The castle of Devín is very close to the old town of Bratislava. This is one of the most important sights of the area and should not be missed during a visit to the Slovakian capital.
Bus 28 (departure SNP-bridge) gets you to Devín. It runs about every 30 minutes. You cannot buy tickets on the buses. We knew that in advance, but where, if not on the bus, were we supposed to buy the ticket instead? We were kindly helped to the small orange ticket machines under the bridge by a very nice local. Now the only question remaining was what ticket to get for a trip to Devín Castle. We chose a day card. So we were on the safe side and they were not much more expensive than 2 individual cars.
The bus takes about 20 minutes to get to Devín Castle. We were not exactly sure where to get off, so we winged it and got off at a stop called “Devín” (turned out that one stop earlier would have worked as well). From there, a 10 minute walk along a cycle path took us to the castle.
Admission to the castle was very cheap. We only paid 1.50 € per person. We had no idea why, regular admission fee per adult is usually 4, – €. So thanks to the nice vendor at the entrance, we were able to give our travel funds a little break.
The old fortress was built on a rocky hill at the confluence of the March and the Danube where the remains of the castle can still be seen today. As early as the first century AD, Roman soldiers built a border station here. The first ever mentions of the castle of Devín as the ruler’s residence with a church and a small cemetery appeared in 864. When Bratislava was part of Hungary in the 15th century, several different Hungarian aristocrats resided in the castle. In 1809, Napoleon’s troops blew it up. In 1961, the castle ruins were declared a National Monument and are now open to the general public.
The grounds of Devín Castle are well developed for visitors. A few old excavations can be visited below the castle. Well maintained paths lead down there and also uphill to the actual castle ruins. Unfortunately, the tour of the main ruin is no longer possible. The external influences have damaged the building so severely over the years that it is considered to be too dangerous. Nevertheless, there is still enough to see to be astonished. Well-preserved areas of the castle, small towers and a crazy good view of the Danube make the visit an experience. I have definitely felt like I had been put back to the times of knights and castles. I experienced a wonderful morning in the past.
Address:
Castle Devín Muránska ul.
841 10 Bratislava
Entrance fees:
Adults: 4 €
Reduced (children, students, retirees): 2 €
Family ticket: € 8
Opening hours Burg Devín:
November to March
Monday – Sunday: 10 am to 4 pm (last admission at 3:30 pm)
April and October
Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00 – 17:00 (last admission 4:30 pm)
May-September
Tuesday – Friday: 10 am to 6 pm (last admission at 5:30 pm)
Saturday – Sunday: 10am to 7pm (last admission 6:30 pm
Mei and Kerstin
As castle lovers, we’ll definitely visit Devin Castle when we go to Bratislavia! Such a pity that the ruins cannot be visited now. But good to know that we can still see the old excavations! The entrance fee of 4€ is really not expensive, but so cool that you got to pay even less! :)
Susanne Jungbluth
Hey Heather
Brastilave and the Castle are not lokated in Hungary – it is Slovakia!
Heather
Well, that was nice of the employee to give you a discount on the entrance fee since you couldn’t find a reason why they should have. Love when those things happen! I have heard of this castle but I haven’t been to Hungary so it’s on my bucket list! Those views are amazing!! About how long did it take to tour what you can?
Jing
Lucky you for the cheaper than normal entrance fee. :-) The landscape views with the Danube are great. It would have been interesting to take a tour to the main castle ruins but safety would be of utmost priority, of course.
Karie
I’ve not heard of Devin Castle before this but really love the architecture and the history behind it. The views from it are stunning. You were lucky to get in at a cheaper rate than usual. Unfortunate to hear about the main ruin being damaged, however, the well-preserved areas are worth visiting. Thanks for sharing!
Nicola Hilditch-Short
Visiting Devin Castle was a highlight of our few days in Bratislava, and we loved the city itself too! It was nice to get out of the city though and see the town and the castle, its a really nice setting but also somewhere with some much history too. It was quite moving to see the border between the two countries, which would have at one time been the border of the soviet union.
Jenn and Ed Coleman
I love the way you weaved in useful details into the narrative of the story. Bravo on both counts. I would have guessed Devin would be the exit to Devin Castle too. Whodathunkit. Devin looks so much like Dragonstone from GOT. I can totally see it.
Candy
I’ve never heard of this castle and it looks like one that I would gladly visit when I am in the area. Funny, that you got charged less than what it normally costs, but I wouldn’t complain either :) Lovely photos too!
Sheila
Crazy-good picture you got of the Danube River! I appreciate all the details you gave me in your post. If I was to take this trip I feel like I would be able to successfully make my way to the castle following your instructions, thank you. Disappointing that the main castle is not able to be toured but I guess with structures that old it is understandable.
Janiel Green
OMG my roomie would love this castle, she is seriously obsessed with ruins and castles honestly. Regarding the tickets, why can’t these historical places in every single country go to the automated tickets, lol — would create a lot less travel confusion for the tourists— I mean, everyone has a phone….sigh…..that is life according to Janiel I guess.
Wendy
This trip looks amazing… I have not thought about going to Bratislava before but I think now i will investigate further. The castle ruins are beautiful along wih the country side…
Sylvia
Tha’ts too bad about the main tour! But it still looks like an awesome trip! Thanks for all the detailed info.
George P.
Thank you for the write-up! My wife and I are spending a day here soon and we are debating whether or not to head to Devin. We want to do a tour of some of the communist era sites while we are in town which will take a little time. Too much to do, not enough time! I hope we squeeze it all in. -Cheers