Käru (Kerro) was established as an estate in the mid-18th century. The present building was built in 1878 and designed by Riga architect Robert Pflug. It is an eclectic building with mainly neo-Renaissance elements. It was damaged during the Revolution of 1905 and also during World War II. The manor house ensemble has several well-preserved and unusual outbuildings and annexes. Explorer Karl von Ditmar was the landowner of Käru and economist Ragnar Nurkse (1907–1959) was also born in Käru Manor. In the 1920s the manor started to work as a school. After the new school building was closed, the house was sold into private ownership.
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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.