Bratislava Castle

Why visit

The castle hill has been settled for thousands of years: the Celts built a fortified settlement here and in the 9th century it was a centre of Great Moravia. Under Maria Theresa the castle was rebuilt as a Baroque residence for Albert of Saxe-Teschen, whose art collection later became the basis of the Albertina in Vienna.

After a fire in the early 19th century the castle stood in ruins for more than a century. Its present look comes from a 20th-century reconstruction finished in 2011, and today it houses the Museum of History of the Slovak National Museum.

What to see

• Crown Tower: the oldest part of the castle, where the Hungarian coronation jewels were kept for over two centuries, with views over the city and the river from the top.
• History of Slovakia: the museum’s permanent exhibition from the Middle Ages to the present.
• Treasury and Celtic finds: precious objects and the Celtic Path with finds from the castle hill.
• Northern representative rooms and chapel: restored state rooms and the Castle Chapel of the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary.
• Baroque garden: a restored formal garden with box hedges, statues and a fountain.
• Terraces: views over the Old Town, the Danube and Petržalka.

Plan your visit

The castle grounds and gardens are free; the museum is paid, with tickets at the cash desk inside. Allow two hours for the museum and grounds.

Walking up from the Main Square through the Old Town and the castle steps takes 15 to 20 minutes. In summer the courtyard hosts events of the Bratislava Cultural Summer, including the Coronation Days.