Devínska Kobyla and Sandberg

Devínska Kobyla is the last hill of the Little Carpathians before the Danube, and on its western flank the Sandberg exposes sand and clay laid down in a warm sea some fourteen million years ago, packed with fossil shells, shark teeth and the remains of marine mammals. The site has been dug by palaeontologists since the nineteenth century. Above it the hill carries dry grassland with rare orchids and a view over the Morava confluence into Austria.

What you actually see

• The Sandberg cliffs - Miocene marine sands full of shells and shark teeth.
• The fossil record - one of the richest sites of its age in Central Europe.
• The dry grassland - warm limestone meadow with orchids on the hilltop.
• The confluence view - the Morava meeting the Danube with Austria beyond.

When to go

April to October is the best, with orchids in May. Autumn is clearest for the views. The site is reachable by city transport year round.

Honest expectations

Collecting fossils here is prohibited and enforced; the site is protected. The cliffs are unstable and climbing on them is dangerous and damaging. The hill is a city recreation area and busy at weekends.

Nearby

Devin castle is south at the confluence, and Bratislava is east.