Děvín, Summit in Hlubočepy, Czech Republic

Děvín is a limestone summit in the Hlubočepy district of Prague, rising to around 310 meters above sea level with rocky outcrops and steppe plants across its plateau. At the top stand the remains of a medieval fortress, including the outline of its walls and the bases of its rounded corner towers.

The castle was probably built before 1338 by Štěpán z Tetína, nephew of Jan Volek, an illegitimate son of a Přemyslid. Around 1370 it was bought by the Carthusian monastery, and by the early 16th century the ruin served as a practice target for new Prague cannons. Large wall remains were still drawn in 1689, and in the 19th century stone was quarried from the ruins.

The name Děvín also labels the Dívčí hrady area, where a waterworks complex with a balancing tower was built in 1976–1977. Architect Karel Hubáček designed the tower as three parallel steel cylinders 50 m high and 1.8 m in diameter, glazed with Copilit; its white top forms the letter "H" for Hubáček.

Several marked hiking trails lead to the summit from different entry points around the nature reserve, making it easy to plan a loop. The paths are not steep and work well for visitors who are not regular hikers.

The south-facing slope and thin soil create a local steppe climate where heat-loving plants grow that are rarely found in this part of Bohemia. A careful look at the ground reveals species that seem more at home in southeastern Europe than in the middle of Prague.