Schloss Wurzen was built in 1491-1497 in late Gothic style with elements of the early Renaissance by the Meißen bishop Johann VI. After its completion, he often resided here in addition to his stays at Stolpen Castle. In 1631 both towers burned down and were very badly damaged. Today Wurzen Castle is an unusually well-preserved residential palace from the late 15th century and the only Gothic bishop's palace with a restaurant and hotel.
The massive building on a rectangular floor plan with the south-east and north-west corner towers and the deep, dry moat with the medieval drawbridge mark the transition from a medieval castle to a late Gothic palace.
The room structure, the Wendelstein , the arched curtain windows on the towers and on the first floor, and above all the cell vaults with net-shaped figuration inside, point to a direct connection with Albrechtsburg Castle in Meißen, whose master builder Arnold von Westfalen significantly introduced the art of castle architecture in Saxony.
References:The Gravensteen is a castle in Ghent originating from the Middle Ages. The name means 'castle of the counts' in Dutch. Arnulf I (918–965), Count of Flanders, was the first to fortify this place, building a medieval bastion on this high sand dune, naturally protected by the river Leie and its marshy banks. This bastion consisted of a central wooden building and several surrounding buildings, also in wood.
In the early 11th century, the wooden building was replaced by a stone residence, consisting of three large halls that made up three storeys, connected by a stone stairwell. The monumental stone staircase, the light openings, the fireplaces built into the walls and the latrines were signs of considerable luxury and comfort in those days. There was probably also a tower.