CASTLE OF ČACHTICE (ČACHTICKÝ HRAD)

In the 16th and 17th centuries, it was one of the first castles to protect the western border of the Kingdom of Hungary. Between 1560 and 1614, it was home to Elisabeth Báthory. This famous chateau is supposed to have slit the throats of 650 young girls to collect their blood and bathe in it, convinced that she would thus gain eternal life. She was imprisoned for life in the castle for her crimes. The castle caught fire in 1703 and 1799 and has remained in ruins since then.