One of the benefits of visiting Bratislava for a few days is that we had time to see some attractions that were a little further from the city centre, one of them being Devin Castle!
Unlike Bratislava Castle which has seen its fair share of reconstructions, expansions, and renovations, Devin Castle sits in ruins. This is one of the oldest castles in Slovakia, with the first mention of it dating back to 864.
We visited on a cool autumn day and it was the perfect little excursion – not too far and super easy to get there! Also, there weren’t too many people out, so it felt like we had this little slice of history all to ourselves.
Getting to Devin Castle from Bratislava
So let’s talk about how you can get there!
Devin Castle is located about 10 kilometres outside of Bratislava, so it’s very easy to visit on a half-day trip or even a full day-trip if you want to hang around the town.
We took tram #29 which leaves from the Old Town and drops you off in the heart of Devin Village. We got on at “Most SNP” which is the bus stop under the New Bridge.
During high season, there’s also a boat that runs from Bratislava to Devin and back. We missed that by just a few weeks, but I can imagine how nice it would be to leisurely cruise the Danube River to reach the castle.
You can check the river cruise schedule here.
Visiting Devin Castle
Once we reached the town of Devin, we could see the castle sitting on a rocky outcrop looking down over the city, so it was just a matter of walking in that direction.
Admission to the castle was 4 Euros per person – cash only.
I should also mention that the castle is only open from April to October (10:00 – 16:30), though during the summer season, which runs from May to September, it has extended hours (10:00 – 17:30).
Once we had paid the entrance fee, we began the walk uphill towards the castle. Along the way there were pastures with grazing sheep and donkeys, so we stopped to say hello to them! The sheep seemed a little disinterested but there was one donkey who came right up to us for pets and basically made my day.
Once we reached the castle we were treated to beautiful views of the surrounding area.
On one side we had views of the town with vineyards, church steeples and rooftops, and on the other side, we could see the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers, with Austria just across.
They say that on a clear day, you can even see as far as Hungary!
After enjoying the views from the top, we checked out an exhibition inside the castle, set in what felt like a cave-like dungeon – a pretty cool spot, if you ask me! The exhibition was called “Architectural Development of Devin Castle” and it showcased a wide range of artefacts dating between the 11th and 19th centuries.
Then, we just enjoyed walking around the grounds, soaking in the scenery, and snapping a few photos.
And that was pretty much our visit – short and sweet, bus as you can see, super easy to plan if you’re already in Bratislava.
It was pretty windy on the day we visited, plus a lot of the surrounding attractions were closed for the season, so that’s part of the reason we only spent a few hours there.
However, if you were to visit during summer, you’d also be able to enjoy the nearby vineyards, small museums, and restaurants serving up Slovak dishes. So if you’re thinking of turning Devin Castle into a full-day trip, that’s certainly enough to do!
Hey Audrey, this is an exceptional day trip idea! Too bad I haven’t read your post before going to Slovakia and missed this castle. I guess I have one more reason to head back there!
I love when I visit a place and there are very few people, I love that feel of history all to myself!
This whole area looks so beautiful, when I visit castles, I’m always aware of how different they smell. That very old smell. You can smell the age, so hard to explain unless you have experienced it! This was a great post! I can’t wait to visit this part of the World. Tammy
This sounds like a great day trip idea! Would have to do this when I’m in Bratislava