DEVÍN CASTLE

The castle hill has been settled already in the 5th century B.C., the oldest part of the today´s castle dates back to the 13th century. In 1809 the castle was destroyed, since the 60s of the 20th century the reconstruction of the castle and archaeological research began. At present, there are expositions here and exhibitions of the City Museum of Bratislava.

Tel.: +421/2/54 43 47 42
Open: April-October, Tuesday-Sunday, 10:00a.m. – 5:00 p.m..

Devín (German: Theben, Hungarian: Dévény), originally a separate town at the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers, is now a borough of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. It is an important archaeological site, famous for the ruins of Devín Castle. Devín lies near the Devín Gate, which was viewed as the western gateway to the Kingdom of Hungary

The name stems from the Slovak word deva, which signifies "girl".

Thanks to its strategic location at the confluence of the rivers Danube and Morava, the nearby cliff was an ideal place for a fort. The site has been settled since the Neolithic and both the Celts and Romans built forts here.

Devín was first mentioned in a document from 1237 under the name Villa Thebyn. Originally, it was a small village, belonging to the Devín Castle, but quickly attained the status of a small town in the 15th century. In 1568, Devín became separated from its former owner. Croats fleeing from the approaching Ottomans in the south settled here in the 16th century. The castle above the village was burned down by Napoleon's troops in 1809. From October 1938 to April 1945, Devín was part of the German Third Reich, being part of the Lower Austria. In 1946, Devín was returned to Czechoslovakia and became part of Bratislava.

Devín is part of Bratislava, yet differs from the rest of the city due to its rural character. As a popular recreation center, it offers an ancient castle located on a spectacular cliff, hiking trails in the hilly areas around the village, large gardens and vineyards, as well as opportunities for quiet walks along the Danube. Good bus connections with the center of Bratislava are a part of the municipal public transportation system. Most of the people commute to work elsewhere in Bratislava.