Monumental Bratislava Castle, a Must See in Slovakia

We debated a lot while preparing the itinerary for Europe, whether Bratislava in Slovakia is worth visiting and including in trip plan. Is Bratislava safe for tourists? We were equally concerned about it. But reading about Bratislava city’s art, architecture, and history in addition to being surrounded by natural beauty of River Danube we decided to add the city to our trip plan.

The drive to Bratislava, Slovakia was a swift one. It took one and half hour by road from Vienna. The first place we targeted to see was monumental Bratislava Castle of Slovakia. The milky white fairy tale like castle is the most impressive and prominent symbol of Bratislava.

Not all the 4 towers of the main Castle are of same height. South-west corner one is the tallest and is named Crown Tower. I had read up that from the observatory here you can get a beautiful view of Bratislava city, Danube River and Austria.

milky white fairy tale like castle of bratislava

Bratislava Castle History

The castle is located on a hill above the old town. Evidences found here point to the presence of human race. First known inhabitants were the Celts, who founded a fortified settlement here called ‘Oppidum’.

Let us see how the present structure of the castle took shape over the centuries

9th century – The first written reference to the city appears in the Annals of Salzburg
11th century – A stone palace and the church of St Saviour and its chapter were built on the castle hill.
15th century – During the reign of Sigismund of Luxembourg, a castle was built in Gothic style.
16th century – King Ferdinand ordered the rebuilding of the castle in the Renaissance style
17th century – the castle became the seat of hereditary provincial chief, Pálffy, it was rebuilt in the Baroque style.

Monumental Bratislava Castle Slovakia

Monumental Bratislava Castle Slovakia

A snow white rectangular structure perched on a small hill, it was visible from miles away as we were entering the city. There is no parking facility around so we had to park our car downhill and walk up along the marked path to reach Bratislava Castle. There are 4 entrance gates to the Castle. A walk up to the castle through the streets of old town is most rewarding in terms of sights.

walk through narrow old hidden streets of the Old Town of Bratislava

Though the streets weren’t crowded and we saw very few locals around, we felt completely safe in the streets of Bratislava. I was on a clicking spree. See more pictures of graffiti/wall art that I captured during walking tour of Bratislava – Street Art on Walls of Bratislava. Also see the bronze statues we went searching for in the old town.

graffiti old town bratislava slovakia

Graffiti old town Bratislava Slovakia

The area in front of the Castle carries is named Yard of Honor. On either side you will see 2 triumphal gates and guard houses of the imperial guard.

triumphal gate of castle of bratislava

Triumphal gate of castle of Bratislava

This castle was devastated by fire in 1811, today’s version is the rebuilt form of the castle during 1953 to 1968. We walked up getting glorious views of Danube river flowing down beside the hill.

Our thrill died down soon because the castle was closed for further renovation. Unfortunately during our planning phase we came across no such information about the castle being closed for renovation. The museum too was closed. A sprawling green lawn studded with benches and standing lamps in the surrounding area gives the park a relaxing romantic atmosphere. Other tourists too were disappointed and wandered on the lawns, lined along the edge of the wall for stunning panoramic views.

Facade of the castle in Bratislava

Facade of the monumental Bratislava castle in Slovakia

Since 1968 the castle houses collections of the Slovak National Museum. The most attractive objects in the SNM-Historical Museum are goldsmith and silversmith works.

King Svatopluk Statue at Bratislava Castle.

King Svatopluk Statue at Bratislava Castle.

Danube River from Castle

panoramic views from Castle

We had crossed Novy Most-New bridge during the road trip. Read about the new bridge here –> Novy Most Slovakia

View of novy-most-new-bridge-slovakia

View of Novy Most-New bridge Slovakia

Bratislava Castle Opening Hours

Winters: November to March – open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM, last entry at 4 PM
Summers: April to October – open daily from 10 AM to 6 PM, last entry at 5 PM

Bratislava Castle ticket price: 6 EUR. You can enter free with Bratislava Card.

Conclusion

By end of tour of Bratislava we were amazed at the varied contrasting sights we got to see – the city still had its old pavements and gates while being home to ultra modern UFO like restaurant. It had quirky bronze statues and also the statues of Ice Hockey players. It was a rewarding trip in terms of the sights we got to see.

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