Burg Metternich was mentioned in documents first time 1268, when it was owned by Johann von Braunshorn. It is thought the castle is even older, with some historians indicating 1129 as the year of construction. Until the first half of 17th century, the castle was owned by Counts von Nassau-Dillenburg.
The castle was not damaged badly before 1689, when French army destroyed the castle during the Nine Years' War. It was never completely rebuilt.
The last member of the family to own the castle was Klemens von Metternich, one of the most famous diplomats of the Austrian Empire – he was foreign minister from 1809 to 1848.
Today there is a hotel and restaurant.
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.