In the heart of Europe, Bratislava, capital of Slovakia since 1993, close to Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic, is a border town open to the outside world. A historic crossroads of ancient trade routes, it has always been at the center of many cultures and the Danube, a river that it shares with a dozen countries, has contributed to the circulation of ideas and influences from elsewhere. Celts, Romans, Slavs left their mark. For three centuries, the kings and queens of Hungary reigned there, including Maria Theresa of Austria (1717-1780), and it was in Bratislava, then known as Pressburg, that they were crowned between 1563 and 1830, in Saint Martin's Cathedral.
Located on a hill, the square castle with four Austrian-style towers, symbol of Bratislava, dominates the city. If the first mention of its construction dates from 907, it underwent multiple transformations over the centuries, to finally be rebuilt, after a fire and years of abandonment, from 1953. The emblematic Porte Saint-Michel, building from the 14th century, renovated in the Baroque style in the 18th century, marks the entrance to the historic center. On the central square, with its Gothic entrance, its Renaissance arcades and its colorful facades, the old 14th century town hall sets the tone. Rich in its past, the old town expresses the diversity of its styles between Baroque palaces and Art Nouveau, of which the Church of Saint Elisabeth is the jewel. This little marvel, built in 1907-1908, covered with mosaics and blue earthenware, is the work of the Hungarian architect Ödön Lechner. To contemplate Bratislava, you can climb to the top of one of the pillars of the Pont Neuf, and, at sunset, under the golden reflections of the river, you can understand why it was nicknamed the "beauty of the Danube".
