Devin castle - Driny cave - Cachtice castle

Route: Bratislava - Devin castle - Driny cave - Cachtice castle - Bratislava
Duration: 9 h
Our first stop in this tour we will make at the Devín Castle which is set in beautiful natural scenery. Built on the top of a high crag, it towers over the small village of Devín and the confluence of the Danube and the Morava rivers which form the border with Austria. Devín Castle standing on a massive rock hill above the confluence of the Danube and Morava is an unusually impressive landmark. It is part of the oldest history of Slovakia. Its ground plan is very irregular. Today we enter the castle through the western Moravian Gate. The southern gate protected by a pair of semicircular bastions was built in the 15th century on an older Great Moravian rampart. There you will see and know about  a precious archaeological monument from the Roman period of Devíns history, see where a Great Moravian church stood in the 9th century or the Gothic Garay palace with two stories was built and the Renaissance palace which fortifications were added in the 16th century. Also you will see the 55 metres deep castle well is on the courtyard of the middle castle. Near the well is also a terrace with view of the abandoned amphitheatre, the Danube and the mountain Braunsberg in Austria.  In the wonderful setting above the bicolour confluence of the Danube and Morava, you can see elegant tower with battlements stands out. It is the Virgin tower. A bridge over a moat and stairs lead to the top platform with remnants of a guard tower from the 13th century rebuilt in the 15th century with panoramic view of the surroundings. Next we will visit to the Driny cave is the only cave open to public in the south-west of Slovakia. There lies a charming underground world full of peculiar stalactites and atmospheric ponds.The phenomenon called ”the sinter curtains” deserves special attention. The most beautiful dripstone form of this cave is called the Elephants Ears. The name obviously suggests its shape. Next we will visit to ruins of the “mysterious castle in the Karpaty mountains” tower above the village Čachtice in western Slovakia. It is the Castle of Čachtice, was once residence of the “bloody countess Elizabeth Bátory”. The castle was one of the boundary royal castles defending the western border of the Kingdom of Hungary. It was built in the first half of the 13th century and widened in the 15th century. Ill-famed Elizabeth Báthory lived here at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. For her sadist habits she was called ”the bloody countess”. She allegedly killed 600 young girls bathed in their blood in order to stay forever young and beautiful. The gadget used by the countess to obtain blood was a kind of iron maiden with knives incorporated in its lid. Once the unfortunate victim was laid in and the lid closed, the knives pierced her chest and the blood was collected in the prepared tub. The story of the bloody countess became subject of numerous literary or theatre works. Today its picturesque ruins offer a nice panoramic view. After we return to Bratislava.
Price: per person