Freudenstein castle is situated outside the boundaries of the Jáchymov on a hill above the northwest edge of the town. Built by Stephan Schlick between 1516-1517 it was used for protection. Reportedly, illegal minting of the first Jáchymov thalers started in its cellars in 1519. In 1547, the castle became royal property and was used as the seat of the Royal Inspectors of the Mines. During siege by the Swedish army In 1634, the castle was considerably damaged by artillery and burnt down. Afterwards it wasn't cared for and it withered away. The masonry of the defensive walls has been worn down and used as building material.Only two towers were upstanding. A larger tower in the northwest corner, called Šlik (Schlick) tower, still exists in its full height of 19 m. In the southwest corner, there is a lower cylindrical tower called the Prachárna (powder store), 12 meters high. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the tower was used to store gunpowder for mining purposes.
References: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.