BLACK & WHITE SUNDAY: ON TOP

In an area of 49,000 square kilometres at the historic crossroads of cultures, religions and conquerors, Slovakia boasts more than 300 old castles and ruins. The castle in the photo bears the name Hrad Beckov and stands proudly on the Beckov cliff on the road that runs from Bratislava to High Tatra mountains. Many legends are told about the place, but nobody really knows who its first owners were. The fact we do know is that it was built to protect the borders of the Kingdom of Hungary and that it dates to the middle of the 13th century. In the 14th century Sigismund, the King of Hungary, gave the castle to Stibor of Stiboricz, a Lord of Polish descent. Stibor owned 31 castles, but he was particularly attached to this one. He took special care of it and rebuilt it in the Gothic style. A few years later Sigismund made Stibor the Duke of Transylvania (now in Romania), and the owner of Bran Castle aka the Dracula’s Castle.

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Hrad Beckov

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This is Black and White Sunday photo challenge, today with the theme: ON TOP. If you’d like to join:

  • make a B&W photo post on today’s theme before next Sunday

  • link it to this challenge post and tag it   #blackandwhitesunday

  • leave a comment under this post 

P.S. If you missed some of the entries from last week’s challenge, you can find the links here. The themes for the next week’s challenges are already published on Scheduled challenges page.

Please check out the entries to this challenge:

https://travelwithintent.com/2017/01/15/on-top-edinburgh-castle/

https://bildhof.wordpress.com/2017/01/15/bw-sunday-on-top/

https://mostlymonochrome.wordpress.com/2017/01/15/golden-statue/

https://tishfarrell.com/2017/01/15/on-top-on-llanddwyn-island-black-white-sunday/

https://3rsofretirement.com/2017/01/15/bw-sunday-on-top/

https://artishorseshit.wordpress.com/2017/01/15/jewish-museum-warsaw-03/

https://teepee12.com/2017/01/15/black-white-sunday-atop-the-steeple/

https://suejudd.com/2017/01/15/black-white-sunday-on-top/

https://dailymusing57.com/2017/01/15/black-white-sunday-on-top/

https://weaklythoughts.wordpress.com/2017/01/15/staying-on-top/

https://lynneayersbeyondthebrush.wordpress.com/2017/01/15/turtles/

https://smallbluegreenflowers.wordpress.com/2017/01/16/black-and-white-sunday

https://sonyavdg.wordpress.com/2017/01/20/black-and-white-sunday-on-top

56 responses to “BLACK & WHITE SUNDAY: ON TOP”

  1. Wow! That is certainly on top
    Matching that is going to require some thought

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Your magnificent shot inspired me as ever Paula and sent me to my Edinburgh archive! Here is my on top: https://travelwithintent.com/2017/01/15/on-top-edinburgh-castle/

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Always so prompt, dear Debbie. Thank you 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Absolutely! On top form too, Paula 🙂 🙂 Happy Sunday!

    Liked by 2 people

  3. Amazing history and a wonderful photo Paula. Love the music.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. 😀 Music is authentic I think 🙂 Enjoy your Sunday, Lisa.

      Like

  4. Lovely architectural contrast

    Liked by 2 people

  5. Hrad Beckov looks quite imposing! I’ll see what I can come up with later….

    Liked by 2 people

    1. 🙂 🙂 It is. Thank you, Sue.

      Like

  6. Hungarian has always been a proud people: protecting their borders. It’s great.
    A castle is a really nice gift to get as well. 🙂
    Here’s my B&W photo this Sunday: https://artishorseshit.wordpress.com/2017/01/15/jewish-museum-warsaw-03/

    Liked by 1 person

  7. The building looked strangely uncomfortable to me before I even read about its history. In black and white the surrounding vegetation has a weird hair-like quality.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That’s what I thought about vegetation too. Could be cause I captured this in the rain. We were just passing by and I could not stay and wait for the weather to clear up. Thanks, Hilary.

      Liked by 1 person

  8. How on earth they built these hilltop places always amazes me!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. They had lots of cheap (free) labour and didn’t have health and safety laws! Goodness knows how many men died in the building of all these castles/cathedrals/houses. I can’t even begin to imagine how they got huge stones into position.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Right to the point, Jude 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Slaves and servants I guess 😀

      Like

  9. 300 forts? That’s awesome!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Yes, it is 🙂 Thank you.

      Liked by 1 person

  10. […] Part of  B&W Sunday […]

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  11. A topping photo, Paula. Not only the dramatic contrast of castle and church, but there’s also a slightly abstract quality in the overall composition – a fascinating collage effect, and horizontal and vertical contrasts of light and shade. Love it.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thank you, Tish. I find the castle fascinating. If it weren’t for the rain maybe we would have stayed there longer.

      Liked by 1 person

  12. Nice post, I’d like to add this:

    Golden Statue

    Liked by 2 people

  13. I want to get rid of the church tower… but love the composition with the grass in the foreground. I am guessing that you got down quite low to take this one. Now I shall have a look in my archives for a Welsh castle to compete – I could of course use ‘my’ hill which is obviously ‘on top’ but I quite fancy a castle 🙂
    See you later, enjoy your Sunday Paula xx

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thanks, Jude. See you later.

      Like

  14. Church and ruin are a interesting contrast. I specially like the clear cornfield at the lower edge…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, that’s what I thought about this juxtaposition. They both coexist nicely together.

      Like

  15. […] BLACK & WHITE SUNDAY: ON T… on Lost in Translation […]

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  16. http://wp.me/pKVAM-29W I forgot to say that I love the history that goes with your photo. Just imagining owning 31 castles, and what kind of person that would make me 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Not a very nice one, you would probably be a tyrant 😀

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Very true, Paula!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Would definitely have a tendency to dominate – and not only the landscape 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  17. […] See more examples of what might be On Top at Paula’s blog here. […]

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  18. Here’s my take this week Paula. Hope your coming week calms down a bit. https://dailymusing57.com/2017/01/15/black-white-sunday-on-top/

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thank you very much, Lisa 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  19. I really love how the dark castle stands against the bright sky … could look at this picture again and again!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Yes, it is a stately castle. Now a ruin, but it is imposing and proud nevertheless. Thank you kindly, Tobias.

      Like

  20. […] Paula’s Black & White Sunday, On […]

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  21. I like the contrast between the castle and the church. Nice image, Paula.

    Like

  22. […] Paula’s black and white Sunday: On Top […]

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  23. 300 châteaux? Wow. Celui-ci est superbe (Dans ta photo).
    On peut imaginer toutes sortes de mystères, de trésors cachés, de souterrains…
    Bonne Année amiguinha.

    Liked by 1 person

  24. Feels like going back in time… Thanks for the history tour! 😉

    Like

  25. […] Taken and posted in response to Paula’s Black & White Sunday theme of on top […]

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  26. […] If you missed some of the entries from last week’s challenge, you can find the links here. The themes for the next week’s challenges are already published on Scheduled challenges […]

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  27. […] via BLACK & WHITE SUNDAY: ON TOP — Lost in Translation […]

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