Out of all the castles we visited during our trip, Devin Castle (Hrad Devin) would have to come very close to being my favourite. Perhaps this is because rather than a huge palace full of period furniture, costumes, tour guides and claustrophobic tour groups, Devin Castle is a ruin. A short bus trip from Bratislava (catch the bus at the big interchange under the highway between the Old Town and Bratislava Castle) gets you out to Devin, a small village about 10kms from Bratislava.

Before entering the castle grounds we walked around the perimeter of the grounds. The ruins overlook the meeting place of the Danube and Morava rivers, and has historical significance from a more recent age. We were informed that the building below the castle (on the river side) was used as a look-out for guards watching for people trying to escape the communist east, across the river into Austria. This area of Slovakia has had a turbulent past, and beyond the perimeter of the castle is a monument to those who tried to escape during the Cold War. The pock-marked symbolic gate with its twisted metal iron gate stands out against the backdrop of the rivers, remembering those who went there hoping to make it across the river.

Entering the castle grounds (after paying the entry fee), on the hillside beside the path, there is a large timber shelter which houses some roman ruins which were excavated recently. The site of the castle is one of the most archeologically significant sites in Slovakia. There are other areas of the castle grounds where ruins from other eras are visible, alongside signs explaining the era and what the ruins are. Napoleon’s troops blew up the castle in 1809, so we have him to thank for having such cool ruins to walk around..

Now unlike a lot of other castles, at Devin you’re allowed to actually wander the ruins quite freely (what WHS?). Being a bit of a history buff, I loved the chance to walk around such an old structure. Parts of the castle have been reconstructed, and there are two exhibitions within the actual castle, describing some of the history. From the top of the castle there is a wonderful view back over Devin, and east into Austria. We spent the whole afternoon here, taking lots of photos of these very cool ruins.