Beckov is one of the most romantic Slovak castles and that is a proper reason to vistit it during your holiday in Slovakia. Beckov is located on the western edge of Považský Inovec mountain range. Castle fortress occupies an area of approximately 1.45 hectares. It is situated on a massive rock up to 60 meters high, which makes it dominate the surroundings. Owners of this castle used to control the ford of Váh river and toll on the border of Trenčín and Nitra county.
On the site of the present castle was a small stone predecessor built before during turn of 11 and 12 century. In the Anonymous Chronicle it is called Blundus. A settlement was situated here already in the La Tene period. The first known written mention of the Beckov castle is from year 1208. The oldest parts of the castle, which are still preserved, are dated to years 1240-1260.
The most important owners of the Beckov castle include Matúš Čák of Trenčín, family line of Stibors who owned the castle from the 15th century and imprinted it after one of the largest reconstructions between 1410 - 1414 its present appearance. A massive fortification was built, including cannon towers. Castle fortifications were really well built, as they withstood the attack the Turks in 1599.
Beckov Castle was in the past not only richly decorated by statues, but was decorated and colored according to the functions of the respective parts of the fort. Representative parts of the castle used green color, white color was used for homestead buildings and buildings serving the defense had a brick red color.
Stormy times in Beckov castle area wereduring uprisings in Hungary. The history of the castle ends up by a devastating fire in 1729, which turned Beckov into a ruin. It deterioriated almost unnoticed until 1970, when conservation and restoration work started.
In the same year, the castle was declared a national monument. A quarter century after the castle was once again made accessible for the tourists and public. In the present the castle rock is one of the well known slovak climbing crags as well. Visit this unique slovak monument during your next vacation.