Willdegg castle in the midst of gardens, meadows and vineyards was founded in the first half of the 13th century by the Habsburgs. For eleven generations Wildegg Castle was owned by the Effinger family. During that time the castle was expanded several times. The gardens in their seasonal change are an oasis of calm and an invitation to stroll, smell and marvel.
The site consists of a well-preserved 13th-century keep and palas, which was converted into a baroque style residential building at the end of the 17th century.
These days, visitors experience authenticity with historic gardens and lifestyle. The living and working rooms of the castle are originally furnished and show the sophisticated culture and the exquisite taste of the Effinger family. Visitors find furniture and paintings, stoves and painted wallpaper, watches and lamps, porcelain dishes and weapons from various epochs, always of the finest quality.
The gardens in their seasonal change are an oasis of calm and an invitation to stroll, smell and marvel. The kitchen and pleasure garden of the castle is a display window for rare garden and field plants as well as berries from the ProSpecieRara Foundation. In the rose garden, historic and numerous varieties of rare roses are blooming. The bistro offers the guests a choice of simple refreshments. For the children there are many games to pass the time in the castle’s barn. A visit to a castle of a different type is to choose the Trail Wildegg from Schlossfoxtrail. The visitors solve funny puzzles, decode secret messages and try to find the right track in the beautiful scenery.
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.