These articles were published in the Spectacular Slovakia travel guide, published annually by The Slovak Spectator since 1996. The latest editions can be obtained from our online shop.

Devín

Ruins by Napoleon

By Chris Togneri

	photo: Ján Svrček

For centuries, Devín Castle had been a nearly impenetrable citadel, firmly rooted into a cliff high above the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers. First fortified in the older Stone Age, it endured through Celtic settlements, became a major military fortress of Great Moravia, and was key in the struggle against the expansion of the Frankish Empire.

Then Napoleon arrived. He and his troublesome troops captured the stronghold in 1809 and, before moving on to further conquests, blew up the castle.

While Napoleon apparently saw no use for Devín, generations of Slovaks have since adopted the still magnificent ruin as an important cultural site. In 1836, Ľudovít Štúr led a group of students up the castle hill where he announced their plans to promote the Slovak nation and its struggle for self-determination. In 1945, after German occupation during World War II, Slovakia reclaimed the town and named the ruin a national cultural monument. Today, Devín is the most accessible of the country's great ruins, lying just 12 kilometres from the Bratislava Old Town.

Enter through the main gate, where a 40 crown fee is required. A footpath leads up the hill past a wooden shelter on the right which houses the ruins of a Roman settlement. The path climbs higher, winding around to a wooden draw bridge and the main courtyard. From here, visitors can enter a small museum and peruse the assorted archaeological findings from the castle grounds.

	photo: Ján Svrček

Just outside the museum is the castle well. A bucket of water and a tin cup has been left nearby, allowing visitors to gauge for themselves the depth. Scoop up a cup, pour into the deep darkness and wait for the sound of the water striking bottom over five seconds later.

From the upper deck are fantastic views, especially of the lonely trademark tower balanced on the jagged cliff below. Across the river are the farmlands of Austria and the small town of Hainburg, four kilometres away as the crow flies. A set of stairs leads down into the castle's innards, revealing a dank dungeon of a room, the perfect prison cell or torture chamber.

Leaving the castle grounds, follow the footpath approaching the rivers' confluence. In the summer, the route is brimming with bikers, strolling couples and kids on rollerblades.

Past the solitary Devín tower is a derelict eyesore of a building. Locals claim that under Communism the building was manned by armed border guards charged with preventing Slovaks from escaping across the river and into Austria. According to the Slovak Justice Ministry, some 300 people were shot dead from 1945 to 1989 trying to escape to the West.

Continue along the path and you'll arrive at a few outdoor pubs and restaurants huddled along the Danube. One restaurant, called U zlého námorníka (At the Bad Sailor), is worth a visit for its unique furniture. Made by Devín resident Peter Strassner, the sturdy furniture has become a hit at several pubs in Bratislava. Strassner says his works are designed with human or animal attributes, which explains why they include abstract antlers, ears, tongues and phalluses.

Devín can be reached from Bratislava by foot, a two-hour hike on the yellow trail from the Bratislava suburb of Dúbravka.

See also:

• Devín travel tips (Spectacular Slovakia 2001)

Make your comment to the article...