Montfort Castle was built by the Counts of Veldenz around the year 1200. The first known dweller at the castle was Eberhard von Lautern (1182-1240). Lautern family owned the castle until 1432. In 1456 the army of archbishop of Mainz and Elector Palatine Frederick I destroyed the castle in local feud.
Despite some repairs Montfort stayed ruined several centuries until the remains where repaired in the 20th century. Today the castle can be visited free. There is also a small museum.
Caernarfon Castle in Gwynedd, Wales, is recognised around the world as one of the greatest buildings of the Middle Ages. It was a motte-and-bailey castle from the late 11th century until 1283 when King Edward I of England began to replace it with the current stone structure. The Edwardian town and castle acted as the administrative centre of north Wales, and as a result the defences were built on a grand scale. There was a deliberate link with Caernarfon's Roman past, and the Roman fort of Segontium is nearby.
While the castle was under construction, town walls were built around Caernarfon. The work cost between £20,000 and £25,000 from the start until the work ended in 1330. Although the castle appears mostly complete from the outside, the interior buildings no longer survive and many of the building plans were never finished. The town and castle were sacked in 1294 when Madog ap Llywelyn led a rebellion against the English. Caernarfon was recaptured the following year.