Dekemastate country estate was built in the 14th century, at which time the house was a fortified dwelling. The first mention of the estate is from the year 1486. It was originally a rectangular stone house (called a stins in Frisian), and has been rebuilt since. Its owners include the Camstra family, the heiress of which married Hette van Dekema in the 16th century who gave the estate its current name. Other owners are Van Unia, Doys, Houth and Van Wageningen, the last of whom lived in the house until 1996. After that, the estate was taken over by the Dekema Foundation and went through extensive restoration. The inside of the house is filled with items from the past of its owners going back to the 16th century and features original furniture as well as a portrait collection. The house used to have two stories but was later redesigned and now possesses a spacious attic. The gardens around the manor feature canals, a moat surrounding the house, an herb garden and an orchard.
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.