Deanery Church of St. Nicholas is notable dominant of Znojmo, to be seen on practically all panoramas of the town along with the town hall tower. Its consecration to St. Nicholas, the patron of merchants, is connected to the peripheral merchant settlement called Újezdec, which existed around the church since the end of the 11th century. The name St. Nicholas appears on the coins of the Znojmo principality's duke Litold around year 1100. In 1190, the originally Romanesque church was donated by duke Conrad Otto to the newly founded Louka abbey.
In the first third of the 14th century the old church succumbed to the huge fires that raged in the town, so the nobility of Louky had to proceed with the construction of a brand new temple. The building's architectural development was extremely complex; it passed through several stages during the 14th and 15th centuries. The main part of the church is built as a tall three-nave hall, segmented by huge cylindrical pillars. In December 1437, the dead body of emperor Zikmund of Luxembourg was publicly displayed in the temple. In the Baroque era, the interior of the church was refurbished (altars and sculptures), some of the side chapels were rebuilt.
The visitor will be captivated namely by the unique Gothic frescoes in the chancel, a masterful sanctuary and a beautiful Gothic sculpture of Christ whipped at a pole. We should also mention the interesting Baroque pulpit in the shape of the globe and the exquisite Neo-Gothic organ in the choir. The tower is the most recent addition to the building, as it wasn't erected until mid 19th century. The original church tower stood to the south, on the site of today's small tower.
References:Kakesbeck is one of the largest medieval fortifications in Münsterland and the oldest castle in Lüdinghausen. The imposingly grown complex originated in 1120 as a motte, a small hilltop tower castle. After numerous changes of ownership, the castle was extended onto two islands, but it was not until the 14th century that it underwent significant alterations and extensions under the von Oer family. The estate experienced its heyday in the middle of the 18th century, when it covered an area of almost one square kilometre and consisted of five further outer castles in addition to the core castle, which were secured by ramparts and moats.
The well-maintained condition of the castle today is thanks to the late Wilfried Grewing, the former lord of the castle. The foundation named after him has been particularly committed to preserving the property since 2020.