Bratislava Castle is the most famous landmark in Slovakia.

The origins of Bratislava Castle date back to the 9^th century when it was built as a stone fortification on a hill above the Danube River. Since then the castle has been reconstructed and expanded many times over the centuries. In 1811 the castle was destroyed in a fire and remained in ruins until 1953 when the current restoration began. The restoration was not complete until 1968 but the castle is now a symbol of the city that proudly stands on the hill above Danube River overlooking the Capital.

Castle’s Palace

Bratislava Castle is outlined by four sides with an opening on part of the south wall with a grassed courtyard. The palace portion is defined by four turrets, one on each corner of the palace’s exterior walls.

Entrance Gates

There are three entrance gates into the castle grounds. These are the Vienna Gate, Sigismund’s Gate and Leopold’s Gate. The gates are white with three entrances, a large entrance in the center and two smaller entrances on each side. The area in front of the castle is called the Yard of Honor.

Palace Towers

The Bratislava Castle appears to have four turrets, one on each corner but there is actually only one authentic turret located on the southwest corner. The others are simulated turrets built on the roof.

Palace Garden

The palace garden is a Baroque style garden located on the north side of the palace.

Castle grounds statues

There are two notable statues located in the castle grounds. The first and most prominent is of King Svatopluk riding a horse with sword raised. This statue is located in front of the palace entrance.

The other notable statue is of Saints Cyril, Methodius and Gorazda. This statue is located just outside the palace garden.

Castle view of the Danube River

The Bratislava Castle is located on the hilltop above the Danube River and there is a really nice view of the river from the castle wall. The view features high rise building, bridges including the UFO Bridge.

Danube River view of the castle

The castle provides a nice view of the river but the Danube River also provides a nice view of Bratislava Castle which can be seen in the final two photos.

The Dust on My Shoes

Bratislava Castle is an imposing structure standing on the hilltop along the banks of the Danube River. The entrance gate is impressive and the Baroque style garden is nice but the most impressive part of the castle is the view from the top of the castle walls.

The castle grounds are nice and there are a couple of interesting statues to see. Overall it is a nice place to visit and there is no fee to go into the castle grounds. Any visit to Bratislava should include visiting the castle.

Europe is loaded with castles to see but they are unusual for me so I always visit a castle when it is convenient. Castles are always unique and I never get tired of seeing these spectacular places.

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