piatok 31. marca 2006

My hometown 3

 

 

A Visit



When you look straight up the street you'll see St Michaels's Tower, which rises over an arch and is the only one of four towers, which remains from the cities original 13th century fortifications.






My hometown 2

 

 

A Visit



The most important reason for visiting Bratislava is that the city is beautiful. By the city I mean the centre of the town from which you'll have neither the time nor the need to wander if you're only there for a weekend.


Behind many of the facades are picturesque courtyards, which you can venture into to discover small restaurants, bars or boutiques.





štvrtok 30. marca 2006

My hometown 1




 

 

A Brief History


On the banks of the Danube River, the city was always well situated for commerce. Its roots go back to 907 and over the next few centuries as trade increased the population burgeoned. In 1536 Bratislava became the capital of Hungary after the Turks drove the Hungarians from Buda. It remained the seat of Hungarian kings from 1563 to 1830, which explains the beautiful Baroque houses and palaces in the old town. When the Austro-Hungarian Empire crumbles in 1918, Bratislava became part of the new Republic of Czechoslovakia. After World War II, Czechoslovakia was absorbed into the East Bloc, but in 1993, Czechoslovakia split in to two countries, and Bratislava became the capital of the Republic of Slovakia