Château de Morthemer rises above the village of Morthemer in Valdivienne community. The castle dates originally from the 12th century, but the imposing keep was built in the 14th century. There are two parts: the massive keep with its four corner towers and the small castle at its feet next to the church of Notre-Dame. The whole was then restored around 1865 by Emile Boeswillwald, collaborator of Viollet-le-Duc, at the request of the baron de Soubeyran. In particular, he gave the keep its defensive aspect by arranging the covered way at its top and by taking over the windows.
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.