Spøttrup Castle is the best preserved medieval castles in Denmark. The first record of the castle dates from 1404 when it was moved to the possession of Viborg bishop. Bishops built the castle in the 1400s and it was restored in 1525. It consisted of square form castle and two surrounding moats with a drawbridge.
Skipper Clement, leader of the peasant rebellion, attacked to the castle during the so-called Count's Feud (civil war 1534-36). After Reformation the Spøttrup was reduced to the Crown until sold to Henrik Below in 1577. Since the 18th century Spøttrup moved to the hands of several families and it slowly decayed. The restoration started in the early 20th century and in 1941 the castle was opened to the public as a museum.
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.