Sint-Laurenskerk church is built on the spot of an earlier roman church that was destroyed in 1360, when the Prince-Bishopric of Liège fought with the County of Loon. The Jus patronatus was in the hands of the powerful Herkenrode Abbey. Construction of the church was begun in the 14th century, and the tower, which is built in marl stone, was completed in 1411. The nave was completed in 1476. In 1585 the church was plundered by the troops of Willem the Silent, and the roof and top of the tower were severely damaged in a storm in 1608. Repairs were not completed before 1720.
In 1910 the church was expanded with two bays, and to achieve this the tower was moved approximately 10 meters under the direction of the German-American engineer of Budapest, Henry Weiss. On 13 September 1944 the church burned during the retreat of the German occupying forces, and many treasures were lost. The church was rebuilt in 1950 under the direction of the architect Van den Dael.
Today, the Sint-Laurentiuskerk is late Gothic with a neo-gothic main altar with a retable dating from around 1500, depicting six scenes from the Life of Mary. The shutters depict scenes from the life of Saint Laurence. The church contains a church tabernacle from the second half of the 16th century, and two confessionals in baroque style. The church also has nine sculptures of saints and a 3 meter high statue of Saint Christopher.
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Trenčín Castle is relatively large renovated castle, towering on a steep limestone cliff directly above the city of Trenčín. It is a dominant feature not only of Trenčín, but also of the entire Považie region. The castle is a national monument.
History of the castle cliff dates back to the Roman Empire, what is proved by the inscription on the castle cliff proclaiming the victory of Roman legion against Germans in the year 179.
Today’s castle was probably built on the hill-fort. The first proven building on the hill was the Great Moravian rotunda from the 9th century and later there was a stone residential tower, which served to protect the Kingdom of Hungary and the western border. In the late 13th century the castle became a property of Palatine Matúš Csák, who became Mr. of Váh and Tatras.
Matúš Csák of Trenčín built a tower, still known as Matthew’s, which is a dominant determinant of the whole building.