Valmiera Castle

Valmiera Castle
	Vidzeme, Latvia
	Ruins of Valmiera Castle
	Valmiera Castle
Coordinates	57°32′20″N 25°25′42″E
Type	Castle
Site history
Built by	Livonian Order
Materials	boulders, brick

Valmiera Castle (Latvian: Valmieras pils, German: Schloß Wolmar) was a castle in Valmiera, Latvia. Today its ruins lie in the city centre.

The medieval castle was built on the site of an old Latgalian fortification during the 13th century by the Livonian Order as an Ordensburg. It protected the right bank of the river Gauja. The castle had a certain political importance since it hosted Landtags (i.e. assemblies of representatives) of the Livonian Confederation. The fortress was burnt down by Russian troops during the Great Northern War and was subsequently used as a quarry for local residents to collect building materials.[1]

The former castle grounds today contain a museum and a shop and is used as an open-air venue for concerts and celebrations.[1]

References

"Ruins of Valmiera Livonian Order Castle". Enter Gauja. Retrieved 2 November 2016.

External links

Media related to Valmiera Castle ruins at Wikimedia Commons

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[entergauja-1] "Ruins of Valmiera Livonian Order Castle". Enter Gauja. Retrieved 2 November 2016.