Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia as well as its largest city. It is the cultural and educational center for the country.
Slovakia is blessed to border on both Austria and Hungary. This geographic placement making exporting easy, and the country's business friendly policies and skilled workforce have helped to make Bratislava a car manufacturing and tech center.
The Romans introduced grape growing and wine making to the region and this industry continues to today. However, since all the wine is consumed internally, none is available for export. (These people can party.)
From 1536-1830 eleven kings and queens of Hungary were crowned in Bratislava at St. Martin's Cathedral in the city center.
After 1830, Bratislava began lose importance to Vienna and Budapest who then became the centers of social and cultural life.
At the end of WWI, with the breakup of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, what is now Slovakia became a part of the newly created Czechoslovakia.
The country came under Nazi domination during WWII and 15000 Jews were transported to concentration camps and ultimately died.
The Communist party seized Czechoslovakia in 1948 and it was part of the communist bloc until the the fall of Communism as the result of the Velvet Revolution of 1989.
In 1993 Bratislava became the capital of the newly formed Slovak Republic when Czechoslovakia divided itself into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, sometimes referred to as the Velvet Divorce.
Today the economy is very strong with car manufacturing, technology and service jobs being the strongest three sectors. Tourism is also a rapidly expanding sector.
This young but proud country and its beautiful capital city are poised to grow even more in the years ahead. Well worth a visit.
Slovakia is blessed to border on both Austria and Hungary. This geographic placement making exporting easy, and the country's business friendly policies and skilled workforce have helped to make Bratislava a car manufacturing and tech center.
The Romans introduced grape growing and wine making to the region and this industry continues to today. However, since all the wine is consumed internally, none is available for export. (These people can party.)
From 1536-1830 eleven kings and queens of Hungary were crowned in Bratislava at St. Martin's Cathedral in the city center.
After 1830, Bratislava began lose importance to Vienna and Budapest who then became the centers of social and cultural life.
At the end of WWI, with the breakup of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, what is now Slovakia became a part of the newly created Czechoslovakia.
The country came under Nazi domination during WWII and 15000 Jews were transported to concentration camps and ultimately died.
The Communist party seized Czechoslovakia in 1948 and it was part of the communist bloc until the the fall of Communism as the result of the Velvet Revolution of 1989.
In 1993 Bratislava became the capital of the newly formed Slovak Republic when Czechoslovakia divided itself into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, sometimes referred to as the Velvet Divorce.
Today the economy is very strong with car manufacturing, technology and service jobs being the strongest three sectors. Tourism is also a rapidly expanding sector.
This young but proud country and its beautiful capital city are poised to grow even more in the years ahead. Well worth a visit.
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