The ruins of the Revište Castle near Hliník nad Hronom stand on top of steep rock about 100 m above the floodplain of the river Hron. There is a wonderful meadow below the castle used by canoeist as a camping site.
The castle was built in the 13th century as part of protection to central Slovakian mining towns and the trade route running along the Hron. Renaissance fortifications were added to the older Gothic part of the Castle. Mercenaries of the rebellious magnate Imrich Thököly conquered the castle and converted it in ruins in 1678. Only some Castle walls survive.
References:The Château du Lude is one of the many great châteaux of the Loire Valley in France. Le Lude is the most northerly château of the Loire Valley and one of the last important historic castles in France, still inhabited by the same family for the last 260 years. The château is testimony to four centuries of French architecture, as a stronghold transformed into an elegant house during the Renaissance and the 18th century. The monument is located in the valley of Le Loir. Its gardens have evolved throughout the centuries.