This is a list of castle

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...

s in 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...

. List includes fortified residences of Western European conquerors built in the area of present day Latvia before 17th century. In total there have existed 138 - 140 medieval castles in the area of present-day Latvia, thus this list is not complete.

After the name of the castle there comes year of construction and short description of its present day condition.

Courland

Courland

Courland is one of the historical and cultural regions of Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland.- Geography and climate :...

 

• Aizpute Castle - end of 13th c., ruins.
• Alsunga Castle - before 1341, preserved and in use.
• Dunalka Old Manor - after 1578, ruins.
• Dundaga Castle
  Dundaga Castle
  Dundaga Castle is a medieval castle in Dundaga, Latvia, in the Dundaga municipality. Latvia considers Dundaga Castle to be a monument of archaeological and of architectural importance.- History :...
  
   - late 13th c., preserved and in use.
• Ēdole Castle - first half of 14th c., preserved and in use.
• Embūte Castle
  Embute Castle
  Embūte Castle ruins are located in Embūte, Latvia , in the Embūte parish, Vaiņode municipality not far from an ancient castle hill erected by Curonians which was an ancient Curonian settlement and is mentioned in ancient chronicles as a place with strong Curonian resistance to German crusaders.-...
  
   - 1265?, ruins up to 7 m high.
• Grobiņa Castle
  Grobina Castle
  Grobiņa Castle is a medieval castle located in the town of Grobiņa, Latvia, in western Courland. The ancient Curonian castle hill is located only 100 m from the castle...
  
   - wooden castle before 1265, stone - circa 1345-1365, reconstructed ruins.
• Nurmuiža Castle - circa 1598, preserved and under reconstruction.
• Ventspils Castle
  Ventspils Castle
  Ventspils Castle is located in Ventspils, Latvia. It is one of the oldest and most well-preserved Livonian Order castles remaining, in that it has retained its original layout since the 13th century. Through its 700 year history, it has been used as a fortress, residence, garrison, school,...
  
   - before 1290, preserved and in use.
• Zentene Manor - about 1850, preserved.

Zemgale 

• Bauska Castle
  Bauska castle
  Bauska Castle is a complex consisting of the ruins of an earlier castle and a later palace on the outskirts of the Latvian city of Bauska.- History :...
  
   - after 1443, medieval part in ruins, Renaissance part reconstructed and in use
• Bramberģe Manor - beginning of 17th c., preserved, abandoned
• Bornsminde Castle - 1590, ruins included in later manor house
• Dobele Castle - 1335-1359, impressive ruins
• Jaunpils Castle
  Jaunpils Castle
  Jaunpils Castle is a castle in the historical region of Zemgale, in Latvia. The castle was erected by the Livonian Order in the late 14th century. The tower was added in the 15th century. Castle was heavily damaged by Swedes in 1625. Later there was build third floor and old fortress became manor...
  
   - before 1411, preserved and in use
• Šlokenbeka Castle - before 1544, preserved and transformed, in use

Vidzeme

Vidzeme

Vidzeme is one of the historical and cultural regions of Latvia. Literally meaning "the Middle Land" it is situated in north-central Latvia north of the Daugava River...

 

• Aizkraukle Castle
  Aizkraukle Castle
  Aizkraukle Castle - ruins of a medieval castle, located on the right bank of the river Daugava in Latvia west from the modern town of Aizkraukle, in Aizkraukle region. The castle has been built in second half of 14th century by Livonian Order. From 1334-1480 it was the seat of a Komtur.In 1559,...
  
   - 2nd half of 14th c., ruins up to 5 m high
• Alūksne Castle
  Alūksne Castle
  Alūksne Castle is a castle of Teutonic Knights in current Alūksne, North-Eastern Latvia.- History :The castle was built in 1342 on the largest of the islands in the Lake Alūksne and called Marienburg . The first castle was constructed by the Landmeister Burkhard von Dreileben...
  
   - circa 1342, ruins above 5 m height
• Burtnieki Castle - before 1366, ruins up to 4 m height
• Cēsis Castle - circa 1213-1218, impressive ruins
• Daugavgrīva Castle
  Daugavgrīva Castle
  Daugavgrīva Castle is a former monastery converted into a castle, located at Vecdaugava oxbow on right bank of Daugava, in the northern part of Riga city, Latvia...
  
