Devin Castle Bratislava: Is It Worth Visiting? [Plus Prices & How to Get There]
Devin Castle Bratislava is a stunning landmark just outside of Slovakia’s capital. While not in the city (it’s some 40 minutes by bus to get there from Bratislava’s center), it is a castle that’s worth visiting for sure!
I recently spent some time in Bratislava – which is absolutely love and HIGHLY underrated, and dedicated an afternoon to the Devin Castle Bratislava, which came off naturally after my visit to Prague just a few days before.
It’s perched on a cliff, overlooking the Danube. It’s a fantastic place to get some good travel photos and make some memories. And today, I’m here to share everything you need to know about visiting the Devin Castle here.
First off, let’s talk about getting there, because Bratislava isn’t the pinnacle of the world when it comes to public transit.
Quite often, trams don’t come to stops they’re supposed to, or show up at a stop they’re not scheduled. It really makes no sense, and the English on the public transit maps is a bit lacking.
So here’s the deal on how to get to the castle.
How to Get to Devin Castle Bratislava from the City
Assuming you want to get via public transportation, you start by heading to the UFO Bridge near the Danube River. On the left hand side (near the convenience store) of the station Most SNP, you’ll look for BUS NUMBER 29.
It comes every thirty minutes and take about 40 minutes or so to get the castle. It’s the last station of the bus, called Devin. From there, it’s a short walk to this impressive castle.
Alternatively, you can take a taxi or a choose a ride-sharing app like Uber or Bolt. Most taxis here are signed up to either Uber or Bolt, so price-wise it will be the same.
Of course, it’s cheaper to go there by bus, but it’s slower. By Taxi, you reduce your time by at least 20 minutes.
It’s really quite simple to take the bus and it’s probably the easier option in the majority of cases, though.
What To Do at Devin Castle Bratislava
Once you’re there, there isn’t a whole lot of specific things to do. You can obviously wander around the grounds and enjoy the sights.
The entire place is filled with history and it’s HUGE. You will get a nice travel back in time here, being able to imagine how people used to live back in the day. You will also be able to appreciate it’s strategical location, right on the Danube river.
Take a look at some of the pictures that I took during my trip to Devin Castle. I am sure the place looks a lot better during the warmer months, when the grass is green (and it’s not so freaking cold):
You’ll find a few historical sites on the castle grounds, and some friendly animals! And trust me when I say that the photos I took above bring no justice to this place, which feels a ton more impressive when you’re there. (I visited several years ago and both my camera and my photo shooting skills were lacking a lot).
There are also some wonderful cafes and restaurants that you can check out after enjoying the day exploring the castle. We had a fantastic meal and tea in the hotel that’s right at the base of the castle.
How much does it cost to visit Devin Castle?
It’s three Euros to get access to the castle grounds itself, as an adult. Children pay half that price and a family ticket (2 adults + 1 child under 14) is 6 Euros.
Please have some extra, as prices might change after I publish this article. But I expect it to be fairly cheap and totally worth it!
The castle’s operating hours are 10 – 18 each day, except for Mondays. Over the weekend, during the summer season, you can visit the castle until 19:00 (7PM).
IMPORTANT: Have in mind that you can’t visit the castle on Mondays. You can still get there and see it from the outside, but it’s better to choose a different day in order to actually visit it.
Things to know about Devin Castle
I consider this “the boring stuff” so I left this for later on in the article, as you may be interested just in some photos and the details I shared above.
But you shouldn’t visit a place without knowing what it is – especially when talking about castle!
The Devin Castle is actually one of extreme importance for Europe and the world itself, because it is considered a main element that helped Christianity spread all over Europe.
Since it was located in a perfect area, where three countries shared a border (today’s Austria, Hungary and Slovakia), it was chosen as the home base by Cyril and Methodius who launched their missionary campaigns from here, spreading Christianity to the world.
It’s location also made it an important trading hub as many important routes in the region passed through the area.
And fortunately, despite many kings of the past trying to destroy it, it managed to stand the tests of time (and attacks) and can still be visited today.
Yes, you might want end up in Bratislava hoping to meet an amazing Slovakian woman (or a man) but you have to pay attention to the attractions too and this one – even though a bit more difficult to get to than those located right in the city, is worth it!
Conclusion
While you can spend an entire day at the castle, it would be hard to do and it would include lots of downtime. Personally, I would recommend building it into a half of a day, and work a nice lunch and coffee in to your little day trip.
Devin Castle is definitely worth a visit while you’re in Bratislava. Make sure to leave a comment below and let us all know what your experience in Bratislava was!
