Hotels near Old Town (Stare Mesto) and Hlavne Namestie

The Old Town (Stare Mesto) of Bratislava is one of Central Europe's most compact medieval quarters - you can walk from end to end in under 10 minutes. Hlavne Namestie (Main Square) sits at its centre, ringed by pastel-yellow burgher houses, the Old Town Hall (Stara radnica) with its 13th century tower, and the Roland Fountain, the city's oldest, commissioned by Hungarian king Maximilian in 1572 and cut by stone mason Andreas Luttringer.

The Old Town Hall houses the Bratislava City Museum (Tuesday-Sunday 10:00-18:00, admission 7 EUR) with exhibits on medieval crafts, guilds and torture instruments. Off the main square, look for the Cumil bronze statue on Panska street (a sewer worker peeking from a manhole cover) and the top-hatted Schone Naci gentleman near Hviezdoslavovo Namestie. In December, the Christmas market on Hlavne Namestie draws visitors from Vienna for varene vino (mulled wine) and lokse potato pancakes.

Pro Tip: Take the 45-minute audio tour on the Old Town Hall Tower (extra 2 EUR on top of museum admission) for the best view down onto Hlavne Namestie. Avoid the square between 12:00 and 14:00 when tour groups from the Danube cruise boats fill every terrace.