Bratislava Castle at night

The castle building dates to 10th century and is situated on a relatively separated hill of Carpathian mountains in Staré mesto district (The Old Town). The hill used to be the boarder of the Roman Empire. The building itself includes 4 towers (one on each corner) and a courtyard where there is an 80m deep water well. The Crown Tower in the south-west is the the biggest among them, it dates back to the 13th century, and it housed the Hungarian crown jewels for two centuries. Fragments of old Gothic and Renaissance construction can still be spotted on the outside walls and inside corridors.
To the east of the main entrance, a walled up entrance gate from the 16th century can be seen. Behind the entrance, there is an arcade corridor and then the big Baroque staircase leading to the expositions of the Slovak National Museum (Slovenské národné múzeum). In the left part of the southern part of the building, there are 4 halls of the Treasure Chamber (opened in 1988) which present a collection of the most precious archaeological findings and other objects found in Slovakia. Among the artifacts, visitors can see a prehistoric statue called the Venus of Moravany. The 3rd floor offers the exposition named History of Slovakia.
The 1st floor in the southern part of the building houses the rooms of Slovak parliament - the National Council of the Slovak Republic - including parts of furniture from the 16th century. The Council has 150 seats. The main parliament building is situated next to the Bratislava Castle on the castle hill. In the northern part of the building- the former Baroque chapel, visitors will find the Music Hall in which concerts are held. The courtyard includes the entrance to the Knights Hall.
The last large reconstruction in Baroque style took place under the reign of Maria Theresia (1740-1780). In 1811, the castle burnt down and only ruins were left. It was reconstructed in 1956-68. Bratislava Castle is an important landmark Of the Slovak capital and a National Cultural Monument.