Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia, its largest city and its political, cultural and economic centre. The city has been strongly influenced by Slovaks, Germans, Hungarians, Czechs, Austrians and Jews. Bratislava lies on both banks of the river Danube and is only an hour's drive from the border with the Czech Republic. It is the only capital in the world which borders two countries.
Bratislava has undergone a lot of development since Slovakia achieved independence in 1993. The old buildings in the city centre have been restaurated, the old town has been cleaned up and art works have been added, probably to make Bratislava more attractive for tourists and because the local economy has substantially developed since independence.