Jaunpils Castle

Jaunpils

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The small but perfectly medieval Jaunpils Castle is unique in the fact that it has largely retained its original look since 1301, when it was founded by the master of the Livonian Order, Gotfried von Roga. It also offers a unique chance to dine and sleep in the rooms that saw kings and knights do the same before your great-grandparents were born.

For four centuries until the breakup of the Russian empire in 1917, it was the home of the German baron family von der Recke. Its walls remember a sword fight between Mathias von der Recke and Swedish king Charles IX. It was a friendly one, apparently, for which the king awarded the baron with a silver helmet and a sword.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

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Nearby Jaunpils attractions

1. Pokaiņi Forest

10.78 MILES

It's one of Latvia’s biggest unsolved mysteries: in the mid-‘90s a local historian discovered stone cairns throughout the park and realised that the rocks…

2. Castle Ruins

12.14 MILES

These impressive Livonian Order castle ruins, which date back to the 1300s, are well worth a stop. This brick bastion was built over the original site of…

3. Institute of Horticulture

13.38 MILES

These massive gardens draw throngs of visitors each spring when the scores of fruit trees are in bloom. There are apricot, cherry and plum orchards, as…

4. Tērvete Nature Park

21.51 MILES

Tērvete Nature Park protects three ancient mounds, including the impressive Tērvete Castle Mound, which was abandoned by the Semigallians after several…

5. St Peter-Paul Orthodox Church

23.42 MILES

Built in 1893 and now beautifully restored, St Peter-Paul Orthodox Church is the oldest place of worship in Ķemeri and, if you look closely, you’ll notice…

6. Ķemeri Park

23.44 MILES

The former resort's central park offers melancholy hints of what once was and what might be again. Amidst the manicured lawns are dishevelled features in…

7. Hotel Ķemeri

23.6 MILES

You can't miss the Hotel Ķemeri. Known as the ‘White Ship’, it was built during Latvia’s brief period of independence in the 1930s, and has one of the…

8. Lizard Spring

23.7 MILES

The area’s spring water is perfectly potable and supposedly quite healthy. Try filling your water bottle at the Lizard, a stone sculpture at the mouth of…