Turaida Museum Reserve
Red-brick castle of 1214 with manor buildings, a wooden church and the Folk Song Park above the Gauja.
Turaida Castle was begun in 1214 on the orders of Albert, Bishop of Riga, on a hill above the Gauja valley where a wooden Liv stronghold had stood. Built of local red brick, it served the archbishops of Riga as a border fortress and administrative centre until a fire in 1776 left it ruined. Archaeological work and reconstruction directed by Jānis Graudonis began in 1953, and the main tower, the southern block and parts of the walls now house displays on the castle's history.
The reserve covers about forty-two hectares and some forty buildings and monuments, taking in the castle, the manor's working yard, and Turaida Church, a wooden church of 1750 that is among the oldest in Latvia. Beside it lies the grave associated with the legend of the Rose of Turaida. The Folk Song Park on Dainu Hill, laid out in 1985 with sculptures by Indulis Ranka, honours Krišjānis Barons and the Latvian dainas. The site holds a European Heritage Label.
Highlights
- Red-brick main tower of the archbishop's castle, with views over the Gauja
- Wooden Turaida Church of 1750 and the Rose of Turaida's grave
- Folk Song Park on Dainu Hill with sculptures by Indulis Ranka
- Manor working yard with craft demonstrations and estate exhibitions
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