Rheda Castle was first mentioned in 1170. It was built by Widukind von Rheda, who passed it on to the Lippe nobility. In 1365, the castle was inherited by Count Otto von Tecklenburg. From the beginning of the 17th century, the castle was developed into a princely residence by the House of Bentheim-Tecklenburg.
The wing buildings are magnificent elements of the Weser Renaissance and the Westphalian Baroque. The wing buildings are connected by the medieval defence towers. The castle chapel is outstanding, representing a unique interpenetration of fortified, residential and sacred space. In its conception and sophistication, the castle chapel is an important testimony to late Romanesque architecture. Unique in Europe is the sequence of wallpapers in the castle's 'wallpaper room'. The ornate Biedermeier wallpapers produced by Zuber & Cie in Rixheim can still be admired in their original places. Various historic carriages are on display in the castle's carriage museum. From Landauers to children's carriages, carefully maintained examples can be admired here.
Take some time to discover the castle's garden. It was reconstructed for the State Garden Show according to plans from the 19th century. The garden is beautifully framed by the Ems, the castle meadows and the Flora Westfalica park.
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.