The Bīriņu Castle

Until the early 20th century, in the vicinity of the Bīriņu castle there was the famous Bīriņu manor. The manor received its name in honour of Johann Bering von Helmstedt who freed Turaida, Cēsis, Limbaži and many other significant Latvian places from troops of Ivan IV by using his military units and wit, after which he became a folk hero and received the manor in his property.

In ancient times it was a place where the Livs lived. They called the hill Koldesselle which means "sand dune mountain". 

Renaissance features dominate in the appearance of the Bīriņu castle – the spacious lobby is adorned with splendid oak stairs, the rooms have high ceilings and exquisite tile stoves. The atmosphere and the air of the castle are saturated with the spirit of antiquity!

The Bīriņu castle keeps a legend about the mysterious destinies of the family Pistolkors. It is a love story in which two young people – the castle owner's son and a maid – fell in love with each other, but were abandoned to death because they could not live without each other.

Facts

• The Bīriņu castle was built in 1860
• The Bīriņu castle building and the Bīriņu manor are a national architectural monument
• At the beginning of the 18th century the manor was repeatedly bought and sold until it was transferred to ownership of Charles Johann von Mengden. He built a Swedish baroque manor house and several outbuildings of the manor
• Charles Johann von Mengden's heiress married Count Mellin, who was a significant social and political figure, an active fighter for the abolition of serfdom, cartographer and folk song collector. A portrait of Mellin can be viewed in the Maritime Museum, but its copy is kept in the Bīriņu castle
• Count Mellin's daughter married Lieutenant Colonel Alexi von Pistolkors, whose son built the Bīriņu castle building in 1860, which we are visiting nowadays
• The Bīriņu castle's architecture is performed in neo-gothic style. Wilhelm Friedrich HesseIt designed it in Munich

Additional services

• Guide services – in Latvian, English and Russian
• Souvenirs
• Bīriņu castle restaurant
• Dzirnavu ethnic cafe with a terrace on the lake is available in summer season
• Bicycle rental
• Boat rental
• Horseback rides in the Bīriņu castle
• Park library
• Painting in the park

For your convenience

• Free parking at the entrance to the territory of the Bīriņu castle. Paid parking in the territory of the castle. Fee – 1.50 EUR per day
• WC
• Free picnic area (the picnic area must be paid only in case of reservation)
• Wireless Internet connection (Wi-Fi)