8 Latvian castles worth seeing

Jaunmoki castle
(Jaumoku pils)

Masterpiece of neo gothics and jugendstil

Although this castle is relatively young, built in 1901, throughout more than 120 years these walls have seen quite a lot. It has been used as a sanatorium, military hospital, broadcasting station and at one point it even was a food store. Today Jaunmoku castle is a wonderful museum, part of which is also a high class hotel. Overall it’s the perfect place for getting a taste of the early 20th century. 

Distance from Riga: 75 km

jaunmokupils.lv

Rundāle castle
(Rundāles pils)

/ Latvia’s very own Versaille /

Have you ever heard of Francesko Rastrelli? This well known architect is responsible for the Winter palace of St. Petersburg and he also created the project for Rundāles castle. Here everything is done in the greatest tradition of Rastrelli: 138 halls, painting and wall carvings done by the best artists of the time. Golden throne, white dancing halls, oh and the garden!

Legend goes that somewhere inside these walls there are two ghosts wandering around. We didn’t notice either the ghost of black or white lady but this sounds exciting! 

Distance from Riga: 86 km

rundale.net

Bīriņi castle
(Bīriņu pils)

/ Castle on top of a hill /

If you’re into mystical stories and legends then this is the castle for you. There’s a haunted cabin and an oak of love to which lovers, inspired by stories, still carry bells to even today. If that’s not enough then perhaps ghosts of the old count and young girl will satisfy your adventurous spirit. Locals say that in order to find the magic here, it’s best to visit during the full moon.

Jaunpils castle
(Jaunpils pils)

/ Castle with a funny sound /

Narrow staircases, thick stone walls and deep ditches surrounding the castle – this is not a scene out of a novel from Walter Scott – it’s Jaunpils castle. It has managed to keep the original look so you’ll find it easy to feel as if you’ve just traveled back in time. There are also theatrical tours in costumes, medieval weddings and special meals held in candlelight.

Okay but what’s with the funny sound? Back when this castle was run by Gotfried von der Recke who happened to suffer from a bad case of alcoholism, it was decided that an interesting mechanism should be made. Black rocks stacked just outside the castle made a terrible noise whenever the rain was falling down on them. This hellish sound scared away the old rascal from the bottle and although he’s long and gone now the rocks still stand.

Distance from Riga: 85 km

jaunpilspils.lv

Turaida castle
(Turaidas pils)

/ Burned but not devastated /

Riddle: What happens when your beautiful castle is being guarded by an entirely useless guard? Answer: Nothing good. 

The following story we didn’t come up with – it actually happened with the owner of Turaida castle. Once he had hired a guard who was a bit challenged and this one night he started seeing things. Particularly that castle is being attacked. Being the solutions kind of guy that he was – guard made a shot in the dark.

The result probably wouldn’t have been so bad if these events didn’t transpire in the end of 18th century. Everything was a tiny bit more flammable back then and this fired shot ended up hitting the roof. Yes, you guessed it – the fire spread through most of the castle, destroying a lot of it that night and even more in the upcoming weeks. Then by the end of the 20th century this castle became a real goldmine for archeologists. Only instead of gold they found things like hypocausts – a heating system that was widely used in ancient Rome.

Distance from Riga: 60 km

Stāmeriene castle
(Stāmerienas muižas pils)

/ Prince of the lake province /

Originally this castle was built in the style of neoclassicism and later reconstructed several times. That’s why today its architecture is an interesting mixture of different styles and designs.

There have been many different rulers here over time but most of them were descendants of the first owner. One of these men – Johan Gotlib Eduard von Volf got married to a russian noble Sofia Potemkina. Especially for her he built an orthodox church which is still standing there to this day.

It’s constructed between two beautiful lakes – Stāmerienas and Pogas, on the shores of which an oak of love grows. And it’s a tree with history: Many years ago, a park gardener fell in love with the lord’s daughter but as it often happens in life, she decided to marry someone else. That’s when he planted two oaks in the park and as they grew a bit larger, he tied both together so that they could never be separated. 

Another interesting fact – In the 20s and 30s of the previous century, while married to the castle heir of Alexander, Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa himself was living in this castle.

Distance from Riga: 200 km

Bauska castle
(Bauskas pils)

On the shores of rivers Mūsa and Mēmele

Interestingly enough, this castle constructed between two rivers flowing into a larger one – Lielupe river, is more than just one castle. It’s a castle inside of a castle. 

Ruins of an ancient military fortress here are connected with a more recently built castle. Originally finished at the time of Livonia, these walls currently hold a museum.

Those who enjoy themed events will surely enjoy one of the castles offered programs to travel back in time and live through the old days in this castle. Starting with dance classes to 16th and 17th century culture lessons where you will not only learn but also practice on how people entertained themselves back in those days.

Distance from Riga: 75 km

bauskaspils.lv

Cesvaine castle
(Cēsvaines pils)

/ Masterpiece in eclecticism / 

There are castles built in the gothic style and there are those constructed in modernism or by following the best values of renaissance. And then there are those involving all of the prior and more combined. Cesvaine castle is just that. 

Built in the end of the 19th century, replacing another castle that had been destroyed by war before. This timeless look attracts many people of taste and culture with a bunch of movies and tv series being filmed right there. Like for example, the German mini series “Sisi” and British horror film “The Sonata”.

There’s also something slightly supernatural about this castle. The acoustic hall with domed ceiling is a place where according to the story – nobody can spend a long time in. People start feeling dizzy and lose orientation, while some even fall on the ground inexplicably. 

Distance from Riga: 185 km

cesvaine.lv