Hrad Devín — Attraction in Bratislava

Devin Castle is the best place you can visit near Bratislava. This place is breathtakingly great. A beautiful castle, which you must visit while in Bratislava. To get here, you need to take bus No. 29, which stops right under the SNP bridge, on the boulevard. The bus ride takes about 20 minutes, but buy a return bus ticket, as there is no place to buy a ticket there. The entrance ticket is €5 per person (at least that's what I paid on the day of the museum), but I think the regular price is €8 per person. Here you can see remains of old buildings and churches that existed in this place in the past. When you enter the castle courtyard, there is a well where you need to throw water from a bucket. In front of the stairs to go up to the castle, there is a small cafeteria, with cheap and good drinks. There is not much to climb to the top and the climb is not difficult at all. When you climb to the top, there is a museum there, and from the museum you continue to a small cave and come out on the other side. There is a beautiful view from the terrace of the castle. From there you can see the confluence of the Morava and the Danube, the entire field, but also Austria. Right next to the castle is the state border line between Slovakia and Austria. It is not marked where Austria begins, but you can see that on Google Maps. The whole place is nicely decorated and is regularly cleaned and sanitized. The toilets are clean and tidy and there is no entrance fee. In the museum next to the toilet there are displays about World War II and the events that took place in this place at that time, and at the entrance you can buy souvenirs. Unfortunately, I didn't buy any, because the employee was on a break. From the bus station to the castle, it is about a 1km walk along...

Devín Castle belongs to the main attractions of Bratislava. This charming castle ruin rises on a high cliff above the confluence of the rivers Danube and Moravia. Visitors come here not only to learn about the history, but also to enjoy the beautiful view that comes from the upper castle and the ubiquitous natural scenery just like from a fairytale.

Devín Castle together with Nitra Castle and Bratislava Castle belongs to the oldest historically documented castles in Slovakia.

After the Celts left, between the 1st and the 4th century, thanks to its strategic location, Devín became part of the border defence system – Limes Romanus. In the 9th century, Prince Rastislav built a massive Great Moravian fortress there. In the 13th century, the royal border fort was built in the area of the upper castle, while additional building modifi cations took place between the 15th and 17th centuries. In 1809, the castle was destroyed by Napoleonic troops.

In the caves of the upper castle there is a permanent exhibition of Devín Castle in the 13th - 20th century, which is located in the attractive premises of the castle rock. at the Renaissance Palace, visitors can admire the commemorative plaque reminding of the historical trip of Slovak youth to Devín, organized by Ľudovít Štúr in 1836.

Devín Castle can be reached easily by car or public transport (bus line number 29). Devín is by means of a port on the Danube interconnected with Austria. Boarding a ship, you can travel further to Hainburg or back to Bratislava.

During the season, performances of historical fencers or other accompanying events take place in the castle. Visitors can also try their skills in javelin, or axe...

We visited the castle ruins on a very hot summer day. The large green area inside the castle premises with lots of vegetation offered great spots to take a break in the shadow and just relax in the quiet atmosphere. The castle is huge, consisting of two main courtyards and several large buildings. It is possible to take two routes around the area dotted with up to 25 information points that offer well-chosen content on the castle history without being too overwhelming for the visitors. Although the castle is a ruin, it is still in great condition, and you can clearly distinguish different buildings and areas. The views from the walls and towers are simply amazing, overlooking the confluence of the Morava and Danube rivers. There is a bit of space containing two small museum exhibitions, which were quite interesting, but definitely not the main attraction of the castle. It is also easy to reach the castle by a regular bus from Bratislava, though you still have to walk around 10-15 minutes from the bus stop up the hill, a thing to consider for the less mobile visitors. All in all, we definitely recommend Devín castle and consider it a "must see", the most memorable stop during our stay...