Bratislava

Bratislava is the capital and largest city of Slovakia. It is also the fourth largest city along the river Danube. The city has about 479,000 people living in it, and more than 732,000 people live in the wider Bratislava area. Altogether, around 1.3 million people live in the larger region around the city.

Bratislava sits at the foot of the Little Carpathian Mountains and along the banks of the Danube and Morava rivers. It is special because it touches the borders of three countries: Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary. It is the only capital city in the world that borders two other countries. The city is very close to Vienna, the capital of Austria—only about 50 kilometers away, making them the closest pair of capital cities in Europe.

Throughout history, many different peoples have shaped Bratislava, including Austrians, Bulgarians, Croats, Czechs, Germans, Hungarians, Jews, and Slovaks. For a long time, from 1536 to 1783, it was the center of the Kingdom of Hungary, where kings and queens were crowned and important meetings were held.

Today, Bratislava is the political, cultural, and economic heart of Slovakia. It is where the Slovak president works, and it holds the country's parliament and government offices. The city has many universities, museums, theatres, and other important places for learning and culture. It is also a busy place for business and money, and it welcomes many visitors each year, mostly from nearby countries like the Czech Republic, Germany, and Austria.

Etymology

The area where Bratislava stands was first mentioned in the year 907 as Brezalauspurc, meaning 'Braslav's castle'. Experts are not sure exactly where this place was.

The Hungarian name Pozsony was first recorded in 1002. Some experts think it comes from an old prince named Božan who owned a castle there long ago. Over time, the city's name changed many times. It was known as Preßburg in German and had other names in different languages.

After World War I, the name Bratislava was chosen in 1919. This was to help make the city feel more Slovak when it became part of Czechoslovakia. The name Bratislava came from an old misunderstanding of older names by a scholar named Pavol Jozef Šafárik.

History

Main article: History of Bratislava

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Bratislava.

Biatec, presumably a king, who appeared on the Celtic coins minted by the Boii at the current location of Bratislava, 1st century B.C.

Gerulata, a Roman Empire military camp, built in the 2nd century A.D. at the current location of Bratislava

Battle of Bratislava in 907

The first known permanent settlement of the area began with the Linear Pottery Culture, around 5000 B.C. in the Neolithic era. About 200 B.C., the Celtic Boii tribe founded the first significant settlement, a fortified town known as the Bratislava oppidum. They also established a mint, producing gold and silver coins known as biatecs.

The area fell under Roman influence from the 1st to the 4th century A.D. and was made part of the Danubian Limes, a border defence system. The Romans introduced grape growing to the area and began a tradition of winemaking, which survives to the present.

The Slavs arrived from the East between the 5th and 6th centuries during the Migration Period. As a response to onslaughts by Avars, the local Slavic tribes rebelled and established Samo's Empire (623–658), the first known Slavic political entity. In the 9th century, the castles at Bratislava (Brezalauspurk) and Devín (Dowina) were important centres of the Slavic states: the Principality of Nitra and Great Moravia. Scholars have debated the identification as fortresses of the two castles built in Great Moravia, based on linguistic arguments and because of the absence of convincing archaeological evidence.

The first written reference to a settlement named "Brezalauspurc" dates to 907 and is related to the Battle of Pressburg, during which a Bavarian army was defeated by the Hungarians. It is connected to the fall of Great Moravia, already weakened by its own inner decline and under the attacks of the Hungarians. The exact location of the battle remains unknown, and some interpretations place it west of Lake Balaton.

In the 10th century, the territory of Pressburg (what would later become Pozsony county) became part of Hungary (called the "Kingdom of Hungary" from 1000). It developed as a key economic and administrative centre on the kingdom's frontier. In 1052, German Emperor Henry III undertook a fifth campaign against the Kingdom of Hungary, and besieged Pressburg without success, as the Hungarians sank his supply ships on the river Danube. This strategic position destined the city to be the site of frequent attacks and battles, but also brought it economic development and high political status. It was granted its first known "town privileges" in 1291 by the Hungarian King Andrew III, and was declared a free royal city (Libera Regia Civitas). Confirmation and expansion of privileges was made in 1405 by King Sigismund. In 1436, he authorised the town to use its own coat of arms.

