Just below the hill with the Bratislava Castle, one will find St Martin’s Cathedral, in Slovak Katedrála svätého Martina. The cathedral is visible not only from the castle but also from the Danube and the SNP bridge (Most SNP).
Let’s go back in time and talk a little bit about its history. The St Martin’s Cathedral was opened in the 15th century after nearly 200 years of construction. (Wow! Not as bad as La Sagrada Familia, though). During the time that Budapest was occupied by the Turks from 1563 to 1830, the cathedral acted as the coronation church for the kingdom of Hungary. In other words, during those 300 years, St Martin’s Cathedral was the place for the coronation of 11 Hungarian kings and queens. This is also the reason why there is a crown on top of the church tower instead of the usual cross – a fact that is easily missed.
While we were living in Petržalka (on the other side of the Danube) it was the sight of St Martin’s Cathedral together with that of the Bratislava Castle that welcomed us to Bratislava each time we crossed the Danube on Most SNP. It is here that the old town begins and the walk through the narrow streets and cosy squares of the Staré mesto is a real treat for tourists.
Finding St Martin’s Cathedral
The St Martin’s Cathedral is probably one of the easier sights in Bratislava to find. It is on the edge of the old town and is easily accessible by foot. It is also located near the bus station under the bridge (the buses to and from Vienna, as well as many local buses, stop here). Thus the cathedral is within easy reach when on the way to the Bratislava castle or while walking around in the old town.
More Information
More information regarding the St. Martin’s Cathedral can be found at the pages below, here you will also find opening hours.
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Looks wonderful!
It sure is. 🙂
Before coming to Bratislava, I thought it was a small town that I could wander in one day. And I was totally wrong. Yeah, the city was not as big as Paris, but still it has so many histories inside. It was too bad, I just stopped there for one night, on my way from Budapest to Prague, and had no much time to explore the city. I wish I had chance to come back someday.
Nice to hear that you decided to stop in Bratislava, sadly many people are just passing through the country without knowing it when going from Budapest to Praha. 🙂
Bratislava really is a favorite after that we lived for more than a year in the city. It is so much history to learn about as the city has been on a border for so long of it’s history. 🙂
Looks like you know Bratislava very well, Jesper! Have you also discovered Slovak gems outside the capital?
We lived in Bratislava for a year and a half before moving back to Sweden. So we had plenty of time to both enjoy what Bratislava had to offer and also some places in western Slovakia, sadly not so much of the estern part of the country. We will probably continue with some suggestions on day trips from Bratslava once we are finished with the sights in the capital. 🙂
There was a wedding taking place there when we were in town, so we couldn’t go inside. Nice landmark, and some interesting street art on the walls nearby!
It really is one of the main landmarks together with the Bratislava Castle and the Most SNP, really hard to miss when arriving in the city. 🙂
I have probably missed most of the street art around the Cathedral though. 😛