Holiday apartment in Bauska Municipality – Baroque gardens and castles

The Rundāle Palace ensemble is an outstanding monument of Baroque and Rococo architecture and art. Covering 85 hectares, the ensemble includes the palace and stables, a former hunting park, orchards, a pond and canals, as well as the foundations of an old 16th-century castle. The French garden covers 10 hectares and features typical Baroque elements: a parterre, fountains, a Green Theatre, bosquets, pergolas, pavilions and a labyrinth.

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Culture

Bauska Castle is characterized by the military architecture of 15th- to 17th-century Latvia. At the same time, it is the only partially preserved residence of the Dukes of Courland and Semigallia from the Kettler dynasty. The castle grounds include fortress ruins, an observation platform and a nature trail. The Mežotne Hillfort is one of the largest fortifications of ancient Semigallia, dating from the 9th to the 13th century. The “Mežotnes baznīca” cultural centre houses an exhibition on the historical events at the Mežotne Hillfort.

The museums in Bauska also preserve various areas of cultural history. The Bauska Museum has a collection of more than 61,000 historical objects, including antiquities, photographs, documents, books, furniture, work tools and household items. It offers guided tours in the museum or the city, as well as museum education programmes for children. The collection also includes the “Laiks spēlēties” doll and toy exhibition, which covers the period from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 21st century.

The Bauska Motor Museum displays collections of passenger cars and heavy vehicles, military equipment, and experimental vehicles from the Riga Autobus Factory RAF. It also offers technical and creative workshops such as “Atlecošā bumbiņa” and “Vēja enerģija”.

Landscape

Rundāle combines its architectural structures with designed and historic landscape features. In addition to the palace and stables, the ensemble contains a former hunting park, orchards, a pond and canals; the foundations of an old 16th-century castle are also present. Another connection between culture and landscape is the pedestrian bridge over the Lielupe: it connects the Mežotne Hillfort with Mežotne Palace and is located 350 metres from the hillfort.

From the tower of the “Mežotnes baznīca” cultural centre, there are views across the Zemgale plain, the Lielupe and the Mežotne Hillfort. At Bauska Castle, a path runs along the steep bank of the Mēmele. From there, visitors can see the landscape of the Mēmele Valley; the river bend has a microclimate that is attractive to representatives of the animal and plant worlds.

Experiences

At the Mežotne Hillfort, the “Spožās skudras” trail offers various activity opportunities and information about the special organisms found there. Boat trips are also offered on the Mēmele, Mūsa and Lielupe rivers in Bauska Municipality.

The Ausekļu Dzirnavas open-air museum showcases a Latvian farmstead with a collection of historic work tools and exhibitions. The spring festival “Sējas svētki” traditionally takes place there on the second Saturday in May, and the autumn festival “Pļaujas svētki” on the first Saturday in September. Visitors can experience and participate in seasonal work at these festivals. The open-air museum also offers pancake tastings and opportunities to bake pīrāgi or bread.

In the centre of Pilsrundāle stands the watermill of Rundāle Estate, built at the end of the 18th century. Visitors are shown the beer-making process at the watermill, and tastings are also offered.

Getting around

There is a direct public transport connection from Riga to Rundāle Palace, operating from 1 May to 30 September. Printable thematic route guides are available for Bauska Municipality, with information on attractions, dining, accommodation and active recreation offers.

As other areas of Bauska Municipality, you will find Jauncode, Bauska, Mežotne, Grenctāle, Ceraukste, Likverteni, Code and Pāce.

To the higher-level travel overview: Latvia.