Jaunpils Castle

Jaunpils Castle, built in 1301 on the shores of Lake Dzirnavu (Mill), is one of the rarest castles of the Middle Ages, retaining its original appearance.

Jaunpils Castle is a fairly typical fortification of the Livonian Order – it was built by the Master of the Order Gottfried von Rog. For more than 350 years, the castle was owned by barons from the Fon der Recke clan. Many legends have survived about the fearless Matthias von der Recke, the owner of the castle in the 16th century. During the Swedish war, he fought in a duel with the Swedish king Charles IX himself and after the duel, the king’s sword and his hat with expensive decorated ribbons were in Recke’s hands. These valuable items were stored in Jaunpils Castle until the First World War, but were then lost.

The castle in Jaunpils and its surroundings is full of legends and mysteries. Today you can see the church, built at the end of the 16th century, a water mill 200 years old, and in the castle you can taste a medieval meal and hot red wine. This is where you can feel the aroma of that such a romantic era.

Now there is a museum in the castle where you can view models of castles, copies of weapons and armor of the Livonian Order, find out interesting facts about the life of the castle and the fate of the inhabitants of Jaunpils.

The castle also offers theatrical tours accompanied by monks or medieval singers, medieval meals in the castle tavern, and medieval holidays are held in summer.