Niederkastenholz castle is surrounded by a moat, with an angular main castle and a separate horse-shoe shaped fore-castle with working quarters. It used to belong to Kornelimünster Abbey. The rough stone buildings of the castle are complemented by the wrought-iron gate. The fortified tower dates back to the 12th century and is the oldest part of the castle.
The so-called Probstei was added onto the medieval main castle between 1752 and 1756. Part of the moat is still visible today, although most of it was filled in during the 19th century.
References: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.