The City Hall is located on the right bank of the Estuary of Bilbao across the Puente del Ayuntamiento bascule bridge that links it to the central Abando district.
The building was built in 1892 by Joaquín Rucoba, on the former site of a convent in the district of Uribarri. It was built in Baroque style. One of the highlights of the building is the Arab Hall, a richly decorated hall in the Neo-Mudéjar style that resembles the decorations found in the Alhambra of Granada. The hall is used for official receptions and weddings.
Before 1890, the city's council was located in a building inside the Old Town.
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.