Riga Castle
The walls of the Riga Castle have witnessed the dissolution of the Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order, as well as the formation of the new Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, as in the 1560–70s Riga Castle was the seat of the last Master of the Order and the ruler of the new duchy, Gotthard Kettler. Also in the next five centuries, the Riga Castle has been the place from which the political processes taking place in the territory of Latvia were directed. The castle housed the Polish-Lithuanian (16th century), Swedish (17th century) and Russian (18th–20th century) local administration, and it can be said that "German, Polish, Swedish and Russian times" in Latvia were formed here. In the 20th century, the castle became one of the most important buildings of the newly founded Republic of Latvia – since 1922 it houses the residence of the President of Latvia and from Riga Castle has been the home of the Latvian National Museum of History.
After the completion of the castle reconstruction project, the museum will manage the entire part of the castle’s inner ward (the castellum with all its four wings), while the rest of the premises will continue to serve the needs of the President of Latvia.
Visit Riga Castle website
Riga Castle is one of the best preserved castles of the Teutonic Order in the Baltic Sea region. It is a castellum-type castle with an outer ward, built in the 16th century, which has been rebuilt over time and supplemented with several annexes. The castle's authentic structure – including the original 16th century vaults, columns and other elements – as well as other layers of its rich history, make the recent reconstruction of the Riga Castle an important event for those interested in heritage and castle architecture, as well as for the general public.
In 1330, the Riga Castle was built in a strategic place on the Daugava River by the Eberhard von Monheim, Master of the Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order, and it served as the residence of the Masters. In 1484, in an armored conflict between the Riga Town and the Order, the townspeople destroyed the castle. Rigans were forced to restore the destroyed castle themselves, and from 1497 to 1515 the present castle was built. It is one of the youngest castles of the Teutonic Order, and it brings the medieval tradition further to the volatile 16th century.
