Hotels near St Martin's Cathedral

St Martin's Cathedral (Dom svateho Martina) is the largest and one of the oldest churches in Bratislava, and served as the coronation church of the Kingdom of Hungary between 1563 and 1830. Eleven Hungarian kings and eight queens were crowned here, including Maria Theresa in 1741. The Gothic three-nave basilica was begun in 1204, reconsecrated in 1445, and heavily restored in 1861-1880 by the Viennese architect Josef Lippert. The 85-metre pyramid tower is topped with a gilded copper Hungarian royal crown weighing 300 kg.

The interior holds the striking baroque equestrian statue of St Martin cutting his cloak by Georg Raphael Donner (1734), the neo-Gothic side altars and the underground crypt with the tombs of Archbishop Peter Pazmany and Bishop Imrich Esterhazy. The mosaic gold crown coronation route line is set into the cobblestones from the cathedral north through the Old Town. Opening hours vary by season: November-March Monday-Saturday 09:00-11:30 and 13:00-16:00, Sunday 13:30-16:00; April-October same weekdays but closes at 18:00. Admission is 2 EUR.

Pro Tip: Skip the cathedral on Sundays before 13:30 when it is closed for services. The best interior light is between 14:00 and 16:00 when the west windows illuminate the Donner statue. Follow the coronation crowns set into the pavement outside to trace Maria Theresa's exact 1741 route through the Old Town.