TOUR 3: Sandberg and Devin – Prehistoric and Ancient Bratislava

Highlights

Historical Palisady street, Bratislava Castle, The Jewish Quarter & St. Martin’s Cathedral
Protected prehistoric site Sandberg
Hike through the former seabed and the protected national nature reserve of Devinska Kobyla providing wonderful views of Devin Castle, the surrounding countryside and the hills of Austria
Devin Castle, The very best views from the castle
Unique currant wine tasting

Overview

TOUR PICK UP IN FRONT OF YOUR HOTEL / ARRANGED POINT IN BRATISLAVA

Individual tour arrangements including private car/bus transport for groups can be agreed over the email. The tour lasts 8 hours approximately. You will need to print your tour confirmation to show it to your tour guide. If you do not manage to print your tour confirmation bring it in an electronic form (phone, tablet, etc.) please.

COMING TO JOIN THIS TOUR FROM VIENNA?

Perfect choice! Train or bus journey from Vienna to Bratislava takes only about 1 hour, the trains and buses run to Bratislava and back to Vienna every hour so do join this excellent tour!

To help you decide how to get to/from Bratislava, here are some chosen local public transport connections:

Trains

Leaving Vienna (Hauptbahnhof)	Arriving at Bratislava main train station (Hlavna Stanica)
05:16	06:22
06:16	07:22
07:16	08:22
08:16	09:22
09:16	10:22
10:16	11:22
11:16	12:22
12:16	13:22
13:16	14:22

Leaving Bratislava main train station (Hlavna Stanica)	Arriving in Vienna (Hauptbahnhof)
13:38	14:43
14:38	15:43
15:38	16:43
16:38	17:43
17:38	18:43
18:38	19:43
20:38	21:43
22:38	23:43

Buses (Regiojet)

Leaving Vienna (Busterminal Stadioncenter, Engerthstrasse 242-244)	Arriving at AS Mlynske Nivy in Bratislava
06:25	08:00
07:25	09:00
08:25	10:00
09:25	11:00
10:25	12:00
11:25	13:00
12:25	14:00
13:25	15:00

Leaving AS Mlynske Nivy, Bratislava	Arriving in Vienna (Busterminal Stadioncenter, Engerthstrasse 242-244)
12:30	13:55
13:30	14:55
14:30	15:55
15:30	16:55
16:20	17:45
17:30	18:55
18:30	19:55
19:30	20:55

Buses (Blaguss)

Leaving Vienna (VIB, Erdbergstrasse 200/A)	Arriving in Bratislava (Most SNP)
06:00	07:05
08:30	09:35
09:15	10:20
10:30	11:35
11:30	12:35
13:30	14:35
14:30	15:35
16:30	17:35

Leaving Bratislava (Most SNP)	Arriving in Vienna (VIB, Erdbergstrasse 200/A)
12:00	13:00
13:00	14:00
14:00	15:00
16:05	17:05
17:05	18:05
19:00	20:00
20:30	21:30
21:30	22:30
23:00	00:00

PREHISTORIC AND ANCIENT BEAUTIES OF BRATISLAVA

This tour takes you to the top of the hills of the south-west Little Carpathians. After enjoying the fantastic views of the City from Bratislava castle, we will walk along the prehistoric massif of Sandberg and through the protected woods of Devinska Kobyla (Devin Mare) to ancient Devin castle ruin, one of the most popular tourist attractions around Bratislava lying at the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers.

Tour Itinerary

BRATISLAVA CASTLE

Bratislava castle is an age-long symbol and dominant feature of the city of Bratislava, standing at the strategic hill site 85m above the Danube River. It has its eventful and fascinating history. The site was inhabited as far back as in Celtic, Roman and Great Moravian times. Moving along the castle pathways you will love the superb panoramic views of the city, the Danube River, even the hills of Austria.

THE JEWISH QUARTER & ST. MARTIN’S CATHEDRAL

Now we will walk down the castle hill, formerly the area of serf settlements surrounding and serving the castle. We will see the Rococo Good Shepherd’s House – one of the narrowest and the most charming houses in Bratislava and get to the former Jewish Quarter. The quarter was controlled by the Castle and was the only place where Jews were allowed to live until 1840. Here you will get a great view of St. Martin’s Cathedral, a 15th century Gothic church in which 11 Hungarian kings and 8 queens were crowned between 1536 and 1830 when Pressburg was the capital and coronation town of the Austro-Hungarian Kingdom.

PROTECTED PREHISTORIC SITE SANDBERG

Sandberg is a really unique prehistoric site on the outskirts of Bratislava where there was a shallow seabed 150 million years ago. A lot of sea animal fossils were found here – shark and whale jaws, carapaces, but also fossils of Tertiary animals – bones of rhinoceros, antelopes, cave bears or anthropoid apes. See the massifs and crater-like terrain remaining here in its original condition. A truly unmissable experience!

HIKE THROUGH PROTECTED NATIONAL NATURE RESERVE DEVINSKA KOBYLA (DEVIN MARE)

Devinska Kobyla has the highest level of biodiversity and is included in the European ecological network NATURE 2000. The special territory is well-known for the occurrence of hundreds of, on a European scale, critically endangered plant and animal species. It is frequently visited by experts and scholars from various countries in Europe. Approximately 1-1.5 hour of relaxing walk across the national nature reserve will charge us with new energy and take us right to Devin castle.

NATIONAL CULTURAL MONUMENT DEVIN CASTLE

The castle ruin is situated at the summit of the Devin rock, lying at the peninsula created here by the rivers Danube and Morava, at the confluence of the two rivers. The castle had been a nearly impenetrable citadel, firmly rooted into the cliff high above the confluence of the rivers. Only Napoleonic armies managed to destroy it. Napoleon and his troublesome troops captured the castle in 1809 and, despite the armistice signed in Pressburg (Bratislava), blew up the castle before moving on to further conquests… Walking through the castle grounds you will have a chance to soak up its eventful history and relish the excellent views of the two rivers, Austrian hills and the surrounding countryside of the Little Carpathians! (TICKET INCLUDED IN THE PRICE OF TOUR)

CURRANT WINE TASTING, LUNCH, TIME OFF AT THE CASTLE COURTYARD

In 1922 the local from Devin, Alois Sonntag came up with an idea to start making currant wine in quantities for export. He made his quality currant wine famous worldwide. The art has lived on until today. Now let us sit back and employ our senses exploring the tastes and aromas of the unique currant wines made of white, red and black currants (INCLUDED IN THE PRICE OF TOUR). There is also a time off reserved for you to enjoy your lunch (INCLUDED IN THE PRICE OF TOUR) and look around at the castle courtyard.

We will return to Bratislava at approximately 18:00, so you can enjoy your dinner in the Old Town after the tour.

The ultimate off-the-city tour of Bratislava!

Summary

Tour availability:	Upon agreement, Tuesday to Sunday (the castle is closed on Mondays) Individual tour arrangements including private car/bus transport for groups can be agreed over the email.
Start:	10.00 in front of your hotel or the arranged point in Bratislava
Finish:	approx. 18.00, Bratislava City centre, in front of the Slovak National Theatre
Duration:	approx. 8 hours
Price:	125 EUR per person (minimum 4 people) Individual tour arrangements including private car/bus transport for groups can be agreed over the email.
Included:	Tour guide Transport Devin castle Lunch Currant wine tasting Booking fee
Excluded:	Tour insurance
Recommended:	Sneakers, bottle of water

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Please note that by paying for the tour you by default agree to accept and abide by our terms and conditions.

Individual tour arrangements including private car/bus transport for groups can be agreed over the email.

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