Château de Lauquerie is a former fortress built in the 14th century by the Templars, erected to defend the borders of the Dordogne and the village of Lauzun. It was offered by Henri IV to his squire Sire François de Longueval for having served him faithfully for 30 years. Remained for several decades in the Longueval family, it was partially destroyed during the French Revolution, then became the property of the Lajaunie family from 1889 to 1989. Completely renovated in the 90s, it is nowadays a private residence converted into tourist accommodation.
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.