Ruins Láb

Even near Bratislava, in the village of Borinka, you can head out into nature, where you will discover a piece of history. Direct your steps to Hrad Pajštún, which is one of the sought-after attractions of Bratislava and its surroundings mainly for tourists. You will be captivated by the views of the surrounding landscape and, in great weather, you can see all the way to the Austrian Alps.

The castle was built in 1271 as a guard castle. In the 16th century, it was rebuilt into a Renaissance-style structure, which you can notice at the entrance gate. At the castle, there are 6 stone lion heads with different facial expressions. Originally there were 9. Even though a fire struck the castle in the 18th century, the Napoleonic army brought it to its knees in 1809. Only a ruin remained, which is used today by Bratislava climbers for rock climbing.

The post office directly in Borinka is included among the starting points. We can recommend it because it is the fastest hike to the castle from the village. It will take you about 35 minutes following the red trail. The castle can also be reached from the parking lot in Stupava, in the Little Carpathians. Walking along the yellow trail, you will spend a total of 50 minutes on foot through the Pod Pajštúnom reserve, part of Obora. You can also get there along the red trail from the tourist point Košarisko in the Malé Karpaty Protected Landscape Area.

Evenings around the castle can be spent, for example, observing the sky with falling meteorites. In the summer period, you might appreciate camping. There is no need to be afraid of the legend about the cruel wife. The legend says that a beggar cursed her so that she would suffer for twice eight years. The ruler's cruel wife gave birth to 7 children, kept 1, and had the other 6 killed. At the master's instruction, the maid took the sons to a neighboring castle, where servants raised them. On the occasion of their 16th birthday, they were brought back to the castle and thus the legend about the suffering was fulfilled. Who knows what truth there is to that.

You might also discover other points of interest if you book accommodation near Hrad Pajštún and start exploring the surroundings. The village of Borinka is also interesting for Dračí hrádok. Could this castle have been built based on the legend about dragons? Active holidaymakers will be pleased by the views from the Rozhľadňa Svätý Jur observation tower and the opportunity to go see the pilgrimage site Lurdská jaskyňa Marianka. Christians carry their gratitude here in honor of the Virgin Mary. Even if you walk a lot and remain full of experiences, you can lay your head in apartments in Borinka or in local family guesthouses. The choice of accommodation with us is huge, just choose the right one for you on the subpage accommodation Borinka pri Bratislave.

You can find the ruins of Dračia hrádok, also known as Hadí hrad, in the Malé Karpaty mountain range, on the Úboč hill, approximately 2 km from the village of Borinka. Its origins date back to the 13th century, when the owners of the former royal Hrad Pajštún were the counts of Svätý Jur and Pezinok. The royal origin is also suggested by the similarity of the tower at Dračia hrádok to towers at other royal castles (Hrad Beckov, Plavecký hrad).

This slowly disappearing castle awaits you hidden above the valley of Stupavský potok, at an altitude of 370 m above sea level. There is not much information about what the small castle looked like in the past. An engraving that probably depicts its appearance can be found in Mestská galéria v Bratislave. However, experts differ in their opinions, and there are those who reject this assumption.

The area of the small castle consists of two elevated parts, a central prismatic tower, and the remains of the masonry foundation for the entrance bridge. By all accounts, the small castle perished in the 15th century during the Hussite raids into the territory of Západné Slovensko. Furthermore, it was built on geologically unstable bedrock, which was likely one of the main reasons why it was no longer restored after being damaged.

An asphalt road from the village of Borinka, which continues onto a forest path, will lead you to the remains of the castle. After roughly 800 m, you will come across a small area suitable for parking a car. The yellow-marked trail will take you directly to the ruins after a moderately challenging ascent. From the ruins of Dračia hrádok, you can continue your exploration further and reach the ruins of Pajštúnsky hrad.

If the idea of such a hike excites you, book accommodation near Dračia hrádok today. Záhorie is full of hiking as well as cultural and historical sights well worth seeing. It is entirely up to you which direction you take. An unforgettable experience will surely be a scenic boat cruise on the Dunaj or a visit to Bratislavský hrad. We believe you will enjoy your time in Záhorie and take home plenty of great experiences.