Devin and the Sand Hills of Devin

Devin Castle cannot be compared with Bratislava Castle, and yet today they have things in common. Both castles are regarded as the most important and historically significant castles in Slovakia. Bratislava Castle and Devin Castle are also important sights in Bratislava (German: Pressburg). The settlement once associated with Devin Castle is now a district of Bratislava.

For many visitors to Slovakia, however, Devin means much more than just Devin Castle. It is hard to deny that Devin is in the Carpathians, given its geography. Devin surprises visitors with Devínska Kobyla, the hills of Devin, in a truly impressive way, reaching its crowning glory in the Sand Hills within the Devínska Kobyla National Nature Reserve. But first, let’s take things in order. Devin, Devin Castle (known in German as Theben), and the Slovak nature reserve can be reached via the well-maintained and extensive bus and rail network of the Region Bratislava. Of course, Devin can also be included in a cycling tour through the countryside around Bratislava or through the Carpathians. You can also book a Danube river cruise that passes Devin Castle. Devin is considered the cradle of Slovakia. Believe it or not, the Limes—the border of the Roman Empire—marked the first traces of human civilization in what is now Slovakia. It was not until several centuries later that the Slavs settled the land and founded Devin, now a popular destination for excursions in Slovakia. Devin is situated barely 2 km upstream from Bratislava, where the Danube and Morava rivers meet. Devin Castle is now only a ruin, but the climb up to it is well worth it. According to some Slovak travel guides, on a clear day you can see as far as the Vienna Woods. The Sand Hills in Devínska Kobyla are only moments away from Devin Castle. Since 1965, the Devínska Kobyla area has been a protected landscape. Its secret lies in its forest-steppe landscape, home to a variety of unique fungi, mosses and lichens, as well as remnants of oak forests. But the Sand Hills of Devin offer an impressive and truly unique natural spectacle. They are remnants of rock formations from the Tertiary period. The Sand Hills of Devin date back at least 14 to 16 million years. That is the estimated age of the fossils revealed in their cross-section.

Although Devin and Devínska Kobyla are part of Bratislava, here you enter a world far removed from business, commerce and the city. Experiencing nature, human history, and the history of the Earth’s formation in and around Devin are all reasons to take a short trip, go on an excursion, or even spend a holiday in Devin, Slovakia.