There is a ruin near the town of Žarnovica right at the highway exit... The castle probably dates from the second half of the 13th century, when it was built together with Šašovský Castle, 18 km away on the opposite side of the Hron River. It protected the trade routes leading to Central Slovak mining towns (especially to Banská Štiavnica and Kremnica). Nearby there is also a unique fortified Benedictine monastery...