Waldeck Castle was first mentioned in 1124. It was owned by the Landgraves of Leuchtenberg, who sold the castle in 1283 to Duke Ludwig of Bavaria. In the Spanish War of Succession, the castle was besieged by imperial troops , taken in October 1704 and demolished by order of Emperor Joseph I. Although the castle was rebuilt, it was burned down in 1794 and since then has been ruined. Since 1982, the ruins have been excavated and restored.
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.