Bratislava castle castle, preserved

Bratislava-Staré Mesto « Bratislava I « Bratislava region (Bratislava historic region)

An important castle, whose construction dates back to the 9th century. It was the seat of the Hungarian monarch and the meeting place of the Hungarian Parliament. Later, it housed the General Seminar and eventually the army. It burned down in 1811. It was reconstructed between 1956 and 1968, with the last significant repair in 2010.

Historic names

Bratislava; 907 Braslavepurch, Brezalauspurc, 1002 Poson, 1042 Prezesburg, 1045 Bosenburg, 1048 Brecesburg; Hung.: Pozsony, Ger. Pressburg, old Slovak: Prešporek, Prešporok

Description

Bratislava Castle, originally a Gothic castle, has been mentioned in written records since the 10th century, but the castle hill was inhabited as early as the Celtic and Great Moravian periods. From the mid-16th century, when Bratislava became the coronation city of Hungary for 200 years, the castle served as the seat of the monarch, hosted sessions of the Hungarian Parliament, and housed the Hungarian coronation jewels in the coronation (southwest) tower. After the royal court moved to Vienna, the castle became the General Seminary, where many prominent scholars of the time studied. The last major reconstruction in Baroque style took place during the reign of Maria Theresa (1740-1780). Later, the castle was taken over by the military. In 1811, it burned down and was left in ruins. It was reconstructed between 1956 and 1968, with the last significant repair in 2010. Bratislava Castle is an important landmark and a national cultural monument

Location N48.142304,E17.100303

The castle stands on a hill west of the medieval historic core of Bratislava, on a hill above the Danube River, at an altitude of approximately 200 meters.

mapa

How to get here

From the main train station: Take trolleybus 44 directly to the Hrad stop. Alternatively, take bus 93 to Hodžovo námestie, then transfer to trolleybus 44 or 47 and get off at the Hrad stop.

From the bus station: Take trolleybus 42 to Hodžovo námestie, then transfer to line 44 or 47 and get off at the Hrad stop.

From M. R. Štefánik Airport: Take trolleybus 61 to the Karpatská stop, then transfer to trolleybus 44. Get off at the Hrad stop.

History

Today, the restored Bratislava Castle lies on the southernmost spur of the Little Carpathians, sloping down to the Danube, where there was an ancient ford on the road to the Danubian Lowland. The castle hill, inhabited since prehistoric times, played a significant role as a Slavic fortified settlement during the Great Moravian period, serving as the political and ecclesiastical center of the region.

Recent archaeological research has shown that by the second half of the 9th century, stone buildings already stood on the hillfort, including a stone palace at the highest point of the hill and a large stone basilica on the upper eastern terrace of today's castle area.

Bratislava Castle is first mentioned in writing under the name Pressalauspruch in 907. After the fall of Great Moravia, it became a border castle of the early feudal Hungarian state and the seat of the county. As such, it was fortified several times in the 11th and 12th centuries. Although the fortified castle withstood the Tatar invasion in 1241, it was rebuilt and fortified again three years after their departure (after 1245). On the site of two previous palaces, a large residential tower was built on the castle hill, and later a defensive tower (known as the Coronation Tower) was added on its southwestern edge. In the first half of the 15th century, King Sigismund had Bratislava Castle completely rebuilt in connection with the fortification of Hungary's western borders against the Hussites. At that time, the large residential tower was demolished, and a large two-story Gothic palace surrounded by a moat and modern fortifications was built in its place. The Turkish threat and the relocation of the country's seat to Bratislava led to another Renaissance reconstruction of the castle between 1552 and 1560, when two new wings were added to the palace, and its interior spaces were modified.

In the first half of the 17th century, when the castle belonged to the Pálffy family, a third floor was added to the palace between 1635 and 1639, and its original two Gothic towers were supplemented to four. Further extensive reconstructions in the second half of the 18th century transformed the castle into a large representative residence of the Hungarian viceroy. After the central offices were moved to Buda, Joseph II established a general seminary at the castle in 1784, where, among other Enlightenment priests, the first codifier of the Slovak literary language, Anton Bernolák, studied. After the death of the monarch in 1790, the seminary was dissolved, and the castle was used as barracks. A fire that broke out in 1811 turned the entire complex into ruins. After several unsuccessful attempts to restore it, a generous reconstruction in 1953 brought new life and cultural purpose to the castle.

Compiled by Zuzana Brezáková

Literature used: Ľudovít Janota: Slovenské hrady; published by Tatran, 1974, 4th edition.