Right in the city centre of Jülich sits the Citadel, one of the best preserved fortresses in Germany and a prime example of Italian High Renaissance architecture north of the Alps. Built in the 16th century as part of an ideal city concept under the reign of Duke William V., it survived numerous wars and sieges. Today it houses the Museum Zitadelle Jülich with its exhibition depicting 2000 years of Jülich’s history and containing one of the most impressive collections of works from Jülich’s most famous son, 19th century landscaper Johann Wilhelm Schirmer.
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The Château du Lude is one of the many great châteaux of the Loire Valley in France. Le Lude is the most northerly château of the Loire Valley and one of the last important historic castles in France, still inhabited by the same family for the last 260 years. The château is testimony to four centuries of French architecture, as a stronghold transformed into an elegant house during the Renaissance and the 18th century. The monument is located in the valley of Le Loir. Its gardens have evolved throughout the centuries.
