The Berkeley Guides:
Berkeley Guide to Europe:
Slovakia:
Bratislava
The various influences on Bratislava's development are immediately apparent: The brooding hrad (castle), once a fortress protecting the Hungarian Empire's frontier, dwarfs modern high-rises and neo-Gothic Dóm sv. Martina (St. Martin's Cathedral), which is topped with a Hungarian crown. The Staré mesto (Old Town) is charming, with remnants of the city walls, built in the 13th18th centuries, surrounding stately palaces. Not that Bratislava hasn't had architectural growing pains: Petr_alka, the huge housing project across the Danube River, was inspired by communist-era concrete aesthetics, and towering above town is Most SNP tower, a dubious tribute to modernity. Consider your visit a manic exercise in disjointedness.
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