Liptovský Mikuláš (Slovak pronunciation: [ˈliptɔʊ̯skiː ˈmikulaːʃ] ( listen); until 1952 Liptovský Svätý Mikuláš, German: Liptau-Sankt-Nikolaus; Hungarian: Liptószentmiklós) is a town in northern Slovakia, on the Váh River, about 285 kilometres (177 mi) from Bratislava. It lies in the Liptov region, in Liptov Basin near the Low Tatra and Tatra mountains. The town, known as Liptovský Svätý Mikuláš (or Liptovský Saint Nicholas) before communist times, is also renowned as a town of guilds and culture.