Nestled along the River Danube, Bratislava stages a contrast between modern and historic, with traces of the communist era still evident outside the city’s historic centre. The compact city offers beautiful architecture: There’s the quaint, albeit tiny, Staré Mesto (Old Town), the dominating hilltop Castle of Bratislava, the picturesque Blue church and the St. Michael’s Tower, one of the essential symbols of Bratislava.