Falkenstein castle was originally built by the Bishop Tuto of Regensburg before 1074. The medieval stone castle was built in the early 13th century. It was expanded and rebuilt several times before the castle was burned down by the Swedes in 1634 (during Thirty Years' War). The decayed Falkenstein castle was restored in the 20th century. Today the castle is a museum, festival venue and restaurant.
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.