Slovak National Museum

A simple but dignified building along the banks of the Danube, with a museum-like lion statue out front, houses the main exhibits of the Slovak National Museum. The institution actually supervises 16 exhibits, and many research and educational activities, in several parts of Bratislava – notably in Bratislava Castle – and indeed its activity spreads all over the country. The collection in this building focuses on anthropological and natural history, particularly the biology (descriptive cycloramas) and geology (cases and cases of specimens) of this region as well as other parts of the world.

Like the other museums in Bratislava, perhaps the strongest selling point of the Natural History Museum is its manageability: too small to bring on “museum fatigue”, inexpensive, and very unlikely to be crowded. Unfortunately budgetary restrictions keep it from showing off most of its nearly 2 and a half million objects (one of the most extensive in Europe), so this is not one of the most memorable museums you’ll ever visit. But it makes for a calm hour or so, and anyone from school-aged children or older will find a few points to remember.

The most noteworthy feature of the museum in recent years, however, has been the outstanding short-term exhibits shown here. These have centred on such topics as Indonesia, a centenary celebration of Einstein’s theory of relativity, and wooly mammoths in Slovakia complete with life-size reconstructions of the beasts.

Website: www.snm.sk (for English click on ENG).