Växbo was the center of cotton manufacturing in Sweden in 1700s and 1800s. The factory, still used in summer season, is well-preserved. You can see a beautifully preserved watermill complete with dam and millpond. There are guided tours of the mill and the surrounding area. The miller’s house has been converted into a restaurant, where you can eat in idyllic surroundings. There is a mill museum where you can learn more about the history of the place, together with an old pottery and smith’s forge. A barn sells high quality handicraft products.
References:Château de Niort is a medieval castle in the French town of Niort. It consists of two square towers, linked by a 15th-century building and dominates the Sèvre Niortaise valley.
The two donjons are the only remaining part of the castle. The castle was started by Henry II Plantagenet in the 12th century and completed by Richard the Lionheart. It was defended by a rectangular curtain wall and was damaged during the Wars of Religion. In the 18th century, the castle served as a prison.
The present keeps were the central point of a massive fortress. The southern keep is 28m tall, reinforced with turrets. The northern tower is slightly shorter at 23m. Both are flanked with circular turrets at the corners as well as semicircular buttresses. Each of the towers has a spiral staircase serving the upper floors. The Romanesque architecture is of a high quality with the dressed stones closely jointed.