The earliest known depiction of Pressburg Castle (Chronicon Pictum, 1358)

Pressburg (Bratislava) in 1588

The Kingdom of Hungary was defeated by the Ottoman Empire in the Battle of Mohács in 1526. The Ottomans besieged and damaged Pressburg, but failed to conquer it. Owing to Ottoman advances into Hungarian territory, the city was designated the new capital of Hungary in 1536, after becoming part of the Habsburg monarchy and marking the beginning of a new era. The city became a coronation town and the seat of kings, archbishops (1543), the nobility, and all major organisations and offices. Between 1536 and 1830, eleven Hungarian kings and queens were crowned at St. Martin's Cathedral.

The 17th century was marked by anti-Habsburg uprisings, fighting with the Ottomans, floods, plagues, and other disasters, which diminished the population. Great epidemics were spreading in Bratislava in 1541–1542, 1552–1553, 1660–1665, and 1678–1681. A terrible outbreak of 1678–1681 left approximately 11,000 casualties among Bratislava's residents (the city population was in that time around 30,000 people). The last plague outbreak of Bratislava was between the years 1712–1713.

Pressburg flourished during the 18th-century reign of Queen Maria Theresa, becoming the largest and most important town in the Kingdom of Hungary. The population tripled; many new palaces, monasteries, mansions, and streets were built, and the city was the centre of social and cultural life of the region. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart gave a concert in 1762 in the Pálffy Palace. Joseph Haydn performed in 1784 in the Grassalkovich Palace. Ludwig van Beethoven was a guest in 1796 in the Keglevich Palace.

The Plague Column, built in 1713

Coronation of Maria Theresa in 1741

Maria Theresa's ride in Bratislava, 1747

The city started to lose its importance under the reign of Maria Theresa's son Joseph II, especially after the crown jewels were taken to Vienna in 1783 in an attempt to strengthen the relations between Austria and Hungary. Many central offices subsequently moved to Buda, followed by a large segment of the nobility. The first newspapers in Hungarian and Slovak were published here: Magyar hírmondó in 1780, and Presspurske Nowiny in 1783. In the course of the 18th century, the city became a centre for the Slovak national movement.^{[citation needed]}

The city's 19th-century history was closely tied to the major events in Europe. The Peace of Pressburg between the Austrian Empire and French Empire was signed here in 1805. Devín Castle was ruined by Napoleon's French troops during an invasion of 1809. In 1825, the Hungarian National Learned Society (the present Hungarian Academy of Sciences) was founded in Pressburg using a donation from István Széchenyi. In 1843, Hungarian was proclaimed the official language in legislation, public administration, and education by the Diet in the city.

Devín Castle, turned to ruins by Napoleon Bonaparte's French army in 1809.

In 1811, a huge fire raged through Bratislava Castle, destroying the main palace and more than 70 nearby houses.

Pressburg (Bratislava) in the 19th century

As a reaction to the Revolutions of 1848, Ferdinand V signed the so-called April laws, which included the abolition of serfdom, at the Primate's Palace. The city chose the revolutionary Hungarian side, but was captured by the Austrians in December 1848.

Industry developed rapidly in the 19th century. The first horse-drawn railway in the Kingdom of Hungary, from Pressburg to Szentgyörgy (Svätý Jur), was built in 1840. A new line to Vienna using steam locomotives was opened in 1848, and a line to Pest in 1850. Many new industrial, financial, and other institutions were founded; for example, the first bank in present-day Slovakia was founded in 1842. The city's first permanent bridge over the Danube, Starý most (Old Bridge), was built in 1891. Between the years 1867-1918, the territory of Pressburg became part of Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Before World War I, the city had a population that was 42% German, 41% Hungarian, and 15% Slovak (1910 census). The first post-war census in 1919 declared the city's ethnic composition at 36% German, 33% Slovak, and 29% Hungarian, but this may have reflected changing self-identification, rather than an exchange of peoples. Many people were bi- or trilingual and multicultural.^{[citation needed]}

After World War I, the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire began. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson and the United States played a major role in the establishment of the new Czechoslovak state. American Slovaks proposed renaming the city "Wilsonovo mesto" (Wilson City), after Woodrow Wilson.

