Nassenfels castle dates from the 12th-13th century. The first reference to the castle is dated to 1245, when Count Gebhard III of Hirschberg was assassinated when he was besieging Nassenfels castle. The castle was reconstructed and enlarged later and the current appearance dates from c. 1400. The three towers were built by bishop Friedrich von Oettingen. Nassenfels was again restored in 1464 and 1699. in 1807 the castle was sold to private owners and used as a quarry.
House of the Blackheads (Melngalvju nams) is a building situated in the old town of Riga. The original building was erected during the first third of the 14th century for the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for unmarried German merchants in Riga. Major works were done in the years 1580 and 1886, adding most of the ornaments.
The structure was bombed to a ruin by the Germans June 28, 1941 and the remains demolished by the Soviets in 1948. The current reconstruction was erected from 1995 to 1999. Today the House of Blackheads serves as a museum and sometimes concert hall.