The name of the city is derived from the name of the creek Trnava. It comes from the Old Slavic/Slovak word tŕň (“thornbush”) which characterized the river banks in the region. Many towns in Central Europe have a similar etymology including Trnovo in Slovakia as well as Tarnów (Poland), Tarnow (Germany), Veliko Tarnovo (Bulgaria) and Tyrnavos (Greece) among others. In the Hungarian language, the original name had gradually evolved into Tyrna which influenced also later German and Latin forms.

Architecture

The charming city of Trnava, less than 50 kilometers north-east of Bratislava, has been been part of many countries over the centuries. So it is no surprise that the historic center is chock full of impressive architecture in varying styles. It’s particularly famous for having many churches, earning it the nickname ‘Little Rome’. Here’s our selection of the top things to see and do there.