On October 28, 1918, Czechoslovakia was proclaimed, but its borders were not settled for several months. The dominant Hungarian and German population tried to prevent annexation of the city to Czechoslovakia and declared it a free city, while the Hungarian Prime Minister Károlyi protested against the Czech invasion. The Slovak National Assembly, meanwhile, called it a "defensive action of the Slovaks themselves, to end the anarchy caused by the flight of the Hungarians." The Allies of World War I drew a provisional demarcation line, which was revealed to the Hungarian government on December 23, in the document known as the Vix Note. The Czechoslovak Legion arrived from Italy, began to advance on December 30, 1918, and by January 2, 1919, all important civil and military buildings were in Czechoslovak hands. It was the beginning of the conflict, which later continued as the Hungarian–Czechoslovak War. The city became the seat of Slovakia's political organs and organizations and became Slovakia's capital on February 4.

Pressburg (Bratislava) in 1915 during World War I

Czechoslovak Legion at the Old Bridge (Starý most) in Bratislava during Hungarian–Czechoslovak War, 1919

On March 27, 1919, the name Bratislava was officially adopted for the first time to replace the previous Slovak name Prešporok.

At the beginning of August 1919, Czechoslovakia got permission to correct the borders for strategic reasons, mainly to secure the port and to prevent a potential attack of the Hungarian Army on the town. On the night of August 14, 1919, barefoot Czechoslovak soldiers silently climbed to the Hungarian side of the Starý most (Old Bridge), captured the guards, and annexed Petržalka (currently part of Bratislava's 5th district) without a fight. The Paris Peace Conference assigned the area to Czechoslovakia to create a bridgehead for the newly created Czechoslovak state for controlling the Danube.

Left without any protection after the retreat of the Hungarian army, many Hungarians were expelled or fled. Czechs and Slovaks moved their households to Bratislava. Education in Hungarian and German was radically reduced in the city. By the 1930 Czechoslovak census, the Hungarian population of Bratislava had decreased to 15.8% (see the Demographics of Bratislava article for more details).

In 1938, Nazi Germany annexed neighbouring Austria in the Anschluss; on October 10, 1938, based on the Munich Agreement it also annexed (still-separate from Bratislava) Petržalka and Devín boroughs on ethnic grounds, as these had many ethnic Germans. Petržalka was renamed as Engerau and Devín was renamed as Theben an der March. The Starý most (Old Bridge) became a border bridge between Czechoslovakia and Nazi Germany.^{[citation needed]}

German Führer Adolf Hitler on his visit to Bratislava after Munich Betrayal, October 1938

Bratislava was declared the capital of the first independent Slovak Republic on March 14, 1939, but the new state quickly fell under Nazi influence. In 1941–1942 and 1944–1945, the new Slovak government cooperated in deporting most of Bratislava's approximately 15,000 Jews; they were transported to concentration camps, where most were killed or died before the end of the war in the Holocaust.

Bratislava, occupied by German troops, was many times bombarded by the Allies. Major air raids included the bombing of Bratislava and its refinery Apollo on June 16, 1944, by American B-24 bombers of the Fifteenth Air Force with 181 victims. The Bombardment group attacked in four waves with overall 158 planes. On April 4, 1945, Bratislava was liberated by the Soviet Red Army 2nd Ukrainian Front during the Bratislava–Brno offensive. The Czechoslovak government and president Edvard Beneš then moved to Bratislava on May 8.

At the end of World War II, most of Bratislava's ethnic Germans were evacuated by the German authorities. A few returned after the war, but were soon expelled without their properties under the Beneš decrees, part of a widespread expulsion of ethnic Germans from eastern Europe.

After World War II, Slovak Republic lost its so-called independence and was reunified again with the Czech Republic as Czechoslovak Republic. Engerau (currently part of Bratislava's 5th district) and Theben an der March (currently part of Bratislava's 4th district) were returned to Czechoslovakia and renamed back as Petržalka and Devín. Furthermore, after signing the Peace Treaty of Paris on February 10, 1947, three Hungarian villages, namely Horvátjárfalu (Jarovce), Oroszvár (Rusovce), and Dunacsún (Čunovo) situated south of Bratislava were transferred to Czechoslovakia, to form the so-called "Bratislava bridgehead" (currently all three of them are part of Bratislava's 5th district).

After the Communist Party seized power in Czechoslovakia in February 1948, the city became part of the Eastern Bloc. The city annexed new land, and the population rose significantly, becoming 90% Slovak.^{[citation needed]}

Soviet tank in Bratislava during the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968

Iron Curtain memorial in Bratislava, 400 people were killed trying to cross the border into the West during the communist era.

