The Slovak cities
Something about some Slovak cities
Bratislava
The capital of Slovakia is situated on the Danube at the point where the last ridge of the Carpathian Mountains ends in cliffs above the great river. On the hill stands Bratislava Castle with its four corner towers, home of part of the Slovak National Museum. The view from the ramparts takes in most of the city and its modern high-rise suburbs, and seems to extend almost to Vienna, only about 65 kilometres (40 miles) away. The Danube is spanned by the ultra-modern Bridge (Nový most), while the approach to the old town, with its squares and narrow streets, is guarded by St Martin's Cathedral to the south and Michael's Tower to the north. Outside the old town are modern monuments like the elaborate 19th-century National Theatre and the late 20th-century Slovak National Gallery.
Banská Bystrica
This ancient metal-mining town lies above the River Hron among the mountains and forests of Central Slovakia. Fortunes made from silver and copper were invested in the fine mansions lining Banská Bystrica's sloping market square; one of them houses the Museum of Central Slovakia. Just up the hill is the castle precinct, with its two medieval churches. In 1944, the town was the headquarters of the Slovak National Council, which resisted Nazi forces for two months. These events are commemorated in the Museum of the Slovak National Uprising.
Košice
Capital of Eastern Slovakia, Košice is the country's second-largest city, with a university, important regional institutions, and manufacturing plants. Košice's main feature is its extraordinary Hlavné námestie (main square) which extends across the whole length of the old city and is lined with fine old buildings. At its southern end are located both the city's main theatre and St Elizabeth's Cathedral, the largest Gothic church in the entire country. Among Košice's museums are the East Slovak Museum and the Museum of Technology.
Levoča
Still encircled by its original walls, Levoča is one of the best preserved medieval towns in central Europe. For many years it was the capital of the Spiš district, a semi-independent region settled in the Middle Ages by German immigrants. Its ancient streets are lined with fine old burghers' houses and aristocratic palaces, but the most significant sights are the arcaded renaissance town hall and the late medieval St James's Church. One of the country's greatest treasures, the beautifully carved high altar, can be found here.
Martin
Now an industrial town with heavy-engineering factories, Martin has long been an important center of Slovak national life. The Matica Slovenská (national cultural institute) is here, as are the fascinating folk art collections of the Slovak National Museum and the large open-air Museum of the Slovak Village. Martin is attractively located among the Fatra Mountains in the broad valley of the River Turiec just before it meets the River Váh; the spectacular wooded Váh Gorge is guarded by a pair of imposing ruins, Strečno Castle and Starý hrad (Old Castle).
Piešťany
The balneal powers of Piešťany's hot springs had been known for centuries before the spa town's heyday at the turn of the 19th century. People still come here to be cured of rheumatism and similar complaints, while enjoying all the amenities of a sophisticated spa resort-parks, theater, concerts, horse-racing and the like. The facilities, mostly situated on an island in the River Váh, are linked to the town by the Colonnade Bridge, famous for its statue of a happy patient discarding his crutches.