How to get to Devin Castle
By: Daniel Sukup
There are several ways to get to the famous Devin Castle from Bratislava. In the past, the castle was part of the village of Devin. As the years went on, the village was "absorbed" by the city of Bratislava. This has made it easier for visitors to get to the castle from the capital city.
Car
People that are used to comfortable ways of traveling and do not plan to enjoy alcoholic beverages on the way, can travel by car. If you plan to drive to the castle by a car, you should head toward Karlova Ves and turn onto Devinska cesta. It will lead you directly to the castle. If you are new to driving in Slovakia, we recommend our Slovak rules of the road.
Bus
There´s good news for those, who enjoy traveling by public transportation. Bratislava offers a bus line to Devin. So here are several options on getting to the castle, depending on the place you travel from:
Under the New Bridge (Novy Most): The easiest way to get to Devin by bus is to start from under the New Bridge, which bisects the Old Town and is easily walkable from any part of the Old Town. Take bus 29 to it´s end stop. The trip will last about 30 minutes.
Main train station – Take bus 32 and go to the Botanicka zahrada stop. Then take bus 29 and go to the last stop – Hrad Devin. The journey should take no more than 32 minutes.
Main bus station – Take bus 70 to its terminal at Novy Most and get on number 29, as shown in the directions above. It should take about 25 minutes.
Bratislava Airport – Take bus 61 to the Zimny stadion stop. Take bus no. 39 to Lafranconi stop. Take bus no. 29 to its terminal at Hrad Devin and you are there. It should take about 1 hour.
If you are new to bus travel in Bratislava, we recommend our guide to using the bus in Bratislava.
Boat
For the bon vivant that likes something special there is another way to travel. There is a special boat in Bratislava that leaves for Devin twice a day from Fajnorovo nabrezie, along the Danube River next to the Slovak National Museum. This link has prices and schedules from Bratislava to Devin.
Bratislava guide article on boat travel.
Hiking
If the weather is nice, hiking to a castle can be a pleasant experience. Take a bus no. 83 to Zatevna stop. Walk about 10 minutes to the old church. When you arrive, follow the yellow marked hiking path and in about two hours you will be able to take a deep breath at the "courtyard" of Devin Castle. On the hike, you will go through Devinska Kobyla down to the Devin village and then from the village to the castle. If you enjoy hiking, take a look at guide to hiking around Bratislava.
It doesn't matter which way you choose, Devin Castle is definitely worth seeing.
Daniel Sukup is a writer living and working in Bratislava, Slovakia.