Built around 1250 by the lords of Berkule, Calenberg Castle was granted to the Papenheim family in 1307 and later became known as Rave von Calenberg. After a feud over inheritance in 1464, it was resolved in 1471. In 1868, Hugo Schuchard purchased the estate, including the castle, and extensively renovated it from 1880 to 1884. The castle served various purposes over the years, including housing refugees after 1945. In 1972, it was acquired by Karl-Heinz Rehkopf and faithfully restored.
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.