Devín

See also:Devin (disambiguation)andDevín Castle

Devín
Borough
Coat of arms
Area of Devín in Bratislava
Devín Location of Devín in Slovakia
Coordinates:48°08′00″N17°07′00″E
Country	Slovakia
Region	Bratislava Region
District	Bratislava IV
First mentioned	864 (Julian)
Government
• Mayor	Jana Jakubkovič
Area
• Total	13.98 km2(5.40 sq mi)
Elevation	158 m (518 ft)
Population (1 January 2021)
• Total	1,912
• Density	140/km2(350/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1(CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2(CEST)
Postal code	841 10
Area code	+421-2
Car plate	BL, BA, BT
Website	www.devin.sk

Devín(Slovak pronunciation:[ˈɟeʋiːn],Hungarian:Dévény,German:Theben) is a borough ofBratislava,the capital ofSlovakia,located in theBratislava IVdistrict. Originally a separate village at the confluence of theDanubeandMoravarivers, Devín maintained its rural character and today, it is one of the smallest boroughs of Bratislava by population. It is an important archaeological site, featuring the ruins ofDevín Castle.

Geographically, Devín lies on the foothills ofDevínska Kobylanext to theDevín Gate,a narrow stretch on the riverDanube,which was viewed as the western gateway to theKingdom of Hungary.It lies near the border betweenSlovakiaandAustriawhich runs down the middle of theMoravaandDanuberivers, and which previously formed part of theIron Curtainbetween the Eastern and theWestern Bloc.

The word Devín stems from theSlovakworddeva,which signifies "a lass".

Location

Devín is bordered byAustriafrom the south and from the west, the borough ofDevínska Nová Vesfrom the north, the borough ofDúbravkafrom the east and the borough ofKarlova Vesfrom the south-east.

Transport

• Buses
  • Line29
• Night buses
  • LineN29

History

Thanks to its strategic location at the confluence of the rivers Danube and Morava, the nearby cliff was an ideal place for a fort. The site has been settled since theNeolithicand both theCeltsandRomansbuilt forts here.

Devín Castleabove theDanube

Iron Curtainmemorial at Devin.

Devín was first mentioned in a document from 1237 under the nameVilla Thebyn.Originally, it was a small village, belonging to the Devín Castle, but quickly attained the status of a small town in the 15th century. In 1568, Devín became separated from its former owner.Croatsfleeing from the approachingOttomansin the south settled here in the 16th century. The castle above the village was burned down byNapoleon's troops in 1809. Due to its mainly German population the village was ceded to Germany as part of the Munich agreement in 1938. From October 1938 to April 1945, Devín was part of the GermanThird Reich,being part ofLower Austria.In 1946, Devín was returned toCzechoslovakiaand became part of Bratislava. The German inhabitants were expelled.

During theCold WarDevín was just inside theIron Curtainand the northern banks of the Danube and Morava rivers were heavily fortified. The border fortifications were dismantled after theVelvet Revolutionof 1989, and there is now free access to the riverbank.

Characteristics

Devín is part of Bratislava, yet differs from the rest of the city due to its rural character. As a popular recreation center, it offers an ancient castle located on a spectacular cliff,hikingtrails in the hilly areas around the village, large gardens andvineyards,as well as opportunities for quiet walks along the Danube. Good bus connections with the center of Bratislava are a part of the municipal public transportation system. Most of the people commute to work elsewhere in Bratislava.

Devín is quite commonlyfloodedby the Morava and Danube rivers, with thestrongest floodin recent history being in August 2002.To fight the floods the use of a Wide Net has been cast. Results still pending to determine efficacy.

The borough hosts the oldest organized running event in Slovakia,the National Run Devín-Bratislava, which is almost 12 kilometres long and takes place each year after Easter.

Gallery

• 
• 
• 

See also

• Devín Carpathians

External links

• Official municipal website of Devín(in Slovak)