Rezekne Castle Ruins, Rēzekne, Latvia

Rēzekne Castle served as a base of the local Livonian order landlords until the 16th century and also as the main military support base for battles against Russians and Lithuanians. Archeological excavations reveal that between the 9th and 12th centuries a Latgalian wooden fortress was situated in the place where the castle ruins now stand. It is unknown when the Latgalian fortress was destroyed, however in 1285 the master of the Livonian Order Vilhelms Šurborgs built a stone fortress on the Rositten stone hill. The fortress consisted of a two-story brick and stone castle with a three-storey towers and thick brick walls, functioning as the administrative seat of Rezekne.

The castle was ravaged and rebuilt many times. Between 1577 and 1579, it was occupied by Czar Ivan IV Vasilyevich, and after the war it became part of the Duchy of Livonia. During the Polish-Swedish War in 1601, and again from 1625 to 1626, the Rezekne castle was occupied by the Swedish army, during the Second Northern War. The battle took place in 1656, during which the Rezekne castle was finally destroyed as the Swedish troops managed to defeat the much larger Russian forces. In 1660 it was reinstated, but the castle had lost its former military importance. From 1712 it was left in ruins. Today, fragments of the stone walls and the foundation can be seen on the ancient castle hill.

References:

Wikipedia

Address

Kaļķu iela 6, Rēzekne, Latvia

See all sites in Rēzekne

Details

Founded: 1285
Category: Miscellaneous historic sites in Latvia
Historical period: State of the Teutonic Order (Latvia)

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
www.latvia.travel

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Ludza Castle Ruins (24,5 km)
Aglona Basilica (46,5 km)

User Reviews

Adam Passman (2 years ago)
Some pretty views. It's actually larger than I imagined having seen the images of the remains online. Go up, take some photos, come back down within 5 minutes.

ダナッピ (2 years ago)
Not much left to see, but a nice picnic or just a stroll outside spot in summer. Good view from the top

Andrej Pikulin (4 years ago)
Interesting place for quick visit and sightseeing of Rezekne for high ground. Very nice cafeteria next to it. Prices are great and everything was delicious.

Andrejs Gaivoronskis (4 years ago)
Spectacular view and must have place to visit if you are in Rēzekne. Next to Zeimulis - Art Center in Rezekne.

Janis Umbro (4 years ago)
Nice place to relax...

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Rezekne Castle Ruins