Large residential areas consisting of high-rise prefabricated panel buildings, such as those in the Petržalka or Dúbravka borough, were built. The Communist government also built several new grandiose buildings, such as the Slovak Radio Building, Slavín, or Kamzík TV Tower. A quarter of Bratislava's Old Town was demolished in the late 1960s for a single project: the bridge of the Slovak National Uprising. To make space for this development, much of the city's centuries-old, historical Jewish quarter was razed, including the 19th-century Moorish-style Neolog Synagogue.

In 1968, after the unsuccessful Czechoslovak attempt to liberalise the Communist regime, the city was occupied by Warsaw Pact troops. Shortly thereafter, it became the capital of the Slovak Socialist Republic, one of the two states of the federalised Czechoslovakia.

Bratislava's dissidents anticipated the fall of Communism with the Bratislava candle demonstration in 1988, and the city became one of the foremost centres of the anti-Communist Velvet Revolution in 1989.

The end of Communist rule in Czechoslovakia in 1989 was followed once again by the country's dissolution, this time into two successor states. Czechoslovak Socialist Republic renamed as Czech and Slovak Federative Republic, the word "socialist" was dropped in the names of the two republics within the federation, the Slovak Socialist Republic renamed as the Slovak Republic.

In 1993, Bratislava once again became the capital of the newly formed independent Slovak Republic, following the Velvet Divorce.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Bratislava

Bratislava is the capital city of Slovakia, located in the southwest part of the country. It sits near the borders with Austria and Hungary, making it the only capital city in the world that touches two countries. The city is just 18 kilometers from Hungary and 60 kilometers from Vienna, Austria’s capital.

Bratislava covers an area of 367.66 square kilometers, making it the second-largest city in Slovakia. The city lies along the Danube River, which has been an important travel route for many years. Other rivers nearby include the Morava, Little Danube, and Vydrica. The city’s landscape includes parts of the Carpathian Mountains and lowlands, with its lowest point at 126 meters above sea level and its highest at 514 meters.

The city has a humid subtropical climate, with warm summers and cold winters. Temperatures can vary, with record highs around 39.4 °C and lows around −24.6 °C. Some areas can flood from the rivers, but new protections have been built to help prevent this.

Cityscape and architecture

See also: List of palaces in Bratislava

The city of Bratislava has many old towers and grand buildings from the 1900s, but it changed a lot when lots of new buildings were built at the start of the 2000s.

Most of the old buildings are in the Old Town. Bratislava's Town Hall is made up of three buildings from the 1300s to 1400s and now holds the Bratislava City Museum. Michael's Gate is the only gate left from the old walls around the town, and it is one of the oldest buildings. Near it is the narrowest house in Europe. The University Library building, built in 1756, was used by leaders of the Diet of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1802 to 1848. Many important laws were made there.

The old part of the city has many baroque palaces. The Grassalkovich Palace, built around 1760, is now where the Slovak president lives, and the Slovak government is in the old Archiepiscopal Palace. In 1805, leaders signed an important agreement in the Primate's Palace after a big battle led by Napoleon.

There are also many important churches, like the Gothic St. Martin's Cathedral, built between the 1200s and 1500s, where kings were crowned. The Franciscan Church from the 1200s is the oldest church still standing. The Church of St. Elizabeth, known as the Blue Church, has a special style.

Bratislava has one old synagogue left from before difficult times.

One special spot is a part of an old Jewish resting place where a well-known teacher, Moses Sofer, is buried. There is also a place called Slavín to honor soldiers who helped save the city in 1945.

From the 1900s, there are famous buildings like the Most Slovenského národného povstania bridge with a tall tower on top, Slovak Radio’s special-shaped building, and the Kamzík TV Tower with a place to see the city and a restaurant that turns around.

At the start of the 2000s, many new buildings changed the city, like the Most Apollo bridge and a new Slovak National Theatre building.

Bratislava Castle

Bratislava Castle is one of the most important buildings in the city, sitting high above the Danube River. People have lived there since very old times. The stone castle was built in the 900s. Over time, it was changed into different styles. After a big fire in 1811, it was rebuilt and now it is used for special events and has a museum.

