Bratislava may be a young capital (it took the title in 1993), but its status as a storied city can’t be argued. Over the millennia, this Danube power-player has taken many names, a reflection of its myriad influences: Possonium in Latin, Pressberg in German, Pozsony in Hungarian – and today, Bratislava to the world. You can feel the story on its streets, which are decorated with sculptures, historic palaces, and an eponymous castle that can’t be missed. These sights, plus Europe’s 16th-best weather, distinguish it as a growing city-break destination that pulled 1.2 million tourists last year.
Things are good for locals, too: Bratislava is often called the Little Big City, and it does the nickname proud, with all the opportunity and ambition of a global metropolis in a compact, sub-million-person package. Here, in Slovakia’s wealthiest city, unemployment is low (#14) and the labour force works hard (#19) – fuel for an industrial ecosystem that includes Volkswagen, IBM, Dell and Slovak Telekom. It cements Bratislava as the economic heart of its nation and delivers a fine standard of living,too (#31). Now, new residential is going up, including the nearly completed Sky Park, featuring more than 700 Zaha Hadid-designed luxury units.