Trnava

Trnava is a town in western Slovakia with a population of over 65,000 (2018). It has also been seat of archbishop and the Catholic Church has influenced the city during its history. There are many churches in the city, and a well-preserved baroque city center; it has been nicknamed "little Rome".

Trnava city centre, city tower

Understand

Trnava has a rich history as a medieval city. It was a university town as early as the 17th century, and has been industrialized since the beginning of the 20th century. It has emerged as one of the centres of the Slovak automotive industry, with a large PSA Peugeot car plant built in 2005 and many smaller car components producers. There is a nuclear power plant close to the city, near the village of Jaslovske Bohunice.

Visitor information

• city council in Slovak

Get in

By train

• 1 Trnava railway station. Trnava lies on a major Slovak train route (from Bratislava to Kosice). Therefore there is quite easy railway access from most of major Slovak cities. Train travel from Bratislava takes only about 30 minutes. There are another two railway lines stemming from Trnava: one with a westward direction (Smolenice, Kuty) and another leading southeast to the town of Sered. Trnava has direct railway connections with Vienna, Warsaw and Kyiv. (updated Sep 2020)

By bus

Trnava is on the major D1 Slovak freeway and close to its R1 intersection. It has a good connection to the Slovak capital Bratislava and nearby cities such as Nitra, Piestany, and Trencin. The bus station is near Trnava city center next to the railway station. There are buses arriving from Bratislava at least once every hour, more frequently in peak hours. Lots of people commute from Trnava to Bratislava and also from nearby villages to Trnava. Bus travel from Bratislava to Trnava takes about 50 minutes. There are direct bus lines to some major European cities such as Prague, Vienna and Munich.

By plane

Bratislava Airport (BTS ^IATA) is nearest commercial airport, about 40 km southward. Another close airport is Vienna International Airport (VIE ^IATA). Small airport serving mostly ultra-light aviation is located some 10 km westward near village of Boleraz.

Get around

Most points of interest can be reached from the center by walking. Car or taxi is the preferred option to reach the city's outskirts. Traffic jams are quite common in peak hours. Trnava has a public transportation system consisting of 16 bus lines. However, their frequency and comfort are rather insufficient. There are some bicycle paths in the city.

See

Aerial view of the city centre

• 1 City Tower, Štefánikova 1. Go to the top of the tower for the view - tickets from the tourist office on the ground floor.  
• 2 Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. This is the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Trnava. It was consecrated in 1637.  
• 3 Basilica of St. Nicolas.  
• 4 Synagogue. Oriental style synagogue built in 1891.  
• 5 Holy Trinity column. (updated Sep 2020)
• 6 Church of Saint Anne. (updated Sep 2020)
• 7 West Slovak Museum, Museum us. 3. Tu - F 08:00 - 17:00, Sa Su 11:00 - 17:00. Adult €3. (updated Sep 2020)

Do

• Watch football at Stadion Antona Malatinskeho, home ground of FC Spartak Trnava. They play in the Super Liga, the top tier of Slovak football, and often qualify for European tournaments. The national team also play their home games here. Rebuilt in 2015 with a capacity of 19,000, the stadium is close to the railway station and city centre.
• 1 Divadlo Jána Palárika, ☏ +421335511125. Theatre. (updated Sep 2020)

Learn

• 2 University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava. (updated Sep 2020)

Buy

The city centre (Stefanikova and Hlavna streets, Trinity square) has been the traditional shopping area. The oldest shopping centre, Jednota, is there. Modern shopping centers have opened outside the centre. Shopping centre Max is about 1 km from the city centre near the bus and railway stations. A major modern shopping cluster has evolved in the north of the city around Arkadia shopping park and Tesco mall. As of April 2023, the city's largest mall is City Arena, next to the football stadium.

Eat

Restaurant Na Mlyne, hidden down a tree-lined laneway on the road to Hrnciarovce nad parnou, is definitely one of Trnava's secret treasures. More great restaurants are Kamináč (near city edge), Forhaus which is a more expensive option and Patriot which is a certain staple of Trnava

Budget

City arena food court

Mid-range

Sumo - Tamaškovičova 10

Tučný kocúr - Štefánikova 37

Kamináč - Karola Elberta 1

Splurge

Forhaus - Kapitukská 28

Na Mlyne - hidden down a tree-lined laneway on the road to Hrnciarovce nad Parnou

Patriot - Jeruzalemská 12

Drink

The city of Trnava is one of the few in Slovakia with its own distinct brand of beer. The Sessler brewery is just north of town, on Pri Kalvarii road, and has its own restaurant. There is also a pub in the centre of town, on the main street near Trinity square, look for "Passage Europa" opposite the town hall, which serves only the Sessler brand of beer. Sessler beer comes in three varieties, light, dark and special, and does not disappoint.

Northeast of town, on Oresianska, is the Mrva & Stanko winery. This brand of wine was created in 1997 and uses local grape varieties grown in the Little Carpathian mountains. Degustation sessions are available.

Sleep

There are several small hotels and so called "pensions" in the town.

Mid-range

• Hotel Dream. In the centre, Kapitulska 12 
• 1 Hotel Empire, Jána Hajdóczyho 11 (near the centre), ☏ +421 33 59 2O 8OO (6866). 19-room hotel and restaurant, with indoor tennis courts. from €60. 

Connect

There is a free Wi-Fi zone in city centre around Trinity square. Some restaurants and cafes offer Wi-Fi for their clients and there are a few internet cafes in the city as well.