Bieberstein Castle is located on the left bank of the river Bobritzsch in Bieberstein, part of Reinsberg municipality. A nobleman Günther von Bieberstein who named himself after the castle was first mentioned in a document of 1218.
A bergfried with square footprint reminds of the medieval castle which was later transformed into an early modern castle. The latter was joined to the medieval bergfried into a contiguous building around 1600. Originally, the castle consisted of two parts called Ober- and Niederbieberstein. It was successively acquired by various members of the family von Schönberg. After 1650 parts of the lower castle were dismantled. Gotthelf Friedrich von Schönberg (1631–1708), counsellor of the Saxon prince-elector, bought the castle in 1656, had most of its upper part pulled down to the foundation walls in 1666 and had it rebuilt into its present-day shape. The outside staircase on the western side and the interior stairway with four flights were built between 1710 and 1720.
Bieberstein castle served as a youth hostel until 1992. It was acquired by Maritta Rogalla von Bieberstein Koch-Weser (possibly not directly related to the original Bieberstein family), wife of Caio Koch-Weser, and is now used as a conference centre.
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.