Schloss Brake was a former residence of the Counts of Lippe. The first castle was built after 1190. In 1447 it was conquered and burned during the feud. The current appearance dates mainly from the 1570-1587 when it was modernized in Weser Renaissance style. In 1663, Count Casimir of Lippe-Brake rebuilt the east wing to its present form. Since 1986 the Weser Renaissance Museum has been located in the castle.
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.