BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA - MAY 7, 2016: Main Square of Bratislava (Hlavne namestie) is one of the best known squares in Bratislava. The square is located in the Old Town and it is the center of city.; Shutterstock ID 425043109; Your name (First / Last): Gemma Graham; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Cities Guides app image downloads - Bratislava

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Hlavné Námestie

Top choice in Bratislava


The nucleus for Bratislava's history, festivals and chic cafe culture is Hlavné nám (Main Sq). There's architectural finery in almost every direction, notably the Stará Radnica (Old Town Hall), a complex of attractive 14th- and 15th-century Gothic buildings, and Palugyayov Palác, a neobaroque former palace.

Roland's Fountain, at the square's heart, is thought to have been built in 1572 as a public water supply. According to legend, its statue bows once a year...visible only to the most good-hearted Bratislavans, of course.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Bratislava attractions

1. Roland's Fountain

0.01 MILES

Planted in the heart of Bratislava's most storied square, Roland's Fountain is said to have been erected in 1572 to serve as a public water supply. It's…

2. Napoleon's Soldier

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Napoleon's army besieged Bratislava in 1809. According to local lore, one of his soldiers fell in love with a local girl and stayed in Bratislava. He's…

3. Jesuit Church

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The Jesuit Church of the Holy Saviour, just off Hlavné nám, was built in the 17th century. It's worth peeping inside to see the baroque altar.

4. Schöner Náci

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The only silvery statue in Bratislava's bevy of bronzes, this sculpture commemorates a mid-20th-century local character. Ignác Lamár is remembered for his…

5. Museum of City History

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Rove through Bratislava's past in the former town hall. First, scale the tower for a lookout over Bratislava. Then tour the exhibition rooms; loveliest of…

6. Period Rooms Museum

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Housed in a 1762 building are beautifully restored rooms, dressed in aristocratic styles from the 18th and 19th century. As interesting as the trompe l…

7. Watcher

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Crowds amass around the ground-level Watcher statue, who peeps out from an imaginary manhole on Panská. Originally installed as a joke in 1997, the statue…

8. Michael's Gate & Weapons Museum

0.14 MILES

Of Bratislava's original 13th-century walls, Michael's is the last gate standing. Capped with an onion dome, the gate's tower was rebuilt in baroque style…