SLOVENSKO	SLOVAKIA
Bratislavský kraj	Bratislava region
okres: Bratislava IV

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The once mighty castle of Devín guarded important trading routes at the mouth of the river Morava (German: March) into the Danube. The oldest traces of fortifications date back to the 2nd and 3rd century AD and are traces of the presence of the legions of the Roman empire. Devín was first mentioned in a document already in 864 AD as property of the Slavic Prince Rastislav Dovina of the Great Moravian empire. After the fall of the Moravian empire the castle became an important strategic fortress at the western border of the Hungarian Kingdom. Later, the ownership over the castle successively passed into the hands of several rich families who further enlarged the structures. The glory of the castle came to an end in 1809 when Napoleonic troops blew it up and destroyed it completely. Nowadays the remains are being conserved by archeologists. An open-air theatre within the castle precinct is a major tourist attraction.