Bratislavský hrad
Step back in time and explore a pivotal site of Bratislava Castle from the Great Moravian period! In the 9th century, the location of Bratislava Castle was home to a fortified Slavic fortress and a three-nave basilica, making it a crucial ecclesiastical and administrative center. Today, visitors can marvel at a replica of the Great Moravian basilica remains on the upper eastern terrace. Don’t miss this captivating journey into history!
Discover the fascinating history of one of the largest Great Moravian churches, a Romanesque sacral building dating back to the late 9th century. Constructed using stones and bricks repurposed from an earlier Roman structure, marked by the XIVth Roman Legion, this basilica was a marvel of its time. Although it likely vanished in the early 10th century, its existence was only uncovered in 1965. While visiting Bratislava Castle, enjoy breathtaking views of St. Martin’s Cathedral, the old town, the Danube River, and the Slovak-Austrian-Hungarian border triangle. The castle, a national cultural monument and the seat of state representation, houses the Historical Museum of the Slovak National Museum. Here, you can explore permanent and current exhibitions that delve into Slovakia’s rich history, the Celts in Slovakia, and the architectural evolution of Bratislava Castle. Plan your visit to Bratislava Castle and immerse yourself in the captivating stories and historical treasures of Slovakia.
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Filmed about the Castle
Informácie z histórie
HISTORY OF THE BRATISLAVA CASTLE
Discover a site steeped in history, continuously fortified since the 9th century! This medieval castle, originally a Great Moravian hill fort, was magnificently transformed in the early 15th century by Sigismund of Luxembourg. Its current stunning appearance stems from the Theresian reconstruction of the mid-18th century, with a meticulous restoration completed between 1956 and 1968. Explore the layers of history and architectural brilliance that make this castle a must-visit destination!
History of Bratislava Castle
The dominant feature of the capital, Bratislava Castle, rises on a hill above the old town and provides a magnificent view. The castle hillside was already inhabited in the late Stone Age. Recent archaeological research here has uncovered the most representative Roman building in a Celtic setting from the first century BC north of the Alps. The discovery of gold coins bearing the names of Biatec and Nonos, the first Celtic princes in the area, confirmed the existence of a royal residence. The castle is also closely associated with Maria Theresa. After her coronation as Queen of Hungary in June 1741, she stayed here until December and returned repeatedly. Later, she had it rebuilt into a representative Baroque residence and the castle served as the residence of her daughter Maria Christina and her husband, the Elector Albert of Saxe-Tessen, who was a well-known art enthusiast and concentrated many of his works in Bratislava Castle. He later transferred them to Vienna and many of them are still part of the art collections of the world-famous Albertina.
Slavic hillfort
The turn of the 5th and 6th centuries marked the beginning of the Slavic settlement of this locality. The first inhabitants first occupied sites where the remains of older dwellings and fortifications were prominent. They secured the acropolis of the castle hill as well as the nearby hill of the castle rock above today’s Devín with a system of fortified settlements. We learn from military reports about the names of both systems -Dowina and Brezalauspurch. The location of the settlement on the Bratislava castle hill controlling the crossing trade routes and the Danube ford was very advantageous. It can be said that there was a well-fortified centre with log dwellings, a palace (it was a two-room building built on the top platform of the castle area), a pre-Romanesque three-aisle basilica, a cemetery and farm buildings from the first half of the 9th century. The fortification, still wooden (documented width of the wall 4.5 m, height 1.6-2 m), delimited an area of about 300×200 metres and, with a few necessary modifications, lasted in this form until the end of the 14th century, when it was replaced by stone Gothic walls.
The results of archaeological research with numerous evidences of advanced Great Moravian material culture (buttons, ornaments, pottery) show that this Slavic fortress exceeded the character of a frontier fortress in its architecture and function. One of the most important finds from the Great Moravian period are the remains of a church building from the 9th century on the eastern terrace of the castle. The fact that it was a sacral building is evidenced by its layout; its eastern orientation and the burial ground that was located near it.
On the basis of these findings, Bratislava Castle can be considered an important Great Moravian fortress in the 9th century – the religious and secular centre of the wider area. It housed a princely retinue and a church dignitary. The importance of the fortress is also reflected in the fact that its name Brezalauspurch appeared in the Salzburg annals of 907 in connection with the battle of 4 July 907, in which the Bavarian armies were defeated by the Old Hungarians. Before that, however, the original function of the fortress within the administrative structure of Great Moravia had already disappeared. The castle regained its significance in the 11th century, when it became a Komitat castle and the seat of the royal family.
Kde získať turistické informácie?
Kontakt
Hradisko spravuje Balneologické múzeum v Piešťanoch.
SNM-Historical Museum
Vajanského nábrežie 2, P. O. Box 13, 810 06 Bratislava 16, Slovakia
tel. +421 0915 99 33 01
e-mail: bratislavskyhrad@snm.sk
web: www.snm.sk
Office of the National Council of the Slovak Republic
Námestie Alexandra Dubčeka 1, 812 80 Bratislava 1, Slovakia
tel. +421 2 5972 2463
e-mail: info@nrsr.sk
web: www.nrsr.sk
How to get to the castle?
A walk to the castle is now part of every excursion route in Bratislava. Most often it starts from St. Martin’s Cathedral, from which we walk under the New Bridge to the other side of the busy road and climb the Castle Steps to the Sigmund Gate. Motorists most often head to the castle via Palisády Street, which leads to the castle car park and enter the castle grounds on foot through the Vienna Gate. If you go by public transport, get off at the Hrad or Zámocká stop – trolleybus line no. 203 or 207
Tipy na ubytovanie?
- Schondorf Hostel, Obchodna 48, Bratislava 811 06, Slovakia
- CHORS like a hotel, Obchodná 43, 811 06 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Hyde Park Hostel, Obchodna 53, 811 06 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Wild Elephants Hostel, Františkánske námestie 8, second floor, 811 01 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Hostel Folks, Obchodná 2, 811 06 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Hostel Folks, Obchodná 2, 811 06 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Hostel Old Town, Zamocka 24-26, 81101 Bratislava, Slovakia