In certain respects, Bratislava is not like anywhere else in Slovakia, but there is no good reason why it should be, Howard Swains, an English freelance journalist, wrote recently. It is, instead, a typical capital city. It is the biggest city in Slovakia and has the largest population. It is the most prosperous and the most expensive. It has the largest universities and the highest proportion of graduates.

There are more high-powered jobs here and an average wage to reflect it. Also, Bratislava welcomes more tourists than any other city in Slovakia, and it has the best amenities to entertain them. In short, Bratislava is Slovakia’s most western city – in more ways than one – but it is the bridge and the international gateway to the riches of the whole country.

European flavour

Bratislava has always been slightly distinct from the rest of the country. This is probably also due in part to its asymmetric position in the south-west corner of the country. It is therefore only natural that following 1989, and with the entry of Slovakia to the European Union, Bratislava is now a city with the best prospects to fast become a modern European metropolis with a high quality of life.

Today Bratislava has a stable place on the map of global real estate players. While just a few years ago the mention of it would just raise the scrutinising eyebrow of experts, nowadays Bratislava is one of the most sought after investment localities in Europe.
Special importance in the new Land Use Plan of Bratislava is associated with the embankments on both sides of the River Danube. The hub of the new plans is the area on the south bank of the Danube. Bratislava will also develop outwards to the southwest in the direction of the Austrian border, this having been prevented until 1989 by the Iron Curtain.

The city centre also expects to transform, as it becomes broader, more attractive and livelier. Emphasis is put on the construction of mixed-use buildings with quality housing, premium office space, shops and leisure areas with parks, playgrounds and sports facilities. The city centre starts to spread out toward the river; several kilometres of modern attractive boulevard will run along both banks of the river Danube.

A spacious city

What is among the city advantages? Above all, it is available space. Bratislava is probably the last major European city where there is still an abundance of potential construction sites available. Fantastic locations that until recently were not utilised, are about to transform into new city quarters, giving the Slovak capital a new look. The new Land Use Plan identifies a total of 4,000 hectares of additional development land earmarked for the construction of flats, shops, offices and related infrastructure. This is the key competitive advantage of Bratislava in enticing foreign investors here, which only a few other European cities can offer.
Bratislava has every chance of developing into a dynamic economic region in the heart of new Europe.

The excellent geographic location combined with its positive demographic vitality make the Slovak capital a unique place for the development of economic activity of every kind. It is hardly by chance that in 2006 Bratislava found itself on the shortlist of European Property Awards in the coveted category of “European City of the Future”.
With its wealth of cultural attractions and gourmet restaurants, as well as its fantastic flight connections and hotel facilities, Bratislava is becoming the perfect city to visit, buy a property and live in.