DEVÍN CASTLE (HRAD DEVÍN)

The castle of Devín, which stands on a sublime site overlooking the confluence of the Danube and the Morava rivers, has distant origins. Excavations have revealed a human presence as early as the Stone Age, between the^5th and 4th millennia BC. In the Bronze Age, around 1500 BC, a first fortified site was raised by the Maďarovce civilization. Archaeological excavations seem to prove an uninterrupted occupation of the site, In the Roman period, Devín formed an integral part of the defensive fortifications of the Empire. Devín was later occupied by various barbarian tribes. The archaeological evidence of the arrival of the Slavs dates from the 7th century. The foundations of a church from the 9th century and some traces of a cemetery remain from this period, the period of the Great Slavonic Moravia. The first medieval fortifications of the castle date from the 13th century. The ruins of the highest tower of the castle remain today. In the 15th century, under the control of aristocratic families, the castle was enlarged in its upper part and then extended in its middle and lower part, to provide for its military defense functions. In the 17th century, the castle passed into the hands of the famous Hungarian aristocratic family of Pálffy. The castle was later demolished by Napoleon's army. Today, only beautiful ruins remain. A visit to the castle is a pleasant walk outside the city.