Bratislava really is a nice little town. The city reminded me of Prague. We felt very comfortable here and can recommend a short trip.
Here we summarised our little highlights in Bratislava. The main highlights, such as the castle or the monument Slavín, I described in individual articles.
Palais Grassalkovich
Very close to our hotel was the Presidential Palace, the Palais Grassalkovich. It has been the seat of the President of the Slovakian government since 1996. The Palais is a late baroque building with a garden that was originally built for Count Antal Grassalkovich, the President of the Royal Hungarian Court Chamber.
The park is open to the public almost all day. In the summer it functions as a small, green oasis near the old town. At times there are guards in front of the Presidential Palace. The change of guard is worth seeing, but during our stay that happened irregularly and on the weekend there weren’t any guards at all in front of the palace.
Address:
Hodzovo Namestie,
81106 Bratislava,
Slowakei
House of Slovenský rozhlas
One of the architecturally most interesting buildings is the House of the Slovakian Broadcasting Corporation. The building is an 80 metres high upside down pyramid. It was completed in 1983 after more than 15 years of construction. The building was put on the list of the 30 ugliest buildings in the world.
I don’t think the building is that ugly. I think it is rather unusual and with a fresh coat of paint, it would certainly look a lot better. Still, I have to agree with the critics on one point. Its look just does not fit with the surrounding houses. It would have been better placed in an area with more modern steel buildings.
Address:
Mýtna,
811 07 Bratislava-Staré Mesto,
Slowakei
Highlights in Bratislava – Old Town
Taking a stroll through the Old Town of Bratislava is a perfect opportunity to discover many beautiful corners that you should not miss out on on your trip. Sometimes it’s just a nice house, a church, a fountain or an alley. The cathedral of Saint Martin – a gothic church from the 15th century where coronations of the Hungarian kings took place.
The town hall and the opera house:
The St. Michael’s Gate, the only remaining gate of the town fortification, and the remains of the old city wall:
I could post many more pictures of the city, but I think a visit and seeing it for yourself is the much better experience. Last little tip from me: The Jan Kral Park with its gothic tower, the new concert hall and the Parliament building should be on the must-see list. You can watch our little video about our highlights in Bratislava here if you fancy:
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