Braunsberg Hill ⋆ Lifeguin

A hill with a Celtic lookout tower and rich history

Not far from the borders of Slovakia lies another spot worth visiting and very popular among cyclists. Found at the beginning of the village Hainburg an der Donau stands a rocky hill, from which you can get a view that will take your breath away – the Braunsberg Hill.

Braunsberg is a 346 m high limestone massif on the shore of the Danube. Its plateau used to host a Celtic town, and still bears traces of the Celtic-Roman era, which many don’t know when visiting.

The spot is popular among cyclists to train for the hills, and we tried to ride up with the bike as well, but almost died trying. Not really our cup of tea, but it was a challenge we didn’t give up on yet. One day we will make it to the top without taking a break.

We could call Braunsberg an observation hill, but it’s much more than that. The mountain will capture your attention when riding through the village of Hainburg, as it stands tall compared to the surrounding area.

Because of the views offered, Braunsberg is a popular spot for short trips and many combine it with the visit to The Heimenburg Ruins.

Accessibility

Easily accessible by car, bike, or foot – waddling up. If you decide to waddle, the red hiking trail starts behind the swimming pool. The elevation gain is 231 meters and the route takes about an hour.

If you decide to come by car, do not worry – there is a huge space to park the car, and it is free. The whole road is build only for the purpose to go up and enjoy the view. The same road leads down.

One of the three Celtic forts

Braunsberg is not just a mountain, but was indeed one of the three Celtic forts which formed the so-called Hungarian Gate – part of this gate was also the castle Devin and castle in Bratislava.

The oldest settlement, which had a significant presence on the fort, can be traced back to the 6th century BC.

It’s not only an empty space to park the car and enjoy the view. A few memorials can be found here at the top of Hainburg.

First of all, there is an area to sit, next to a birch tree and can be nice to have a picnic there, if the place is free and available.

And of course, it can get quite windy.

If you are lucky you can see also horses there, or what we managed to get a glimpse at are the wild goats.

But most come here for the easy way to get excellent views of the surrounding areas.

Braunsberg is worth a visit at any time of year, in the light or dark (the night is especially recommended as you can get away from Bratislava’s light pollution).

The various memorials on the hill point out different stages of history and you can read a little bit about it.

It’s not only the memorials capturing your eyes. The overall area is quite big and you have a 360 view where you can see Slovakia, the Austrian Alps, and more.