An important trading route in the Sauerland passed through this area, compelling Cologne’s Archbishop Engelbert von Berg to build Schnellenberg castle in 1222. Subsequent owners during the next 100 years fortified the castle even further. In 1594 Caspar von Fürstenberg bought the property and constructed much of what you see today.
Burg Schnellenberg is one of mightiest fortresses in Westphalia. Massive gateways, stone bridges, beamed and high vaulted ceilings, and tower rooms transport you back to medieval times.
Interiors suggest a certain German heartiness with fireplaces that crackle and stag horns that gaze down from the walls. The majority of guest rooms are quite large and handsomely furnished. The tower room is the best room in the castle. The upper floors are the oldest with stuccoed beamed ceilings. The former brewery now houses a cozy bar, which is decorated with family coats of arms. A pleasant garden is a perfect place in which to relax.
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.