Cracks are appearing in and around Bratislava Castle. No one seems to know why

On October 15, 2023, the first photos of cracks in and around Bratislava Castle started to appear on social networks. The poster connected them to the construction of Vydrica, a luxury housing development being built at the foot of the castle hill.

After half a year cracks are continuing to appear in the walls of Bratislava Castle, which is visited annually by thousands of people. Cracks between the walls and the pavement in sections above the Žigmund Gate have now grown to nearly half a metre in width; no precise cause has been identified.

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The castle's management, the Office of the National Council (i.e. parliament), has yet to disclose the results of an assessment or detail its repair plans, despite public concern and speculation linking the issue to construction of the Vydrica district. The developer has denied any connection, and stressed that it has cooperated with the National Council's inquiries.

An unmistakable crack in the castle wall directly above Vydrica. The photos were taken in October last year. (Source: FB: Večerník Bratislava)

"Several specific measurements and steps towards resolving the situation have been proposed," Pavel Baslík, a spokesperson for Lucron, the developer of Vydrica, stated. He reiterated his company's denial that there was any connection between its work and the state of the castle.

The developer's position is fixed

Ivo Štassel, director of the City Office for Monument Protection in Bratislava confirmed that the affected paved walking path was repaired in 2018. On the other hand, Baslík asserts that cracks appeared as early as 2014, before Vydrica's construction began.

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Project Vydrica by Lucron, what it will look like upon the completion and ongoing work. Source: Vydrica, Facebook
(4 photos)

Damage was confirmed in a 2022 inspection during stabilisation work on the castle wall. Cracks that appeared in the parliament building in September 2022, after the completion of a retaining wall, weren't directly tied to the building work below the castle.

The hill is weathered

The castle hill's structural integrity was compromised even before the city grew around it, experts who examined it in 2014 confirmed. At the time, excavations for underground parking for lawmakers revealed significant damage to the granite massif.

Geologist Ján Madarás explained that the granite is heavily fractured and weathered, likening it to the stone quarried nearby, on the road out of Bratislava towards Devín. Bratislava granite, which was previously used for street paving, is now unsuitable for construction due to its degradation. The hill's condition was further complicated by the construction of a tram tunnel in the mid-20th century, causing cracks and dislodging granite pieces from the walls.

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