Rauna medieval castle ruins complex
The castle ruins in Rauna are one of the largest and best-preserved castle ruins in Latvia, which have recently been supplemented by an interactive and informational trail, as well as an observation tower!
The castle ruins are located on a picturesque hill with many natural objects nearby. In 2020-2021, an interactive trail of cognition and nature, or Pāvela trail, was opened in the castle ruins park. It is complemented by objects created by the well-known design office H2E. Currently, the castle ruins tower functions as an observation tower, from which a beautiful landscape opens up to Rauna.
The place will be perfect for all ages, especially children.
The place is suitable for a large number of visitors.
In the 13th -16th centuries, Rauna's medieval castle was the residence of the Archbishops of Riga in Rauna. The construction of the walled castle began during the reign of Archbishop Albert II in the middle of the 13th century near the ancient mound of the Letgali of Vidzeme. The castle was one of the residences of the archbishops of Riga, where the archbishop and his entourage stayed every year from Michaelmas (September 29) to Candlemas Day (February 7). The coadjutor of the archbishop, Margrave Wilhelm of Brandenburg, lived there permanently from 1530.
Archbishop Jaspers Linde carried out a large-scale reconstruction of the castle until 1524. He decorated the walls of the chapter hall with portraits of all the bishops and archbishops of Riga. It was called the citadel of the Rauna municipality after the end of the Livonian War, in the 1582 Jama Zapolska peace treaty. After the conclusion of the agreement, the Rauna municipality was included in the Cēsis Voivodeship of the Duchy of Pārdaugava belonging to Poland-Lithuania.
Rauna Castle lost its political importance after the liquidation of the Riga Archbishopric and the administration of the Duchy of Livonia moved to Cēsis Castle. In 1625, King Gustavus II Adolf of Sweden transferred Rauna Castle to the family property of Svantem Baneram (Svante Banér, 1584-1628). The main duty of the owner was to keep horses here for the Swedish army. In 1657, during the Second Northern War (1655-1660), Rauna Castle was occupied by the Lithuanian warlord Gonsevskis, but the following year the Swedes under the leadership of Field Marshal Robert Douglas recaptured it. The castle was removed from the list of fortresses after the war, because it was mentioned that the castle had been blown up.
The building complex formed an elongated quadrangular fortification system with five round towers. The palace had an inner courtyard. There was a chapel and a chapter house at the end of the southern building. There were dining rooms in the western building and sleeping rooms in the northern building. During the reconstruction of 1509-1524, ramparts of the forecastle fortifications were created and cannon towers were built. The city of Rauna was formed around the castle. All the towers of the forecastle were demolished at the end of the 17th century and only the main buildings of the castle remained. Earth rampart fortifications can still be seen around the castle ruins. In 2005, the conservation works of the palace were started.
The place is available at any time of the year.
Working time
This place is always available.