Devín Castle

Main article: Devín Castle

The ruins of Devín Castle are in a place where a river meets the Danube. It is an important old site with a museum. Long ago, it was very important for protecting the land. It was damaged by soldiers in 1809.

Rusovce

Rusovce mansion, with its English park, is in the Rusovce area. The house was built long ago and changed into a special style in the 1840s. Near there are old remains of a Roman camp called Gerulata.

Parks and lakes

Main article: Parks and gardens in Bratislava

Bratislava has many parks and green spaces close to the city. The biggest park is Horský park in the Old Town. Bratislavský lesný park is a large forest park with animals like badgers and foxes. There is also Janko Kráľ Park and plans for a new park near some lakes.

The city has a zoological park with many animals, including rare white lions and tigers. There are also gardens with many different plants.

Bratislava has several lakes where people like to spend time, such as Zlaté Piesky and Rusovce lake.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Bratislava

Bratislava has had many different kinds of people living there over time. In the past, many Germans, Hungarians, and Slovaks called the city home. After big changes in the country’s borders and during tough times in history, the city’s people changed too.

Today, most people in Bratislava are Slovak. This has been true since the mid-1900s, when the city’s population became mostly Slovak after many other groups moved away.

Politics

See also: Mayor of Bratislava, Boroughs and localities of Bratislava, and International relations of Bratislava

Bratislava is the home of Slovakia’s important government places, such as the Slovak parliament, presidency, ministries, the supreme court, and the central bank. It is also the center of the Bratislava Region and, since 2002, the Bratislava Self-Governing Region. The city welcomes 41 foreign embassies and 22 consulates.

The local government has been the same since 1990. It includes a mayor (primátor), a city board (Mestská rada), a city council (Mestské zastupiteľstvo), city commissions (Komisie mestského zastupiteľstva), and a city magistrate's office (Magistrát).

The mayor, who works at the Primate's Palace, is the main leader of the city and is chosen for a four-year time. The current mayor of Bratislava is Matúš Vallo, who became mayor after winning the election in October 2022. The city council makes important decisions about money, plans for the city, roads, schools, and culture.

City Council

The Bratislava City Council is the group that makes laws for the city. It has 45 members who are chosen to work for four years, the same time as the mayor. The council meets once a month. Many of its jobs are done by a city commission that follows the council’s directions. The city board is made up of 28 people, including the mayor, his helpers, the mayors of the different parts of the city, and up to ten members of the council. The board helps the council and gives advice to the mayor.

Administration

Bratislava is split into five districts: Bratislava I (the city center), Bratislava II (eastern parts), Bratislava III (north-eastern parts), Bratislava IV (western and northern parts) and Bratislava V (southern parts along the Danube river, including Petržalka, a very busy area to live in Central Europe).

For local control, the city is split into 17 areas, each with its own leader (starosta) and group of helpers. The number of helpers depends on how many people live there. These areas match the city’s 20 official spots, except for two: Nové Mesto is split into Nové Mesto and Vinohrady, and Ružinov is split into Ružinov, Nivy and Trnávka. Some people also talk about other smaller parts of the city.

Economy

Main articles: Economy of Bratislava and List of tallest buildings in Bratislava

The Bratislava Region is the richest area in Slovakia. Even though it is the smallest and not very populated, it creates about 26% of Slovakia's total money made, called GDP. In 2023, it was the 19th richest area in all of Europe. In June 2023, only 2.38% of people in Bratislava did not have jobs. By 2026, people in Bratislava were making about 2421€ each month on average.

Many important offices and businesses are based in Bratislava. Over 75% of people there work in services like selling things, banking, computers, phones, and travel help. The Bratislava Stock Exchange started on March 15, 1991.

Some big companies in Bratislava include the Volkswagen Bratislava Plant, a car factory, and many computer companies. Volkswagen makes many cars there, including some popular models. In recent years, many worldwide companies have opened offices in Bratislava because it is close to Western Europe and has many skilled workers and good schools.

Other big companies in Bratislava include phone companies, banks, and stores. The city has been growing, with many new buildings being built, especially near the river and train stations.

Tourism

See also: Tourism in Slovakia

In 2022, almost 928,000 visitors came to Bratislava and stayed for over 1.7 million nights. Most of these visitors were from nearby countries like the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, and Poland. Bratislava had many places to stay, with over 272 buildings offering more than 10,000 rooms. Many visitors come just for the day, but we don’t know exactly how many.

