Galéria mesta Bratislavy
A municipal gallery with two palaces in the centre of Bratislava – the Mirbach and Pálffy palaces – and a collection from Gothic art to contemporary art.
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About the museum
The Bratislava City Gallery was founded in 1961 as an independent municipal cultural organisation. Its core consisted of artworks separated from the collections of the Bratislava City Museum. Today it manages more than 35,000 collection items documenting the development of fine art in Slovakia from the Gothic period to the present, and part of the holdings is also old Central European art.
The Mirbach Palace on Františkánske námestie was built in 1768–1770 by the brewer Michael Spech. It is a Rococo building with rich façade decoration and preserved interiors on the first floor. Its last owners were the Nyáry family and Count Emil Mirbach; in 1948 the palace passed into the ownership of the city, and in 1975 the gallery was established in it.
The Pálffy Palace on Panská street became the seat of the gallery after an extensive renovation in 1988. Archaeological research in the 1980s uncovered traces in the building of Celtic settlement, a 13th-century Romanesque palace and a Gothic town palace. Both palaces house temporary exhibitions as well as permanent displays, for example of Gothic art, Central European Baroque and an exhibition on the Celtic mint.
Highlights
- Mirbach Palace – an 18th-century Rococo monument
- Pálffy Palace with remains of Celtic, Romanesque and Gothic building phases
- Permanent exhibition BIATEC. The Celtic Mint
- Gothic panel painting and sculpture, including the Vajnory Madonna
- Character heads by Franz Xaver Messerschmidt in the Baroque exhibition
Permanent exhibitions
- Stredoeurópske barokové maliarstvo a sochárstvo – The exhibition in Mirbach Palace presents painting and sculpture of 18th-century Bratislava in a broader Central European context, including works by Messerschmidt, Kurtz and Palka.
- Gotická tabuľová maľba a plastika – Sixteen Gothic works from the gallery's collections in the Pálffy Palace, among them the gallery's oldest collection item, the Vajnory Madonna.
- BIATEC. Keltská mincovňa – An interactive exhibition in the Pálffy Palace on the Celtic mint and on coins inscribed BIATEC, which were found during the archaeological research of the building.
- Founded
- 1961
- Operated by
- Hlavné mesto Slovenskej republiky Bratislava
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €8 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €4holders of ISIC, ITIC and EURO 26 cards, people aged 60 and over, and holders of a ŤZP-S card (50% discount) |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Visitors under 18 enter free. |
| Seniors | €4People aged 60 and over – 50% discount. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freeHolders of a ZŤP card enter free; holders of a ZŤP-S card pay the reduced admission. |
| Students & apprentices | €4Students with an ISIC, ITIC or EURO 26 card – 50% discount; students of fine arts, art history, architecture, aesthetics and cultural studies enter free. |
| Mirbach Palace and Pálffy Palace | €10Reduced 50% (ISIC, ITIC, EURO 26, 60+, ŤZP-S). |
| Annual pass to both palaces | €40Valid for 365 days, non-transferable; not valid for programmes and accompanying events. |
| Family programme | €4Admission to the exhibitions is included in the price. |
| Curator-led, guided or author-led tour, discussion, lecture | €8Children aged 6 to 18, ISIC, ITIC, 60+, ŤZP and ŤZP-S holders pay half. |
| Concert | €10 |
| Guided talk for an agreed group in Slovak or English | €100For schools and disadvantaged groups €50. |
Free admission: Admission is free on the first Wednesday of every month.
The admission of €8 applies to one palace, €10 to both. The ticket permits one visit to all exhibitions in the given palace. Free admission for holders of AICA, IAA, ICOM, RGS, ZMS and Bratislava CARD cards, for tourist and teaching guides with a group, and for visitors to private views and finissages. The studio and courtyard of Mirbach Palace and the courtyard of Pálffy Palace are freely accessible. School groups: supervising teachers and pupils under 18 enter free; university students who are not studying fine arts pay €2; groups of more than 30 people must be announced in advance.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The renovated courtyard of Mirbach Palace has step-free solutions: a raised-relief orientation map, guidance lines, a navigation system and acoustic beacons for people with visual impairments. For people with hearing impairments, induction loops and videos in Slovak sign language are available.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
The gallery offers family programmes (€4) and educational programmes for nursery, primary and secondary schools.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
The palace is in the centre of the Old Town and can be reached by city public transport.
By car
Parking is available in the nearest car parks or on the streets of the Old Town.
There are bicycle stands in the area, and shared bicycles can also be used. The Pálffy Palace is at Panská 19.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
Emil café on the ground floor and in the courtyard of Mirbach Palace (open Tuesday to Sunday), and the art-history bookshop Ex Libris in Mirbach Palace.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography and filming for private purposes and for the media are free. For study and scholarly purposes the charge is €10 per started hour; for wedding and commercial purposes €50 per started hour. In some exhibitions photography may be prohibited; a pictogram indicates this. |
| Good to know | Bookings for school groups and exhibition tours: Judita Šályová, +421 904 513 716, judita.salyova@gmb.sk. Groups without an educational programme do not need to register; groups of more than 30 people must be announced in advance. An online information line with transcription for both palaces is on the gallery's website. |
