![The Old Town of Bratislava (Slovak: Staré Mesto) is the historic center and one of the boroughs of Bratislava, in the Bratislava Region of Slovakia. It is coextensive with the smallest Slovak administrative district by area, Bratislava I. It contains the small, but preserved medieval city center, Bratislava Castle and other important landmarks.
Bratislava's Old Town is known for its many churches, a riverbank promenade and cultural institutions, it is also the location of most of the foreign states Embassies and important Slovak institutions including National Council of the Slovak Republic, Summer Archbishop's Palace; seat of the Government of Slovakia and Grassalkovich Palace; seat of the President of Slovakia [Wikipedia.org] | Bratislava in Slovakia](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhumbo.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com%2Fplace-photo%2F5fc429e355111b8c87f21770%2FfSiwgQk20W_thumb.jpeg&w=3840&q=75)
![The Old Town of Bratislava (Slovak: Staré Mesto) is the historic center and one of the boroughs of Bratislava, in the Bratislava Region of Slovakia. It is coextensive with the smallest Slovak administrative district by area, Bratislava I. It contains the small, but preserved medieval city center, Bratislava Castle and other important landmarks.
Bratislava's Old Town is known for its many churches, a riverbank promenade and cultural institutions, it is also the location of most of the foreign states Embassies and important Slovak institutions including National Council of the Slovak Republic, Summer Archbishop's Palace; seat of the Government of Slovakia and Grassalkovich Palace; seat of the President of Slovakia [Wikipedia.org] | Bratislava in Slovakia](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhumbo.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com%2Fplace-photo%2F5fc429e355111b8c87f21770%2FILB_7LUSlx_thumb.jpeg&w=3840&q=75)
![Hviezdoslavovo námestie (literally Hviezdoslav Square) is one of the best-known squares in Bratislava. It is located in the Old Town, between the New Bridge and the Slovak National Theatre. The square is named after Pavol Országh Hviezdoslav.
History
This square existed in the Kingdom of Hungary for 1000 years. Many of medieval houses were built here. Northern part of this square there are Kőszeghy, Eszterházy,Széchen, Stáhl, Záborszky, Pálffy, Sulkovszky Maldeghem, Malatinszky, Werner houses and southern part of square there are Spineger, Gervay, Löw-Palugyay, Kozics, Wigand, Adler, Pollák, Sprinzl houses. The most notable buildings are the Notre Dame cloister and today's Slovak National Theatre which can be found in the eastern part of square. Earlier the most important noblemen sent their daughters to learn in this cloister, for example: Pálffy, Forgách, Harrach, Lichtenstein.
On 17 March 1848 the Hungarian national leader, Lajos Kossuth proclaimed from Hotel Zöldfa (literally : Greenwood)'s balcony: "Hungary's reborn" to the assembling mass at this square because Ferdinand V signed March laws at the Primate's Palace last day. First Hungarian fancing school's practising hall also worked here. Lajos Kossuth, Franz Joseph, Albert Einstein and Alfred Nobel stayed at this hotel too. This hotel was today's Hotel Carlton's place.
In 1911 Sándor Petőfi's sculpture was erected opposite today's Slovak National Theatre. However it was unsuccessfully attacked with dynamite after the Czechoslovak army occupied the city in 1918. After this sculpture was boarded over round temporarily until its removal.
The square underwent major reconstruction at the end of the 20th century. Before reconstruction, it looked like a small city park; now it looks like a city promenade.
On February 24, 2005 US President George W. Bush gave a public speech in Hviezdoslav Square during his visit to Bratislava for the Slovakia Summit 2005 with the president of Russia Vladimir Putin [Wikipedia.org] | Bratislava in Slovakia](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhumbo.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com%2Fplace-photo%2F5fc429e355111b8c87f21770%2FPCh7i0Asxi_thumb.jpeg&w=3840&q=75)
Capital of 🇸🇰 Slovakia with a population of around 430 thousand people.
Bratislava is the gateway to eastern Europe. Set on the banks of the Danube river, the city is a vibrant mix of modern and historical architecture, with the Slovak National Theatre, the UFO Observation Deck and the Baroque Primate's Palace all within a stone's throw of each other. Explore the old town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, for a glimpse of the city’s history, or take in the modern skyline from the iconic Bratislava Castle. Foodies will love the city’s restaurants, from traditional Slovak fare to international cuisine. Finish your trip with a traditional Slovak beer or wine.
