Bauska Castle

Bauska, Latvia

Bauska Castle is a complex consisting of the ruins of an earlier castle and a later palace. The impressive castle stands on the narrow peninsula at the confluence of the rivers Mūsa and Mēmele where they form the Lielupe river. In ancient times, the hill was the site of an ancient Semigallian fortress. The first stone buildings were established between 1443 and 1456 by the Livonian branch of the Teutonic Knights and construction continued till the end of the 16th century. The old section of the castle featured a great watch tower, 3.5 meter thick walls, a prison under the tower, a garrison, and a drawbridge at the gates.

After the collapse of the Teutonic Order in this area in 1562, Bauska Castle became the residence of the Dukes of Courland, for whom the adjacent palace was built in the 17th century. In 1702, during the Great Northern War, both castle and palace were blown up and left abandoned.

Only ruins remain from the seat of the Livonian order. The palace, however, is fully restored and can be visited daily during the summer months. Visitors can explore the castle, visit the museum, eat in the café, and climb the castle keep lookout tower, which has an extensive panoramic view of the surrounding city and countryside. And in every July an international festival of medieval music is held here.

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Details

Founded: 1443-1456
Category: Castles and fortifications in Latvia
Historical period: State of the Teutonic Order (Latvia)

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

sandra d (2 years ago)
I was surprised to see such a beautiful castle and interesting museum in a little town. Loved workers dressed in medieval clothes, in one part of the museum you need to put slippers on to walk on beautiful floor. You can see everything from cellars, kitchen, bathroom, tower.
Grip Production (3 years ago)
Haven't been here since childhood (around 15 years), and it was such nice surprise what they did here. Ticket price is very low for what offered inside, you can read, feel and touch history all around. Addition to that very nice location and view.
John Chang (3 years ago)
Pretty underwhelming as the displays go. But the exterior view is beautiful and it’s really cool to be in an actual castle.
Jozef Jonas (3 years ago)
Worth a visit if you are exploring this region of Latvia. You can go up to the tower for a very small fee 1,5 EUR.
Ruslan (4 years ago)
Very nice and beautiful place. Entry ticket 5€ only. Loads of things to see. Must visit place if you are in Bauska. Loads of different exhibitions, proper old ruins, loads of renovated buildings. Friendly staff, speak Latvian, Russian and sometimes even English. Absolutely amazing place. You can go also with the kids. Can walk around the castle, along the river. Best time to visit - Latvian autumn. Trees around have millions of different colours, looks like you are on different planet. If you are there, somewhere not far from Bauska, you MUST to visit this place
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