Bratislava Castle, Bratislava

Bratislava Castle, Bratislava

The Bratislava Castle is an imposing 10thcentury castle standing on a hill of the Little Carpathians range on the banks of the Danube.

The Bratislava Castle is an imposing 10thcentury castle standing on a hill of the Little Carpathians range on the banks of the Danube. It houses a part of the Slovak National Museum, and is a representative seat of the Slovak Parliament, which meets in the adjacent building. Though the site has been occupied for thousands of years since the Boleráz culture, the present structure owes its design to medieval reconstructions over various centuries, with different sections in Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance architectural styles.

The Yard of Honor in front of the Castle has 2 triumphal gates and guard houses of the imperial guard. There are 4 gates - Sigismund Gate to the southeast, Vienna Gate (primary) in the southwest, Nicholas Gate in the northeast, and Leopold Gate to the southwest. The castle has 4 wings, each with a corner turreted tower, of which the 47 metre high Romanesque Crown Tower on the southwest corner is the tallest. The Crown Tower once housed the Royal Crown, Sword and Globus Cruciger. It offers great views over the city, all the way to Austria on a clear day. The courtyard has an 80 metre deep well and cistern, as well as the entrance to the Knights Hall.

The castle houses exhibits of the Museum of History of the Slovak National Museum, comprising historical furniture, visual arts, clocks, accessories, glassware, porcelain, silverware and ceramics. The Treasure Chamber in the west wing showcases archaeological finds and other Slovakian artifacts, including the prehistoric statue of the Venus of Moravany. The first floor of the south wing houses the rooms of the National Council or Slovak Parliament. The northern wing of the building, which was formerly the Baroque chapel, today houses the Music Hall in which concerts are held. The eastern terrace has the ruins of the Great Moravian basilica and other medieval buildings. The medieval Luginsland Bastion hosts temporary exhibitions.

To the east of the castle is the classic style Theresianum, added in 1768 as the residence of the governor.