Gewerkenegg Castle dominates the Idrija city. It was erected at the beginning of the 16th century to serve as the administrative headquarters and warehouse of the Idrija mine, then the second largest mercury mine in the world. The now beautifully restored Renaissance complex experienced a Baroque renovation in the middle of the 18th century when the inner arcaded courtyard was created and painted with attractive decorative frescoes.
The castle now houses the Idrija Museum, whose central exhibit-Five Centuries of Mercury Mining and the Town of Idrija-offers a survey of the half-millennium history of the oldest mining town in Slovenia. It also offers an exhibit of Idrija lace, a replica of a room in an Idrija miner's home, peasant frescoes, memorial rooms of the writer France Bevk and the politician Aleš Bebler, and a collection of paintings donated by the gallery owner Valentina Orsini Mazza. The castle also provides rooms and a concert hall for the Idrija Music School. Throughout the year, the museum organizes various events, presentations, and receptions in the castle hall. The Museum Evenings lecture series is especially popular. In summer, the Castle Evenings program of cultural events, mostly concerts, moves into the castle courtyard.
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.