Marquardt II von Grumbach, Vogt of Neustadt Abbey built a 'hunting lodge' on the hill where the Rothenfels castle stands today. Around 1200 the castle was rebuilt and the bergfried made form large bunter blocks on a square plan added. Construction of the new castle wall also started with large blocks but was finished with quarrystone.
In the 16th and early 17th century Rothenfels faced hardships, e.g. during the German Peasants War (1525) when the insurgents occupied and burned the castle. The Thirty Years' War brought another period of destruction: the castle was repeatedly occupied by passing armies and sacked.
Today Rothenfels Castle is associated with the Catholic youth movement 'Quickborn', and serves as a Christian education and conference centre. The castle is also a German Youth Hostel Association (DJH) youth hostel.
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.