Riisipere manor (Neu-Riesenberg) traces its origins as an estate to 1394. It has been owned by various well-known Baltic German families over the centuries. The present building was erected in 1818-1821 during the ownership of Peter von Stackelberg. The grandiose building is one of the finest examples in Estonia of Neoclassical manor house architecture. The front façade is dominated by a six-column portico with a trunctated ornamental gable and two three-storeyed side projections. The interior displays an enfilade of representative premises, including a cupola hall, unique in Estonia, and a richly decorated hypostyle white hall, abundant with details in stucco. The manor is set in a park with an artificial lake.
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.