Prem Castle was built before 1213. After the Udo Knights there were many owners, among them the Walseeis, Hallers, Habsburgs, and Porcia Dukes. This compact two-storey building with a ground plan in the shape of the letter L has a Romanesque nucleus with an extension and a smaller yard protected with a wall. The inner yard was decorated with Renaissance arcades. In the middle of the yard stands a small well. The entire structure is additionally protected with exterior Renaissance walls and cylindrical towers. A large cistern stands in the larger courtyard, between the castle and the exterior walls.
The area on the ground floor of the castle is cross rib-vaulted. Above it is the castle chapel, which was set up at the end of the 14th century. Modest console masques in it are reminiscent of Parler workshops. A large hall on the upper floor decorated with a wooden promenade gallery was rearranged before the last war by its owners, the Zuccolini family from Trieste. It was painted with unusual decorative frescoes on a dark background.
The castle houses local museum collections. The cylindrical towers of the outer walls have been arranged.
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.