NATIONAL CULTURAL MONUMENT DEVIN CASTLE – PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE UPPER CASTLE

Project of the Capital City of the Slovak Republic Bratislava

•    aimed at making the Upper Castle again accessible to the public, reconstruction of communication system from the Middle Castle to the Upper Castle, construction works on middle and upper terrace, and restoration of the exposition located in underground cave spaces of the castle cliff
•    financially supported with European Economic Area Financial Mechanism and Norwegian Financial Mechanism Grant within SK05 Conservation and Revitalisation of Cultural and Natural Heritage Programme
•    total project budget of 399 729 € co-financed by EEA Financial Mechanism Grant in amount of 85 % costs - 339 770 € and co-financed by the  Capital City of the Slovak Republic Bratislava  in amount of 15 % costs  + the City of Bratislava increased in 2016 own budget by cca 227 000 € for financing additional  “2nd phase of the project” reconstruction works

Planned project activities: 
•    clearing of the castle cliff and architectures of the Upper Castle out of self-seeding trees and rock debris using mountain-climbing techniques, and placement of monitoring system for detection of drifts of unstable parts of the castle cliff: realisation 10/2015 – 12/2015
•    reconstruction works for monument preservation of the castle constructions in part of the national cultural monument area : realisation 02/2016 – 6/2016
•    restoration of the exposition located in underground cave spaces of the castle cliff: realisation by 04/2017 

Project duration:  11/2014 – 04/2017  Reconstruction works: 10/2015 – 04/2017

Grant recipient: Capital City of the Slovak Republic Bratislava / Hlavné mesto Slovenskej republiky Bratislava / www.bratislava.sk

Project partners:
•    City Museum Bratislava
•    General Investor of Bratislava
•    Archaeological Institute of Slovak Academy of Science
•    Faculty of Philosophy - Comenius University, Department of Archaeology
•    Geological Institute of Slovak Academy of Sciences
•    Municipal Monument Preservation Institute Bratislava
•    Faculty of Natural Sciences - Comenius University, Department of Engineering Geology

SAVE THE HERITAGE OF OUR ANCESTORS

Project realisation:

During 2015 year, public procurement and contracting the suppliers of the works were carried out. 

In October 2015 started works aimed at making the Upper Castle again accessible to the public, with intend to making the public access to the Upper Castle in 2016 year.

Monument-protected object of the Upper Castle is part of the area of the National Cultural Monument Devín - Slavic Castle site in Bratislava. The area is monument-protected, where all actions and activities are subject to supervision of the state monument protection institutions. The castle cliff is protected natural monument.

In October – December 2015 clearing of the castle cliff and architectures of the Upper Castle out of self-seeding trees and rock debris using mountain-climbing techniques, and placement of monitoring system for detection of drifts of unstable parts of the castle cliff, on which the monument of the Upper Castle is located, were realized.  Clearing of the castle cliff and architectures of the Upper Castle of approximately 18 000 m² area with superelevation of cca 40 – 70 metres has provided clearing of cliff out of self-seeding trees and rock debris and placement of monitoring system for detection of drifts of unstable parts of the castle cliff using mountain-climbing techniques.  

Reconstruction of the upper part of the castle – reconstruction works consisting in monuments renovation of the castle constructions of the Upper Castle part of the national cultural monument area were realised in February – June 2016. 

In second half of 2016 were carried preparatory works, consultations and technical scenario for restoration of the exposition located in underground cave spaces of the castle cliff. The works on the exposition “Devin Castle in 13 – 20 Century” shall be realised consequently in January - April 2017.

Project ends on 30 April 2017. After the restoration works completion, the visitors of the Devin Castle area shall have finally access the Upper Castle and to the exposition from May 2017.