Bratislava

**Bratislava** is the capital city of Slovakia. About 450,000 people live there. It used to be called Pressburg (German) or Pozsony (Hungarian) and by some other names. Bratislava is the seat of the national government, the presidency, and the parliament. It has several museums, galleries, and other educational, cultural, and economic institutions.

There is a small Old Town and a castle called Bratislavský Hrad. The Danube river goes through Bratislava.

## Etymology

Bratislava had many names through its history. Here are some of them:

- German: _Preßburg_ (now spelled _Pressburg_)
- Slovak: _Prešporok_, from German name
- Hungarian: _Pozsony_ (still used today by Hungarians)
- Greek (medieval): _Istropolis_ (meaning the Danube City)
- Latin: _Posonium_
- English: _Pressburg(h)_/_Pressborough_

and many others.

## Geography

Bratislava is in the extreme southwest of Slovakia, on the borders with Austria and Hungary, and not far from the Czech Republic border. It is on the Morava and Danube rivers.

## History

People have lived here since the Neolithic age. The Celts inhabited this area from 400 BC-50 BC. The Roman Empire set up border military camps near Bratislava from the 1st century until the 5th century, for example,"_Gerulata_." The Slavs started moving here in the 6th century. Bratislava was part of the Slavic empire called Great Moravia in the 9th century. From the second half of the 10th century until 1918, it was part of the Kingdom of Hungary, with some exceptions. It was even the capital of the Kingdom between 1524 and 1830/1848. After the World War I ended in 1918, it was part of newly founded Czechoslovakia until 1939, when it became the capital of World War II the Slovak Republic until 1945. After 1945, it was part of Czechoslovakia again, becoming the capital of Slovak Socialist Republic (which was still part of Czechoslovakia) in 1968. After the event called Velvet Divorce, when Czechoslovakia broke up, Bratislava became the capital of Slovakia.

## Sightseeing

List of notable structures:

- Bratislava Castle
- St. Martin's Cathedral
- Primate's Palace
- Bratislava town hall
- Michael's Gate
- Grassalkovich Palace
- Nový Most (New Bridge)
- Kamzík TV Tower
- Devín Castle

## Economy

The economy of Bratislava is prosperous and based on the automobile industry, chemical industry, and services. Unemployment (people without work) is the lowest in Slovakia (around 2%, compared to the national average of 7%). Approximately 250,000 people from all over Slovakia travel to Bratislava for work.

## Transport

The position of Bratislava made it a natural crossroads for international traffic. It is a motorway and rail junction with its own international airport. The international river traffic passes along the Danube through Bratislava, with its own river port.

Bratislava has its own public transport system, with buses, trams and trolleybuses.

## Territorial division

Bratislava is divided into 5 national districts and 17 city parts:

- District I: _Staré mesto_ (Old Town)
- District II: _Ružinov_, _Vrakuňa_, _Podunajské Biskupice_
- District III: _Rača_, _Nové mesto_ (New Town), _Vajnory_
- District IV: _Karlova Ves_, _Dúbravka_, _Devín_, _Devínska Nová Ves_, _Záhorská
- District V: _Petržalka_, _Jarovce_, _Rusovce_, _Čunovo''

Further it is divided into 20 cadastral areas, which are identical with the city parts with 2 exceptions:

- Nové mesto = Nové mesto + Vinohrady
- Ružinov = Ružinov + Nivy + Trnávka

## Twin towns

- Yerevan, Armenia
- Vienna, Austria
- Ruse, Bulgaria
- Larnaka, Cyprus
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Alexandria, Egypt
- Turku, Finland
- Bremen, Germany
- Ulm, Germany
- Thessaloniki, Greece
- Székesfehérvár, Hungary
- Perugia, Italy
- Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Kraków, Poland
- Ljubljana, Slovenia
- İzmir, Turkey
- Kyiv, Ukraine
- Cleveland, USA

## Other websites

- Bratislava City Guide prepared by locals
- ŠÚ SR - Statistical office of the Slovak Republic

## Infobox (settlement)

- **name**: Bratislava
- **settlement type**: Capital city
- **image caption**: Bratislava montage. From top left to right: View of Bratislava, View of Old Town, Bratislava, Old Town, Financial District, Old Town, Bratislava, Old Town streets, Blue Church, Grassalkovich Palace.
- **image flag**: Bratislava-bratislava-flag.svg
- **flag border**: no
- **image shield**: Coat of Arms of Bratislava.svg
- **image blank emblem**: Logo of Bratislava.svg
- **blank emblem size**: 128
- **blank emblem type**: Wordmark
- **nicknames**: Beauty on the Danube, Little Big City, Blava
- **subdivision type**: Country
- **subdivision name**: Slovakia
- **subdivision type2**: Region
- **subdivision name2**: Bratislava Region, Bratislava
- **pushpin map**: Slovakia#Slovakia Bratislava Region#Europe
- **pushpin relief**: 1
- **pushpin map caption**: Location of Bratislava in Slovakia
- **leader title**: Mayor of Bratislava, Mayor
- **leader name**: Matúš Vallo
- **established title**: First mentioned
- **established date**: 907
- **elevation m**: 134
- **population density km2**: auto
- **population demonym**: Bratislavčan (m), Bratislavčanka (f) (Slovak language, sk) Bratislavan (English language, en)
- **timezone1**: Central European Time, CET
- **utc offset1**: +1
- **timezone1 dst**: Central European Summer Time, CEST
- **utc offset1 dst**: +2
- **postal code type**: Postal code
- **postal code**: 8XX XX
- **area code**: 421 2
- **blank name**: Vehicle registration plates of Slovakia, Car plate
- **blank info**: BA, BL, BT
- **website**: [http://bratislava.sk/ www.bratislava.sk/]
- **blank name sec2**: Gross regional product, GRP (Metro)
- **blank info sec2**: 2019
- **blank1 name sec2**:  – Total
- **blank1 info sec2**: €26.4 billion
($B)
- **blank2 name sec2**:  – Per capita
- **blank2 info sec2**: €40,000
($)
- **elevation max point**: Debilska Kobyla  - výška 514 m
- **population blank1 title**: Metro