Bauska castle
Encyclopedia
Bauska Castle is a complex consisting of the ruins of an earlier castle
and a later palace on the outskirts of the Latvia
n city of Bauska
.
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.
lookout tower, which has an extensive panoramic view of the surrounding city and countryside.
Every July an international festival of medieval music
is held here.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
and a later palace on the outskirts of the Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n city of Bauska
Bauska
Bauska is a town in Bauska municipality, in the Zemgale region of southern Latvia. The town is situated at the confluence of the rivers Mūsa and Mēmele where they form the Lielupe River...
.
History
The impressive castle, the remains of which were recently restored, stands on the narrow peninsula at the confluence of the rivers MūsaMuša
Mūša is a river in Northern Lithuania and Southern Latvia , having its confluence with river Nemunėlis , in Latvia, near city Bauska. Mūša is a tributary of the river Lielupė. Mūša is 164 kilometres long....
and Mēmele where they form the Lielupe
Lielupe
The Lielupe is a river in central Latvia. Its length is 119 km . The surface area of its basin is 17,600 km²...
river. In ancient times, the hill was the site of an ancient Semigallian
Semigallian
Semigallian may refer to:*Semigallians - a Baltic tribe*Semigallian language - an extinct Baltic language*Zemgale - a region in Latvia...
fortress. The first stone buildings were established between 1443 and 1456 by the Livonian branch
Livonian Order
The Livonian Order was an autonomous Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and a member of the Livonian Confederation from 1435–1561. After being defeated by Samogitians in the 1236 Battle of Schaulen , the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword were incorporated into the Teutonic Knights...
of the Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
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
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in northern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I the Great of Russia, Frederick IV of...
, both castle and palace were blown up and left abandoned.
Today
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 keepKeep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
lookout tower, which has an extensive panoramic view of the surrounding city and countryside.
Every July an international festival of medieval music
Medieval music
Medieval music is Western music written during the Middle Ages. This era begins with the fall of the Roman Empire and ends sometime in the early fifteenth century...
is held here.