Bratislava

Bratislava (also called Little Big City) is one of the youngest and smallest capitals in Europe. Surrounded by traditional tourist destinations such as Vienna, Budapest and Prague, Bratislava is quickly fighting its way to tourist itineraries. The population of Bratislava is approximately 431,000, which makes it by far the largest city in Slovakia (with Košice being the second largest city). It is the political, cultural and economic centre of Slovak republic. It is the seat of the Slovak president, parliament and executive branch of the government.

In the past, Bratislava was strongly influenced by different nations and religions – Austria, Czech republic, Hungary, and others. Between 1536 and 1830, eleven kings and queens were crowned in Bratislava, as it became the new capital of Hungarian empire. The city flourished during the 18th century reign of Maria Theresa of Austria. Bratislava is connected with many “firsts” in the region – e.g. the first horse-drawn railway in the Kingdom of Hungary was built in 1840 or the first public park in Central Europe was opened here in 1774-76.

In present days Bratislava attracts many international banks and corporations which are moving here their whole departments. Among the largest companies with their headquarters in Bratislava are IBM, Dell, Lenovo, AT&T and Accenture. The carmaker Volkwagen also has a production plant in Bratislava, producing mainly SUVs Volkswagen Touareg, Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7. The GDP per capita of Bratislava Region is 147.9% of EU average and after Prague is the second-highest level of all regions in new EU Member States. The unemployment rate in Bratislava was 1.83% in 2007.

If you are looking for sporting possibilities, Bratislava has a lot to offer. Apart from many fitness centres and gyms there are many options for outdoor sports. In a 20 km radius there are various golf courses, including the toughest golf course in Europe (Black River Resort in Bernolákovo). For a load of adrenalin you can visit the Water Sports Resort in Čunovo – top quality artifical canal complying with international criteria for water slalom and rafting races at the European and world level. In Čunovo you can also try other adrenaline activities, such as hydrospeed, water scooter or paintball.

Zdroj: Wikipedia

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