The Boitin Steintanz ('Stone Dance') is a very special monument to mankind’s early history. There are altogether four stone circles in the forest near the village of Boitin in the vicinity of Bützow. Three of them lie close together, the fourth one at a distance of about 200 metres. Already long ago there were theories about the age and function of the arrangement. Today it is assumed that this is a calendar from the 12th century before Christ.
A saga gives a different interpretation of the stone circles: The legend has it that a frolicsome wedding party celebrated here long ago. The party bowled with bread and sausages until a ghost, appearing as an old man, asked the boisterous group to end the game. However, the wedding party did not do what they had been asked. They scorned the old man instead. So he turned the bride, the groom and the guests into stones. A shepherd, who happened to be nearby, was to be spared. But in spite of his promise, he looked back out of curiosity when fleeing and therefore was also transformed into stone together with his sheep and dog.
References:The Beckov castle stands on a steep 50 m tall rock in the village Beckov. The dominance of the rock and impression of invincibility it gaves, challenged our ancestors to make use of these assets. The result is a remarkable harmony between the natural setting and architecture.
The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.
The next owners, the Bánffys who adapted the Gothic castle to the Renaissance residence, improved its fortifications preventing the Turks from conquering it at the end of the 16th century. When Bánffys died out, the castle was owned by several noble families. It fell in decay after fire in 1729.
The history of the castle is the subject of different legends.