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| Bratislava, capitol of the Slovak Republic, is just across the Austrian border only 40 miles away from Vienna. |
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Bratislava is a lovely town with some surprisingly wide boulevards, elegant old Hapsburg-era buildings, many beautiful parks, and a picturesque old town not overrun with tons of tourists (except perhaps on Sunday afternoons). |
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| Having only about half a million residents helps keep central Bratislava as manageable and charming size. |
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| Like the other "eastern" European countries that were once Soviet satellites, most Slovaks appreciate both their new independents (both from the Russians and from the Czechs) and their status as a regular country in the EU. |
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