Virtual tours of SLOVAK REPUBLIC

Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of some 450,000, the country's largest city (the population of the entire metropolitan area is around 600,000). Bratislava is located in the south west of Slovakia and straddles both banks of the Danube. It is the only national capital in the world that borders two other countries - Austria and Hungary. It is only an hour's drive from the border with the Czech Republic and only 62 km (38.5 mi) from the Austrian capital Vienna.

Bratislava is the political, cultural and economic centre of Slovakia. It is the seat of the Slovak presidency, the parliament, government and the supreme court, as well as home to several universities (Comenius University, Slovak University of Technology, University of Economics), museums and galleries (Slovak National Museum, Bratislava City Museum, Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava City Gallery), theatres (Slovak National Theatre, Bratislava Puppet Theatre etc.), and other important economic (e.g. the Central bank of Slovakia), cultural (Bratislava Castle, Devin Castle) and educational institutions (Bratislava Technical College, Academy of Performing Arts, Academy of Fine Arts and Design etc.). Many of Slovakia's large businesses and financial institutions have their headquarters in Bratislava. Despite being the smallest of all country's regions by area, the Bratislava Region accounts for more than one quarter of Slovak GDP.