The Primate’s Palace, built in the late eighteenth century for the archbishop of Esztergom, is the most elegant building in the old town, its pale pink facade topped by a cardinal’s hat and statues. It is still the seat of the mayor, but its grand state rooms are open as part of the Bratislava City Gallery. The star is the Hall of Mirrors, where the Treaty of Pressburg between Austria and France was signed in December 1805, after Napoleon’s victory at Austerlitz. The palace’s other great treasure has an unlikely story. In 1903, during reconstruction work soon after the city bought the building, workers found six tapestries hidden behind wallpaper. Woven in the seventeenth century at the royal workshop in Mortlake, near London, they tell the tragic tale of Hero and Leander and are among the finest of their kind. The rooms also display Dutch, Flemish and Italian paintings, and the arcaded courtyard with its St George fountain is worth a look.
How to visit: the palace is on Primate’s Square, steps from Main Square and the Old Town Hall. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from late morning to early evening and closed on Mondays. Tickets are sold at the entrance, and the link is the City Gallery page for the tapestry exhibition.
What to expect: a compact visit through a sequence of state rooms, about an hour. Occasionally rooms close for city functions, so it is worth checking before a special trip.
Making the most of it: combine it with the Old Town Hall and the City Museum next door, and peek into the courtyard even if you do not go inside.
What to expect
The experience
A self-guided route through the state rooms, the Hall of Mirrors and the English tapestry exhibition.
Best time
Late morning on a weekday, any day except Monday.
How long
About an hour.
Tips
Pair it with the Old Town Hall next door, and remember it is closed on Mondays.
Quick picks
- Best for
- History and art lovers who want one great interior in the old town.
- Families
- Short and central, though best for older children.
- Couples
- A quiet, elegant hour away from the crowds.
- Pair with
- The old town, St Martin’s Cathedral and the Blue Church.
- Time needed
- One hour.
Good questions
What was signed in the Primate’s Palace?+
The Treaty of Pressburg between Austria and France, signed in the Hall of Mirrors in 1805 after the Battle of Austerlitz.
What are the English tapestries?+
Six seventeenth-century tapestries of Hero and Leander from the Mortlake workshop near London, found behind wallpaper in 1903.
When is the Primate’s Palace open?+
Tuesday to Sunday from late morning to early evening; it is closed on Mondays.
Where is the Primate’s Palace?+
On Primate’s Square, beside the Old Town Hall and a minute from Main Square.
Is the Primate’s Palace still in use?+
Yes, it is the seat of the mayor of Bratislava, and rooms occasionally close for official events.
