This new, thoroughly updated edition of Bradt's Bratislava remains the only guide dedicated to this compact and increasingly popular city. Split into ten easy-to-follow chapters, the guide covers everything from local politics and cultural etiquette in the opening sections, followed by information on planning, practical information, local transport (including the new bike-sharing scheme), accommodation, eating and drinking, entertainment, nightlife, sports and shopping. City walks are also included, focusing on the main sights and beyond, plus sightseeing, from castles and palaces to museums, galleries, churches, gardens and parks. Beyond the city itself there are sections on Devin, Cerveny Kamen, Ancient Gerulata, Rusovce, the Small Carpathian Wine Route, Senec, Piestany Spa, Trnava and Kosice. There are also useful reference sections on language (pronunciation and words and phrases) and sources of further information. The legendary Casanova knew Bratislava and declared it 'the most beautiful city in Europe', and he knew a thing or two about beauty. Situated by the mighty Danube River and nestling in the Small Carpathian Mountains, Bratislava is a good-looking capital filled with good-looking people who seem to be enjoying life. This is a city which effortlessly blends history with hedonism, where world-class restaurants have been joined by a clutch of quality coffee houses and literary tea and bookshops. Bratislava's small size is satisfying: it's compact and visitor-friendly with many superbly curated museums and not one but two opera houses, rivalling those in Budapest and Vienna. In short, Bratislava is the perfect destination for a weekend break, a romantic city break, a family holiday or as a base from where to discover the underrated attractions in the rest of Slovakia, and with Bradt's Bratislava you'll have everything you need for a successful trip.

This new, third edition of Bradt's Romania: Transylvania remains the only standalone English language guide to this legendary and enchanting region. Comprehensive chapter-per-county coverage is offered, including details to cater for the diverse range of travellers to the region, from city breaks to rural escapes, ski enthusiasts to charity volunteers. Thoroughly updated, this new edition reflects all the changes of the past few years, from improved transport infrastructure (in particular the regional airports at Cluj, Sibiu and Targu Mures) to the completion of new motorway routes, such as that between Sibiu and Deva. Also covered are a number of striking new accommodation options: for example the sustainable guesthouse in Valea Zalanului owned by HRH The Prince of Wales, and the mountaintop retreat of Raven's Nest in the Apuseni Mountains. More attractions have opened up, such as Baroque palaces formerly owned by Hungarian aristocrats, seized under the Communist regime and now being restored by the descendants of their original owners. And the region is developing its offer for new types of tourism, such as summer rock festivals, notably the Untold Festival at Cluj and Electric Castle Festival at Bontida. Transylvania, literally the 'land beyond the forest', is a wild, wooded, intensely romantic region, filled with mountains, gorges and valleys, myths and legends, dragons, bears, wolves - and vampires. Bram Stoker called it 'one of the wildest and least-known parts of Europe' a description which remains true today. One of the most beautiful regions in central Europe and home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Transylvania preserves its cultural and artistic treasures in a unique landscape, bordered on three sides by the Carpathian Mountains. The hay meadows of the lower Carpathians form a man-made, high nature-value grassland ecosystem of extraordinary diversity, offering a beautiful display of wild flowers. The Carpathians are home too to lynx, wild boar, and one of Europe's largest populations of brown bear. Other natural phenomena include the Scarisoara ice cave in the Apuseni Mountains and the Sfanta Ana volcanic crater lake in Harghita. Whatever your interests, with Bradt's Romania: Transylvania, you can discover all of the region's many and varied attractions.