Perched forbiddingly on a large, rocky hill above the Danube, Bratislava’s stronghold is first mentioned in 907. It was at a strategic location on the Danube, at the crossing of trade routes, including the ancient Amber Route. Fortified in the 11th and 12th centuries, the castle was rebuilt in Gothic style in the 15th century, and in 1552–60 remodelled into a Renaissance residence. In 1750–60, it was given beautiful Rococo furnishings. In 1811 the castle burnt down; it was rebuilt in the 1950s.

Inside are several sections of the Slovak National Museum . The largest collections are from the Slovak History Museum (Slovenské historické múzeum), including furniture, clocks and folk artifacts. In the Treasury of Slovakia (Klenoty davnej minusloti Slovenska) is the tiny Venus of Moravany , a fertility figure carved from a mammoth tusk about 25,000 years ago. A Music Museum (Hudobné Múzeum) has some fascinating folk instruments.