OLD CASTLE

CASTLE DEVÍN

ONE of the oldest castles in Slovakia,

Deví­n, sits on a huge rock

overlooking where the 

river Morava meets the Danube.

The name Deví­n probably

derives from Dowina,

which in Old Slavic meant girl.

 

One of the castle's legends, originating in the feudal period,

has it that the lady of the castle had beautiful twin girls. On her deathbed, she gave each of them an apple, saying that the apples represented their lives. After their mother's death the sisters exchanged the apples, so that each was responsible for the life of the other. The sisters lived in harmony until the day when a handsome hunter came to the castle. He fell in love with the beautiful lady of the castle, not knowing that there were actually two of them - and that he was dating both twins.

 

The twins did not know that they had fallen for the same man either. Then one evening, the three of them met by accident and discovered the truth. One of the sisters, in a furious rage, smashed the apple protecting the life of the other sister on the ground. By doing that, she killed her twin. A beautiful apple tree grew on the spot where the apple fell. The jealous sister turned into a black goat, which, according to locals, can still be seen jumping on the castle rock today.