The Most Beautiful Castles of Western Slovakia

Itinerary

This tour will lead us into the history of the western part of Slovakia. We will visit historic town of Trencin, well-preserved ruins of Beckov castle, romantic Smolenice castle and nearby Cerveny Kamen castle with rich furniture and artifact exhibition. We cannot omit mighty Devin castle and Slovak symbol - Bratislava castle.

Based on your request, the tour can be arranged for 3 days or more.

1. Day 1 Arrival in Bratislava, Slovakia.

   - Arrival in Bratislava
   - Accommodation

2. Day 2 Visit Trencin castle and Beckov castle.

   - Breakfast
   - Trencin castle visit
   - Beckov castle ruins visit
   
   We will visit Trencin castle, which is among the most interesting attractions located in the valley of river Vah. The castle towers above Trencin town. Its history is dated as far as the Roman Empire, the proof is an inscription on the castle rock that announces the victory of the second Roman legion over the Germans in 179 A.D. at Laugaricio (Latin name of Trencin).
   
   We will also visit the ruins of Beckov castle that was built in the 13th century. The castle is located on the top of a large rock formation that is used for rock climbing as well. The acoustics of the ruins is quite unique, therefore various musical events are organized here.

3. Day 3 Visit Smolenice castle and Cerveny Kamen castle.

   - Breakfast
   - Smolenice castle visit
   - Cerveny Kamen castle visit
   
   The castle in Smolenice was built during the time of rich constructional activities of the Palffy family in 1864. Inspired by the study of the European historical architecture, the new castle is built in romantic style.
   
   Cerveny Kamen castle, the most beautiful castle in the Little Carpathians situated just 40 km from Bratislava, is one of the best preserved Slovak castles. In the 16th century it was rebuilt into quite large fortress with a fortification system that was one of the top military defensive systems of its time.

4. Day 4 Visit Bratislava castle and Devin castle. Afternoon farewell.

   - Breakfast
   - Bratislava castle visit
   - Devin castle ruins visit
   - End of the tour
   
   Bratislava Castle dominates the center of Bratislava city and its four towers became symbol of the city. The castle hill was inhabited from neolithic Hallstadt and Roman era. It reached its highest importance during the reign of Austro-Hungarian Queen Maria Theresa. In 1761-66 the fortress was rebuilt into a typical royal residence. Today, after reconstruction, the castle shelters a historical part of the Slovak National Museum.
   
   Devin castle ruins tower over the confluence of the rivers Danube and Morava.The fortress, used as a watchtower by the Slavonic count Rastislav Dovina, was mentioned in the manuscripts as early as the 9th century AD. After the fall of the Great Moravian Empire of the ancient Slavs, the Devin fortress became an important strategic fortification of the Hungarian Kingdom. As early as in the 13th century, a smaller building with a tower (foundation of a later castle) was situated at the top of rocky hill. In 1809, advancing Napoleon troops destroyed the fortress. Since 1965 an archaeological research has been carried out in the castle area. The castle ruins have been partially reconstructed under auspices of the Municipal Museum in Bratislava.

Overview