Things to see in Bratislava

Undoubtedly the city's most distinctive modern structure is the New Bridge (also known as the SNP Bridge, after the Slovak National Uprising), which spans the Danube below Bratislava Castle and is suspended from a single pylon. The all-steel bridge was built between 1967 and 1972 and is just over 431m (1,414ft) long. There’s a restaurant at the top of the pylon, though the best view of the bridge itself is from the castle.

From the 16th to the 19th centuries, this 13th-century Franciscan cathedral was the coronation place of four Hungarian monarchs, including Empress Maria Theresa. Its Chapel of St John is regarded as a gothic masterpiece and the crypt is also worth a visit. The cathedral accepts visitors by prior arrangement or between mass times.

This branch of the City Gallery contains Gothic, 19th-century, 20th-century and contemporary Central European and Slovak works of art; the most interesting works are the latter, particularly the astonishing trompe l'oeil Passage by Matej Kreén. There’s also a permanent exhibition of a Celtic coin mint.

Housed in an impressive neo-classical building originally built in the 18th century, the Slovak National Gallery overlooks the Danube and contains works of art from the 13th century to the present. Many of the temporary exhibitions take on the country's past and Slovakia's intercultural history, offering a lively and colourful insight into Slovakia's history with all exhibits also captioned in English.