Academy of Fine Arts and Design

The Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Bratislava (AFAD; Slovak: Vysoká škola výtvarných umení v Bratislave, VŠVU) is an academy in Bratislava, Slovakia. It was founded in 1949 at the dawn of totalitarian regime in the former Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. For next forty years, the institution was under the pressure of political doctrine promoting so called socialist realism in arts, as well as suffering the political purges affecting badly the whole society. In spite of troubled historical development and atmosphere of repression, at AFAD there were few spheres of so-called “positive deviation”. The resistance to the orthodoxy of socialist realism was made possible thanks to the intellectual and artistic background of some of the professors and their personal approach to their students. After years of totalitarianism, in 1989 the AFAD was one of the few higher education institutions in the country where the whole teaching staff was re-selected in an open competition. Since then many changes in educational profile and academic life of students and faculty had been taking place. As a result, today the AFAD is a present—day oriented school offering study in three levels (bachelor, master and doctoral) and five specific fields: Fine Arts, Design, Architecture, Restoration, and Theory and History of Arts.

The Embassy of the United Kingdom in Bratislava is the chief diplomatic mission of the United Kingdom in Slovakia. The Embassy is located on Panská street in the Staré Mesto area of the city. The current British Ambassador to Slovakia is Nigel Baker.

Keglevich Palace (Slovak: Keglevičov palác or Keglevics Palace) is a Baroque mansion on Panska Street 27 in Bratislava, Slovakia. It is included among the National Monuments Reservation of the city and is also listed as a Cultural Real-estate Monument. The last reconstruction was in 1998, involving the roof and facade rendering. Following the reconstruction a new street was named Strakova Street. It is between Venturian Street and Hviezdoslavovo námestie (Bratislava) (literally Hviezdoslav Square).

Hviezdoslavovo námestie ('Hviezdoslav Square') is a town square in Bratislava. It is located in the Old Town, between the New Bridge and the Slovak National Theater. The square is named after Pavol Országh Hviezdoslav.

The Universitas Istropolitana (since the 16th century frequently – but incorrectly – referred to as Academia Istropolitana) in Bratislava (Hungarian: Pozsony / German: Pressburg) was arguably the third university to be found in the Kingdom of Hungary and the first university to be founded in the territory of present-day Slovakia. Despite its brief existence (1465–1491), it features prominently in Slovak historiography.

Pálffy Palace (Slovak: Pálfiho palác, Hungarian: Pálffy-palota) is a Baroque-style palace in the Old Town of Bratislava, on Ventúrska street. It was built by Count Leopold Pálffy in 1747. It has an interesting portal with a relief reflecting the military career of the count as a general in the army of Empress Maria Theresa. During the reconstruction of the palace, parts of a Gothic building were found in walls at the interior of the building. Roman and Celtic finds were uncovered through archaeological research in the basement.The palace used to contain a mint in the past. In 1762, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart played a concert here at the age of six. From 1993 to 2012, the palace was used as the Austrian embassy.

The Bratislava City Museum (Slovak: Múzeum mesta Bratislavy, abbr. MMB) is a museum in Bratislava, Slovakia, established in 1868. Its headquarters are located in the Old Town, near the Main Square at the Old Town Hall. The museum is owned by one of the 11 allowance organizations of the City of Bratislava.The museum documents the history of Bratislava from the earliest periods until the 20th century. The Bratislava City Museum is the oldest museum in continuous operation in Slovakia.

Johann Pálffy Palace (Slovak: Pálffyho palác or Pálfiho palác) is a late Classicism-style building in the Old Town, Bratislava, on the Panská street, near the Hviezdoslav Square. The palace is standing on the site of a former building, which was until the mid-1850s the seat of Pozsony county. After the seat moved elsewhere, it was rebuilt in late Classicist style by the Pálffy family, who were former hereditary chiefs of the Pozsony county.After its reconstruction in the 1980s, it currently houses three permanent exhibitions of the Bratislava City Gallery and temporary exhibitions.

The Old Town of Bratislava (Slovak: Staré Mesto, Hungarian: Óváros, German: Altstadt) is the historic center and one of the boroughs of Bratislava, in the Bratislava Region of Slovakia. It is coextensive with the smallest Slovak administrative district by area, Bratislava I. It contains the small, but preserved medieval city center, Bratislava Castle and other important landmarks. Bratislava's Old Town is known for its many churches, the Bratislava Riverfront and cultural institutions, it is also the location of most of the foreign states embassies and important Slovak institutions including the National Council of the Slovak Republic; the Summer Archbishop's Palace, seat of the Government of Slovakia; and Grassalkovich Palace, seat of the President of Slovakia.

Hlavné námestie (literally "Main Square") is one of the most well known squares in Bratislava, Slovakia. It is located in the Old Town and it is often considered to be the center of the city. Some of the main landmarks found in the square are the Old Town Hall and Roland Fountain.

The Roland Fountain (sometimes referred to as Maximilian Fountain; Slovak: Rolandova fontána or Maximiliánova fontána) is the most famous fountain in Bratislava, Slovakia, as well as one of the city's important landmarks. It is located in the Old Town, in the Main Square. Its construction was ordered by Maximilian II, the king of Royal Hungary, in 1572 to provide a public water supply. The fountain is topped by a statue of Maximilian portrayed as a knight in full armour sculpted by master A. Lutringer. Its current appearance is probably far from its original look, since it has been modified and rebuilt several times. However its popularity remains unaltered, still being one of the downtown's favorite meeting points. Many legends are centred on this fountain, mostly featuring Maximilian as the town's protector.

Pharmacy Salvator (Slovak: Lekáreň u Salvátora) is a neo-renaissance building and former pharmacy in the Old Town of Bratislava, Slovakia constructed by pharmacist Rudolf Adler in 1904. The building's facade features a stone statue of Christ the Saviour by sculptor Alojz Rigele. The ground floor is abandoned and the upper floors contain 10 flats, partially occupied by the Slovak National Theatre employees. Since 1963 the building is a culturally protected monument and it is one of the more striking examples of neo-renaissance architecture in Bratislava. Pharmacy Salvator is located across the street from the monumental St. Martin's Cathedral and it is part of most guided tours of the city. In the period from 1904 to 1995, the building housed a baroque cabinet of the rarest Jesuit pharmacy dating from 1727. These objects included a huge marble pharmaceutical desk supported by six lions, an antique cash register, gas chandelier, a set of pharmaceutical containers and various other furniture. This cabinet is unique not only for its rich Baroque decoration but it is also interesting for its engaging story.During its more than 300 years of existence, it has been moved four times. Additionally, it has been a church, private and national property, and about half of its life is closely connected with the Jesuit order.