Hockey Guide: Around Bratislava

Read more about the Ice Hockey World Championship in Slovakia in our Hockey Fan Guide.Accessible via the number 29 bus that leaves from beneath the UFO bridge in Bratislava, the ruins of Devín Castle stand on a cliff that rises 212 metres above the confluence of the Morava and Danube rivers, which also mark the border between Slovakia and Austria. A stone medieval castle was built in the 13th century. It is an imposing fortress whose turrets and towers seem to be a natural extension of the vertical rock-face rising from the riverbank. The most photogenic part of the castle is a tiny watchtower known as the Virgin Tower.Built in a stunning position, on a slim peninsula which juts out into the river from the south bank, the Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum, near the village of Čunovo, was opened in 2000. As well as a light-filled gallery displaying contemporary art, its ample gardens are used to exhibit modern sculpture (www.danubiana.sk).

Devín

The presence of Austria just across the water made Devín a favoured departure point for people attempting to flee Czechoslovakia during communism. A memorial arch recalls those who died trying.

Čunovo

The nearby Čunovo rafting centre is a good place to try the sport (www.actionland.sk, in Slovak only). It’s a world-class facility, with a series of white-water courses. Next to the road between the museum and the rafting centre is a grey stone memorial to the five crewmembers of a British Royal Air Force Wellington bomber shot down over the river in October 1944. It was unveiled in 2003, 59 years to the day after their deaths.