Seehof Palace was built from 1686 as a summer residence for the Bamberg Prince-Bishops from plans by Antonio Petrini. After secularization it fell into disrepair under private ownership, and by the end of the 20th century extensive renovation work was necessary.
Most of the palace is today used by the Bavarian State Conservation Office.
The nine state rooms of the restored Prince-Bishops' apartment, including the 'White Hall' with its magnificent ceiling painting by Guiseppe Appiani, are open to the public.
Among the features reflecting the splendour of the former Rococo garden are the restored cascade with its waterworks and some of the original sandstone sculptures by Ferdinand Tietz.
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.