniature fertility statue of a headless, naked woman that is carved from a mammoth tusk.

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  20. Zoo Bratislava

    Zoo Bratislava covers 96 hectares. Take bus 30 or 37 from under the New bridge to the Slávičie údolie stop (5 to 10 minutes).

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