Auerbach Castle was built in the 12th century to protect the new settlers from Franconia and Thüringen. The castle had a moat and drawbridge. In the 1757 the castle was destroyed by fire. In 1849 it was reconstructed and altered. Today it hosts a restaurant
House of the Blackheads (Melngalvju nams) is a building situated in the old town of Riga. The original building was erected during the first third of the 14th century for the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for unmarried German merchants in Riga. Major works were done in the years 1580 and 1886, adding most of the ornaments.
The structure was bombed to a ruin by the Germans June 28, 1941 and the remains demolished by the Soviets in 1948. The current reconstruction was erected from 1995 to 1999. Today the House of Blackheads serves as a museum and sometimes concert hall.