St. Martin's Cathedral, Bratislava

St. Martin's Cathedral, Bratislava (must see)

In the town's early history, worshipping was done at the Bratislava Castle. But in the early 13th century, the King of Hungary requested that the pope allow him to relocate the church. So, as the town grew, the construction of a Gothic cathedral began in 1311.

It wasn't completed until 1452 due to financial difficulties and the Hussite Wars. Additions were made in the 18th and 19th centuries, including the Baroque Chapel of St. John the Merciful.

The present appearance of the building has been steady since 1877 when significant restoration efforts were completed after earthquakes, fires, and war had damaged the cathedral.

The cathedral is most famous as the coronation church for the Kingdom of Hungary from 1563 onward. Eleven kings and queens and eight of their consorts were coronated in the building.

In recognition of this honor, the cathedral tower is topped with a replica of the Crown of St. Stephen. This replica of the Holy Crown of Hungary weighs 330 pounds (150 kilograms) and is gold-plated.

The cathedral was built over a cemetery and lay atop an unknown amount of catacombs and crypts. The building is designated a national cultural monument, but it is, unfortunately, decaying due to vibrations from the traffic passing on the Novy Most bridge.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Bratislava. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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St. Martin's Cathedral on Map

Sight Name: St. Martin's Cathedral
Sight Location: Bratislava, Slovakia (See walking tours in Bratislava)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Bratislava, Slovakia

Create Your Own Walk in Bratislava

Create Your Own Walk in Bratislava

Creating your own self-guided walk in Bratislava is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Bratislava Introduction Walking Tour

Bratislava Introduction Walking Tour

The capital of Slovakia, Bratislava, is a lovely city straddling the river Danube near the convergence of the Austrian and Hungarian borders. Such closeness had its toll on the city's long and often tumultuous history, in which the Austrians, Croats, Czechs, Germans, Hungarians, Jews, Serbs and Slovaks played their role.

Formerly part of the Hungarian Kingdom, from 1536 to 1783 it was the...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles
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For centuries, Bratislava has been influenced by European art, culture, and architecture. The juxtaposition of styles here creates a captivating fabric where centuries-old Gothic and Baroque structures harmonize with sleek, modern designs.

The majestic Bratislava Castle, perched on a hill overlooking the Danube River since the 9th century, has seen many renovations over the years. Today, it...  view more

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The Old Town is indeed Bratislava's historic center, and as such, houses many historic monuments and...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.2 Km or 0.7 Miles
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Although somewhat modest in terms of sights, compared to the neighboring Vienna or Prague, the capital of Slovakia, Bratislava, does have a collection of historical churches that may be of interest to lovers of religious architecture.

Perhaps one of the most prominent landmarks in this area is Saint Martin's Cathedral. Dating back to the mid-15th century, this Gothic-style temple with a...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles