The village of Karpniki, situated at the foot of the Sokole Mountains, is mentioned for the first time in the 14th century. The castle, whose history dates back to the 15th century, lies amidst the picturesque scenery of the mountainous landform and the surrounding hills and is connected with distinguished Silesian families.
The castle was redecorated in a Neogothic style in 1844 according to the plans of Friedrich August Stüler for Prince Wilhelm of Prussia who had purchased the estate in 1822. His brother, King Frederick William III, visited him several times and in 1831 bought nearby Erdmannsdorf Estate for himself, and in 1839 Wojanów (Schildau) Castle for his daughter Princess Louise of the Netherlands. Jelenia Góra Valley became a royal hideaway. The prince's daughter, Marie of Prussia, had her confirmation in the Lutheran Fischbach church in the spring of 1842, with King Frederick William IV and his wife Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria being present, as well as their nephew, the Bavarian Crown Prince and later King Maximilian II, Marie's fiancé, whom she married later that year. The following year their first son was born, who became the famous king Ludwig II.
Today Karpniki castle is a luxury hotel.
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.