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The Guardian wrote about Bratislava on January 2, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Bratislava becoming the capital of a newly independent Slovakia.
“No longer in the shadow of Vienna, Budapest and Prague, the Slovak capital is shaking off its dour Communist-era reputation and rediscovering its position in the heart of central Europe,” writes Andrew MacDowall. The engine of Slovakia’s fast-growing economy, the city has developed tech and media companies, while increasing numbers of tourists are coming to enjoy its baroque palaces, fairy-tale cobbled streets and affordable bars, the story reads.
MacDowall describes both the upsides – like the vibrating life, fast-growing economy, historical monuments and picturesque alleys – and the downsides (mostly traffic and transport, development projects not so welcomed by inhabitants as well as the too quick and often uncontrolled expansion in the 1990's).
The Guardian: Bratislava Christmas markets are better than the German ones Read more But in the end, MacDowall – who interviewed figures like current Mayor Ivo Nesrovnal, his predecessor Milan Ftáčnik and the future candidate for this position, architect Matúš Vallo – sees Bratislava as a “very liveable” place with a rich history and promising future.
“Bratislava now doesn’t have anything to prove to anybody,” says Vallo for The Guardian. “The city has a liquid identity that we can shape.”
