Why it's the capital
From 1536 to 1783 the city was the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary. In 1993, after Czechoslovakia split in the Velvet Divorce, it became the capital of the new, independent Slovakia.
Bratislava
Capital of SlovakiaBratislava lies in the southwestern corner of Slovakia, on both banks of the Danube, right where the country meets Austria and Hungary.
Fun facts
- Between 1536 and 1830, eleven Hungarian kings and queens were crowned in St. Martin's Cathedral.
- The Carpathian mountain range begins inside the city, with the Little Carpathians.
- For centuries it was known as Pressburg in German and Pozsony in Hungarian; the name Bratislava became official only on 16 March 1919.
Finding it on the globe
Find Vienna, then follow the Danube a short way downstream: Bratislava is only about 50 km away, at Slovakia's border with Austria and Hungary.
Easy to mix up
Slovakia is often confused with Slovenia, whose capital is Ljubljana. Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia.
Sources: Wikipedia: Bratislava, Wikipedia: Danube, Wikipedia: Ljubljana