It’s tough for a town like Bratislava to keep up with Vienna, Paris, Rome and St. Petersburg in terms of museums, but the Slovak capital’s Municipal Museum makes up for it with gorgeous structures and a variety of expositions.
The primary museum is located in the main square, and at about 140 years old it’s the oldest museum in the country. It includes 10 permanent exhibitions, the largest of which can be seen in the Old Town Hall pictured at right. Generally speaking, the exhibits focus on the city’s history, be it arts and crafts or kings and clocks. Though a lot of the most popular attractions are at the main square location, there are other sites throughout the city that focus on music, wine and other historic topics. Still, the most popular attraction seems to be the torture chambers in the Hall’s basement. Apparently that’s where individuals were strapped down and forced to listen to their mothers-in-law talk for days on end, or at least that’s what my married friends have theorized.
Personally, I recommend starting with the last remaining gate from the old fortified city, the 14th-century Michael’s Gate (at left), which houses the armaments. In addition to checking out the cool weapons, you can visit the balcony for an incredible panoramic view overlooking old town from high above the city center. You can even see the Slovak castle, and that’s a museum sight that only Bratislava can possible offer.
