Bratislava is a very special place... Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia, which is located in Central Europe, bordered by Austria and the Czech Republic to the West, Poland to the North, Ukraine to the East and Hungary to the South. Bratislava was once the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, with the present Cathedral of St. Martin hosting the coronations of 19 kings and queens between 1563 and 1830. Some other famous events that have taken place in Bratislava include the signing of the peace treaty between Napoleon and the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1805 in the Hall of Mirrors of the Primate's Palace, and as a six-year-old boy, Mozart gave a concert there for Queen Maria Theresa (you may remember the scene from the movie, "Amadeus"). Bratislava is located along the banks of the River Danube, close to the borders of Austria and Hungary. It is only about 45 minutes by road from Vienna, and from there, no more than 2 hours to anywhere else in Europe by air.
Bratislava is a charming and wonderful place, home to approximately 480,000 inhabitants. The Old Town district (Staré mesto) contains many restored old buildings and is mostly a pedestrian zone. An amazing number of restaurants and cafes are situated in and around the squares and streets of the Old Town, and every springtime sees this area become one large virtual outdoor cafe. Very good local wine (yes, this is a wine producing region) is served at wonderful wine bars and caverns. To the surprise of many Viennese just across the border, Bratislava has electricity, running water and toilets. You can even shop at modern shopping malls, as well as buy groceries at international supermarket chains such as Tesco (U.K.) and Carrefour (France). The Slovaks are lovely, cultured and highly educated people, with Bratislava being home to several universities, and many theatres and concert halls.
And... Bratislava has cupid's with very large arrows!!!! Come and discover the city where we fell in love, during our European reception in May 2004!
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