   - 1208?, only earthen ramparts
• Gaujiena Castle - end of 13th century, ruins more than 10 m high
• Koknese Castle
  Koknese Castle
  Koknese Castle is a complex in Koknese, Latvia, dating from the 13th century. The castle was situated on a high bluff overlooking the Daugava river valley...
  
   - circa 1210, impressive ruins
• Krimulda Castle
  Krimulda Castle
  The Krimulda Castle Ruins are located just outside Sigulda, Sigulda municipality, Latvia and is a tourist attraction. The castle dates from the 14th century and was destroyed in a war in 1601.- History :...
  
   - middle of 13th c., ruins
• Lielstraupe Castle - end of 13th c.?, preserved and in use
• Lielvārde Castle - before 1248?, ruins
• Rauna Castle
  Rauna Castle
  Rauna Castle ruins are located in the village of Rauna, in Cēsis District, Latvia.- History :Rauna castle was built in 1262 and became the winter residence of the Archbishop of Riga. The biggest reconstructions occurred under the reign of Archbishop Jasper Linde . One of the new towers built...
  
   - before 1381, impressive ruins
• Riga Castle
  Riga Castle
  Riga Castle is a castle on the banks of River Daugava in Riga, the capital of Latvia. The castle was founded in 1330. This structure was thoroughly rebuilt between 1497 and 1515. Upon the castle's seizure by the Swedes, they constructed spacious annexes in 1641. The fortress was continually...
  
   - 1340ies, preserved and in use
• Salacgrīva fortress, ruins barely visible
• Sigulda Castle
  Sigulda Castle
  Sigulda Castle also known as Sigulda New Castle, to distinguish it from the ruined medieval Sigulda Medieval Castle nearby, was built during the end of the 19th Century and is located in Sigulda, Latvia. The stone building was a house for the manor owner family the Kropotkins from 1878 to 1881...
  
   - 1207 - 1209, impressive ruins
• Turaida Castle
  Turaida Castle
  Turaida Castle is a recently reconstructed medieval castle in Turaida, in the Vidzeme region of Latvia, on the opposite bank of the Gauja River from Sigulda....
  
   - 1214, ruins, partly reconstructed
• Vecdole Castle - before 1226, ruins barely visible
• Vecpiebalga Castle
  Vecpiebalga Castle
  Vecpiebalga Castle is a castle in the historical region of Vidzeme, in northern Latvia.- References :...
  
   - before 1318, ruins up to 6 metres high
• Zvartava Manor - 19th century.

Latgale

Latgale

Latgale is one of the four historical and cultural regions of Latvia recognised in the Constitution of the Latvian Republic. It is the easternmost region north of the Daugava River...

 

• Dinaburga Castle - circa 1273 - 1277, excavated and exposed ruins
• Krustpils Castle
  Krustpils Castle
  Krustpils Castle is a castle in Jēkabpils, Latvia. It is one of the best preserved medieval castles in Latvia- History :Most likely the castle is built between 1255 and 1297 as a castle of Riga Archbishopric...
  
   - 2nd half of 13th century, preserved and in use
• Ludza Castle
  Ludza Castle
  Ludza Castle is located in the centre Ludza, Latvia, a small town in eastern Latgale.- History :Once largest and strongest fortress in Latgale built by the Livonian Order in 14th century. This stone and brick structure replaced the wooden fortress built by the ancient Latgalians. The Ludza stone...
  
   - 14th c.?, impressive ruins
• Viļaka Castle
  Viļaka Castle
  Viļaka Castle is a castle in the historical region of Latgale, in eastern Latvia. The castle is located close to Viļaka town, on an island in the Viļaka Lake. Built by Archbishopric of Riga in 1342 as a wooden castle, rebuilt as a stone castle after 1516. The castle was destroyed in 1702...
  
   - end of 15th c., stone castle after 1516, ruins
• Rēzekne Castle
  Rezekne Castle
  Rēzekne Castle ruins are located in the centre of Rēzekne, Latvia, a city in the centre of Latgale.- History :Archeological excavations shows, that in the ninth to twelfth century, a Latgalian wooden fortress was situated in the place where the castle ruins are now located. When the Latgalian...
  
  - before 1324, ruins

External links

• Ambermarks - Medieval castles of Latvia - list