Leave the hustle and bustle of this big city behind
A long-anticipated lookout tower has been built at the top of Devínska Kobyla, located at the intersections of a popular tourist route, offering views that make it worth the hike there. They are especially spectacular during the sunset or sunrise.
Our waddle:
- Waddle duration: 2 hours and 50 minutes
- Distance: 9,10 km (5,65 miles)
- Route: Yellow&Red
- Map: link
- Things to see: lookout tower, Devínska Kobyla, animal farm, Castle Devín
The overall route is beautiful and takes you through the forest, which is magical.
Our waddle was in the middle of May, so everything was also in full bloom.
The route is easy and suit
able for children as well. Of course, it will take you longer with children, and beware of a few steep hills.
Accessibility
As you can already guess, the route is very accessible and easy to waddle. We started under the castle Devin, which has free parking. Again, the later you come, the more full it is. Starting from here also gives you a great opportunity to visit the castle – which we highly recommend. Read about our visit here – link.
If coming by car is no option, don’t worry; regular buses go directly from Bratislava to Devin, with the last stop at the parking place mentioned above. One possibility is bus number 29 or buses number 83 or 84 leaving from the stops Zochova, Hodžovo námestie, or SAV. It is roughly a 25-minute ride. For more information on buses, check out here – link. We used the bus ourselves many times.
Among other possibilities:
- Bicycle: there is a cycling route from Bratislava that will bring you directly underneath the caste, almost 12 km (about 7,45 miles) long.
- Waddling: and yes, you can also hike there, but it will take the longest as it is almost 15 km (about 9,32 miles) long.
- Boat: also directly from the Bratislava harbor in the Old town, you can get a ride via boat (for more information, visit their site BlueDanube.)
The Waddle
The route length is below 10km (about 6.21 miles), and there is only a slight elevation at one point, where you can get sweaty, and then it’s down the hill again.
There are more routes to take when you want to reach the lookout tower – we choose the one from underneath the castle, taking the yellow and red route, through the forest – Narrow Forest (Úzky Les) and then again through the woods back down.
Other trails include:
- Starting from Devínska Nová Ves, taking the green trail.
- Starting from Dúrbavka taking the yellow trail.
- From Dlhe Diely waddling the blue trail.
The more you waddle through the forest, the more magical places you find. Like a huge, oddly shaped tree, space to relax and sit down, or greenery that looks so fresh you want to bite in. 😅
Once you get out of the forest, the views take you by surprise; before you know it, you are at the lookout tower.
Lookout Tower Devínska Kobyla
A little bit of information before we waddle up.
The tower was built in 2020 by Šebo Lichý Architects at the cost of 180 000€ and took only a few weeks to construct. It is white, which makes it stands out against the surrounding trees, but at the same time makes the tower invisible from distant views.
The lookout tower weighs 35 tons, and after climbing 112 steps, visitors will reach a height of 21.27 meters (almost 70 feet tall). It lies at an elevation of 514 meters above sea level.
Here you can enjoy beautiful views not only of Slovakia but also of neighborhood countries.
It has more than one platform from which you can already enjoy breathtaking views.
If you want to check it out before visiting, check this live stream here – link.
The position of the lookout tower in the location near the borders of three countries represents a symbolic meaning in the form of the intersection of Central European cultures. So, in addition to Slovakia, you can see Austria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.
Now, let’s have a look at those views.
Read also Great Homola Lookout Tower
As mentioned, the other platforms offer views as well.
- The first one, at 14.3 meters (47 feet) high, gives you views in the directions of Zobor, Košice, Senec, Kamzík, airport M. R. Štefánika, Budapest, Slavín, Bratislava (Staré Mesto), Bratislava Castle, Gerulata, Gabčíkovo.
- The second one, 17.1 meters (56 feet) high, gives you views in the directions of Schloss Hof, Prague, Marchegg, Devínska Nová Ves, Pálava, Brno, Volkswagen, Záhorská Bystrica, Marianka, Záruby, Stupava.
- Another one at 20 meters (65.60 feet) high gives you views in the directions of Königswarte, Wolfsthal, Devín, castle Devín, Hainburg, Carnuntum, and Vienna.
Be aware as well of the mosquitoes in summer. For some reason, there are a lot of them there.
Beware, as it can get windy at the top of the lookout tower.
And the location around the tower is not touristically developed; there are a few benches and a place for a fire but don’t expect anything grand. There are also no other services available for visitors (no buffet or toilets near).
We went back down again through the forest before coming to the clearing again, giving us beautiful views.
The way back down was beautiful, even better than the way up (and not only because I had to waddle uphill).
We also stumbled on what looked like an animal reservoir but unfortunately didn’t see any animal. Maybe it was not yet the season for them, especially the farm animals, which are also supposed to be there.
Note, there is a fence where the reservoir starts and also where it and. Don’t get discouraged; you can enter freely.
The waddle was enjoyable, and if you have more energy and are looking for more adventures nearby, there is always Sandberg, the castle, or a former missile base.
Enjoy your hike and waddle on.
