Slovakia:
Devin Slovakia:
Devin
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We visited the town of Devin (located about
12k or 7 miles from the Bratislava old town) one afternoon to see the
castle and walk to the path to the confluence where the Danube and Morava
rivers meet.
The confluence is the location where many tried to escape communism by swimming the 40 feet to Austria but where gunned down by tower guards. A monument stands at the location in remembrance of all those who died while trying to escape to freedom. |
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| Castle: For centuries, Devin Castle had been a nearly impenetrable citadel, firmly rooted into a cliff high above the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers. First fortified in the older Stone Age, it endured through Celtic settlements, became a major military fortress of Great Moravia, and was key in the struggle against the expansion of the Frankish Empire. | |||
The steps and hole in the roof is for cats to walk up and enter.
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Confluence: The monument lists the
names of the people who where shot by communist guards while trying to
swim the 40 feet to Austria and freedom. You can see from the photos
how close Austria is from Slovakia, just across the river.
Our friend Milan from Bratislava explained how people in Austria would stand at the shoreline and signal their family and friends who were hiding in the hills and forest on the other side. If the people under communist rule made it to the river, they only had to swim about 40 feet to freedom, but many did not make it as there were guard towers lining the shore and they would be shot while trying to escape. |
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