St. Stephan's Church is built on the most eastern of the seven hills. It has been Bamberg's most important protestant church since 1807.
The original building, which was probably donated by empress Kunigunde, was erected at the same time as Heinrich's Cathedral and was consecrated by Pope Benedict VIII in 1020. Today's church was constructed in two phases in the 17th century and is based on a Greek cross. The choir, built by Giovanni Bonalino in 1628/29, includes elements of the baroque, neo-gothic style. The three other naves, for which Antonio Petrini was responsible, reflect a baroque style, strongly influenced by the renaissance. The works of art span the baroque period to the present day.
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.