Hoheneck Castle is a medieval castle above Ipsheim. The castle is situated on the slopes of the Franconian Heights, a small, forested, hill range (Frankenhöhe Nature Park), high above the valley of the Aisch. To the east of the castle are the extensive forests of the Franconian Heights, part of the Hoheneck Forest. At its base is one of the few wine areas in Middle Franconia.
Hoheneck was first mentioned in 1132. In 1381, Arnold von Seckendorff sold Hoheneck with its property and forest to the Nuremberg Burggraf Friedrich V. A few years later, he established the Oberamt Hoheneck. In 1462, the castle was burned down during the war between Margrave Albrecht of Brandenburg and the Hochstift Würzburg.
The City of Nuremberg acquired the castle in 1953 and it is the only castle owned by the city, as the Nuremberg Castle is owned by the Free State of Bavaria. Since April 1984 the Youth Castle serves as a youth education centre for the Youth Council of Kreis Nuremberg.
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.