Apart from being an attractive European city, Bratislava is the political, cultural, and economic center of Slovakia and the capital of the Slovak Republic. Slovakia is situated in Central Europe, bordering on the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Ukraine, and Poland. The country underwent a rich and vibrant history. Until 1918, the country did not present any entity, it was a part of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. The territory is full of interesting historic sites, not mentioning the beauty of its nature. It is possible to folow the traces of all historical periods throughout Slovakia. Moreover, for more than 300 years Bratislava was the capital of the Hungarian Kingdom. A number of Hollywood movies made in Bratislava will make you feel as though you are standing in the centre of Budapest, Vienna, Zagreb, Warsaw, Prague or elsewhere. The city's territory is linked with Celtic and Roman periods and its centre boasts with beautiful palaces, churches, and houses, reflecting the architecture of nearly every period and invites you to discover more.

Slovakia is a republic with the parliamentary system of government. The general elections are taking place every 4 years (last parliamentary elections took place in June 2006). The parliament, the National Council of the Slovak Republic (Národná rada Slovenskej republiky) has 150 members, elected in a proportional system. The President of the republic is elected directly by the inhabitants for 5 years (last presidential elections took place in 2009). The president is rather a representative figure, while the government holds the executive power. Slovakia is a member of the European Union since May 1, 2004 and since April 1, 2004 also a member country of NATO.

Slovakia lies in a moderate zone and has a continental climate with four distinct seasons. The average daily temperature in Bratislava in winter is -1 °C (31 °F) rising to 21 °C (70 °F) in the summer. January is the coldest month in the year while July and August are the hottest ones.

The current is 220 Volts AC, 50 Hz. Continental plugs are used (two pin with third pin extending from the pocket into the plug). Lamp fittings are normally of the screw type.

Bratislava has some very ardent fans, in fact two of them, fascinated by its corners, mystery and flair created this website. Did you know you were looking at Bratislava each time you saw Nicol Kidman and George Clooney in the Hollywood movie Peacemaker? It “played” Vienna and Sarajevo. More...