In the 13th century Skånelaholm was owned by the King Magnus III of Sweden. He sold the manor to the Skokloster monastery in 1276. After the Reformation Skånelaholm was confiscated to the Crown. In 1641 Anders Gyldenklou aqcuired the manor and completed the present castle couple years later. After several owners Herbert Rettig donated the manor to Vitterhetsakademien (Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities) in 1962. Today it is open to the public in summer season.
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.