Shopping

Bratislava has eight big shopping places, such as Aupark, Avion Shopping Park, and Eurovea Galleria. Every year before Christmas, the Main Square gets very busy with a Christmas market that has around 100 small shops selling gifts and food. The market stays open most of the day and into the evening.

Culture

Bratislava is the cultural center of Slovakia. Because of its history with many different groups of people, the city's culture includes influences from Germans, Slovaks, Hungarians, and others. The city has many places for the arts, such as theatres, museums, galleries, concert halls, cinemas, and places where foreign cultures share their traditions.

Bratislava is home to the Slovak National Theatre, which has two buildings. One is in the Old Town and the other by the river, opened in 2007. The theatre has opera, ballet, and drama groups. Other smaller theatres are also in the city. Music has been strong in Bratislava since the 1700s, with famous composers like Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven visiting. The city has the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra and holds music festivals like the Bratislava Music Festival. During summer, music events happen at Bratislava Castle.

The city has many museums and galleries. The Slovak National Museum, founded in 1961, is the largest and has many parts, including a Natural History Museum. The Bratislava City Museum, started in 1868, shows the city's history. The Slovak National Gallery has several galleries in the Old Town, and there is also the Danubiana Art Museum near the river.

As the capital, Bratislava is also home to many media outlets. TV stations like Slovak Television and Radio, Markíza, JOJ, and TA3 are based there, along with radio stations and newspapers such as SME, Pravda, and The Slovak Spectator. Two news agencies, the News Agency of the Slovak Republic and the Slovak News Agency, are also in the city.

Sport

Main article: Sport in Bratislava

Bratislava has a rich history of sports and many teams that compete in Slovak and international leagues, tournaments, and competitions.

ŠK Slovan Bratislava, founded in 1919, plays football at the Tehelné pole stadium and is the most successful football club in Slovak history. Another football club, FC Petržalka, founded in 1898, was the first Slovak team to earn points in the UEFA Champions League group stage in 2005. FK Inter Bratislava, founded in 1945, has also won championships.

Bratislava has ice hockey teams like HC Slovan Bratislava that play at Ondrej Nepela Arena. The city has also hosted international ice hockey events. The Čunovo Water Sports Centre near the Gabčíkovo dam is used for whitewater slalom and rafting competitions.

The city has facilities for many sports including basketball, handball, volleyball, and water polo. The Bratislava City Marathon has been held every year since 2006, and there is a race track in Petržalka for horse and dog racing events. Bratislava is also important for rugby union in Slovakia.

Education and science

Bratislava has many places for learning. The first university here was started in 1465 by a king, but it closed not long after.

Today, Bratislava is home to big schools, including Comenius University, which has over 27,000 students, and the Slovak University of Technology, with almost 18,500 students. There are also art schools, a public economics university, and a private college. Altogether, about 56,000 students go to university in Bratislava.

The city has many primary schools for younger students and many secondary schools for older students. There are also special schools for different kinds of jobs. Bratislava is also where the Slovak Academy of Sciences works, though it does not have its own observatory or planetarium. The nearest ones are in nearby towns.

Transport

Main articles: Transport in Bratislava, Public Transport in Bratislava, and List of bridges in Bratislava city

Bratislava has many ways to get around, including buses, trams, and trolleybuses. These are run by a city company and are usually red and black in color. The city also has train stations that connect it to many places in Europe, such as Austria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.

There are several bridges over the Danube River in Bratislava, and the city has an airport that serves many passengers. People from Bratislava often use the airport in nearby Vienna, which is just a short drive away.

International relations

Bratislava has friendly partnerships with many cities around the world. These partnerships help the cities work together and share ideas.

The city is partnered with:

• Brno in the Czech Republic
• Székesfehérvár in Hungary
• Kraków and Warsaw in Poland
• Perugia in Italy (since 1962)
• Ljubljana in Slovenia (since 1967)
• Yerevan in Armenia (since 2001)
• Larnaca in Cyprus (since 1989)
• Turku in Finland (since 1976)
• Bremen in Germany (since 1989)
• Alexandria in Egypt
• Kyiv in Ukraine
• Cleveland in the United States

The first partnership began with Perugia, Italy, in 1962.

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Slovakia

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Bratislava

Honorary citizens

Some people have been given a special title called honorary citizenship of Bratislava.