Located close to the geographic centre of Europe, the Slovakian capital competes with Vienna, Prague, Kraków and Budapest for both tourism and investment. In fact, no two national capitals are geographically closer than Vienna and Bratislava, so much so that the two are sometimes considered one large metro. An increasing number of foreigners venturing off the beaten path discover a compact, cobblestone-lined Hapsburg heart, crowned by St Martin’s Cathedral and the revitalised but no less historic Kapitulska Street. It’s worth taking in the urban evolution by bike along the city’s bike paths (ranking an impressive Top 5 in Europe), away from the beautiful chaos of fairy-tale spires and Soviet-era monstrosities—like the 95-metre- high UFO Tower, a perch over the Danube River since 1972. (But do grab a drink in its penthouse bar.) Outside Bratislava’s centre, the intrepid can view the future of its skyline: the first towers of the Zaha Hadid Architects- designed Sky Park development that, upon buildout, will feature new residences, an office block and even a heating plant. It’s a welcome addition to an industrious citizenry that ranks #7 for GDP Per Capita, in a local economy that ties for the fifth-lowest poverty rate and forth-lowest unemployment in Europe.