Vlotho was a medieval hill castle above the town with same name. The extended property is located on the Amtshausberg with a steep grade to east and south. The bent river has a natural harbour, on the medieval main road from Frankfurt to Bremen.
The castle was built around 1250. It was razed around 1368. The foundation is the only part from the medieval period. Drawings dating back to 1581 are extant, but they are no reliable representation. The castle ruins were demolished in 1709, with only the dungeon surviving until 1936. The castle ruin is c. 110 metres m long and c. 60 metres m wide. The surrounding wall is mostly preserved.
Part of the reconstructed castle is covered by a modern protective roof. The property features a restaurant with garden area. The terrace offers a view over the Weser valley.
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.