The moated Strünkede Castle with thick walls was the seat of the Barons of Strünkede for seven centuries. The castle was built before 1243. In the mid-17th century it was rebuilt in the early Baroque style. First it housed a restaurant, later the police, and a hospital during the war. In 1948 the city bought the castle, restored it and opened a branch of the Emschertal Museum (Emschertalmuseum) in it with an exhibition covering the city history, the Strünkede Castle and family.
The church, built at Strünkede Castle in the 13th century, is the oldest church in Herne. After reconstruction in 1950 it was opened to the public. The castle’s courtyard hosts open-air concerts, such as the Strünkeder Summer festival. During it tourists enjoy theatrical performances, performances of folk bands, comic artists, film screenings and parties. Here you can buy traditional crafts and taste local specialties. The park around the castle is a favorite vacation spot of the towns people.
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.