Trnava is a compact, walkable city about 50 km northeast of Bratislava, often called the "Slovak Rome" for its concentration of churches — there are more than a dozen within the old town walls. The historic centre is ringed by well-preserved medieval fortifications and filled with baroque and renaissance facades that rival anything in western Slovakia.
The city reached its peak importance in the 17th century, when it served as the seat of the Hungarian Catholic Church after the Ottomans occupied Esztergom. This produced a remarkable burst of ecclesiastical construction: the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, built by the Jesuits, and Slovakia's first university, founded in 1635, both date from this period. The Basilica of Saint Nicholas — locally called "Hrubý Kostol," the Big Church — is the largest Gothic church in Slovakia. The City Tower on the main square is the city's most recognisable landmark.
With a population of around 80,000, Trnava has a lively university atmosphere and a good selection of cafes and restaurants around the main square. Football fans know it as the home of Spartak Trnava, one of Slovakia's most storied clubs. The Status Quo Ante Synagogue is a reminder that the old town had a substantial Jewish community before the Second World War.