Devin castle
Devin castle
The castle which witnessed the glory and fall of Great Moravia and was blown up by Napoleon's army. Later declared to be a national cultural monument of Slovakia. Since it is situated on a high cliff over the Morava and Danube rivers, and standing on the frontier between Slovakia and Austria, it offers beautiful panoramic views and is a very popular place to visit. Come here if you want to soak in the rich medieval history which is mirrored in its ruins.
LOCATION
Devin Castle is situated in Devin which is a borough of Bratislava, 12 km away from the city center. The bus journey takes around 20 minutes. An alternative is to take a taxi (if you don't have a car). You can also get there by a boat from one Bratislava port or from Hainburg, Austria. The public transport is quite easy.
HISTORY
The first settlement of the Devin castle is believed to be in the 5th century B.C. It used to serve as a boundary fortress, military station and a trade center in the past. Devin Castle remembers our favorite brotherly duo, patron saints Cyril and Methodius, who started their mission here in 863. They developed the first alphabet to be used for Slavonic manuscripts, translated the Bible and wrote the first Slavic Civil Code, which was used in Great Moravia. The castle was blown up by Napoleon's army in 1809. The Palffy family, who owned it, did not make bigger efforts to repair it. Thus it started to fall into disrepair. In 1939 it became the property of Czechoslovakia for a symbolical sum of 1 000 crowns. It was declared to be a national cultural monument in 1961.
WHAT TO SEE AROUND DEVIN CASTLE?
There are two parts of the castle you need to see. For the first one, which is the actual castle with the museum, you need to get a ticket. The second one is a public path along the river bank - also very much worth of seeing. After a short walk, you will see a sign which will direct you to your first stop - a Christian chapel from the 4th century. This one-room building reminds us of a tomb - you will find the fundamentals of the chapel and an old white cross there.
After getting back on the trail, walk for a few minutes until you arrive to a place with this white statue of a woman. A view on the living area under the woods will be worth of seeing. And you can also take some pictures of the grazing sheep! You will feel like in a countryside! As you continue to walk up, there will be some more animals enjoying the green grass - donkeys! That's where the "zoo" part comes to an end and soon you are about to see the first walls of the castle.
Behind that big wall there is a wide area to walk around and better see the ruins of the Devin castle. If you get thirsty after you walk here, a tap with drinking water might save you. You will find it right next to the round well which was dug in the 15th century and is 55 meters deep.
What you can see on the ground next to the wall below is the basics of a Roman building which were discovered during an archaeological research in the 1930s. Famous watchtower is one of the most photographed items of the castle and a legend says that a bride jumped from it on her wedding day after her family killed her groom because they did not approve of him. That's why it is called the Maiden Tower.
OPENING HOURS
April and October: TUE-SUN 10:00-17:00 (last visit at 16:30) May-September: TUE-FRI 10:00-18:00 (last visit at 17:30), SAT-SUN 10:00-19:00 (last visit at 18:30); November - March: MON-SUN 10:00-16:00 in case of good weather condition
TICKET ADMISSION
Adults: 4 €
Reduced (children, students, pensioners): 2 €
Family ticket: 8 €, children under 14 years
School groups: 1,30 € per person, at least ten children
ADDRESS
Muránska street 10
CONNECTION