 Cumil the Peeper, in the city centre, keeps watch over the citizens of Bratislava (above); Devin Castle, on the Danube outside Bratislava, is a symbol of Slovak nationalism (right) |
 When the legendary Italian roué Casanova visited Bratislava, capital of the Slovak Republic, he called it “the most beautiful city in Europe”. This description might well still be true, with the historic Old Quarter attracting none of the tourist hordes that now mar the Prague cityscape. In 2003, the people of Slovakia voted overwhelmingly in favour of joining the European Union, a step that came to fruition in 2004. The country is well on track to join the Euro zone next year (2008). However, experts are saying that it could take twenty years or more for Slovakia to catch up with Western Europe.
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