Koknese Castle Ruins, Koknese, Latvia

Before the arrival of the Teutonic Knights, Koknese was the site of a wooden hill fort inhabited by the Balts. In 1209 Bishop Albert of Riga ordered the construction of a stone castle at the site, naming it Kokenhusen. For the first 50 years of its existence, Koknese was solely used as a defensive fort, but by 1277, Koknese had enough population to receive city rights. Koknese also became a member of the Hanseatic League thanks to its strategic location on the Daugava trade route.

The castle was heavily contested between Polish, Swedish and Russian forces in the 16th and 17th centuries. It changed hands many times, while the native inhabitants endured periodic slaughter, capture, and famine. In 1701, during the Great Northern War, Koknese was finally blown up by retreating forces to avoid the strategic castle falling into advancing Russian hands. The castle was never rebuilt and fell to ruin.

In 1900, a park was established around the castle ruins, and Koknese became a popular summer resort. The area was known for its scenic waterfalls, cliffs, and look-outs. In 1965, the Soviet government built Pļaviņas Hydro Power Plant in the town of Aizkraukle. The reservoir flooded the entire length of the Daugava to Pļaviņas. Koknese Castle, once sitting atop a high bluff, was placed at the river's edge, while the scenic Daugava valley was submerged.

References:

Wikipedia

Address

Blaumaņa iela 3, Koknese, Latvia

See all sites in Koknese

Details

Founded: 1209
Category: Ruins in Latvia
Historical period: State of the Teutonic Order (Latvia)

More Information

www.latvia.travel
en.wikipedia.org
www.koknese.lv
www.ambermarks.com

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Krustpils Castle (30,5 km)
Aizkraukle Castle Ruins (16,3 km)
Vecpiebalga Castle (52,6 km)

User Reviews

Roxanne Jakuska (2 years ago)
Nice walk in the forest with great views

Domenico Grazioso (2 years ago)
Nice park. The lady selling the tickets spend a.lot of time with us. I was with a group of 12 boys (12 to - 16 yo) and they were super interested in what she said. The place has WC all over and super views. It is quite iconic.

Alan Glavin (2 years ago)
Was informed on latvian/laovian history

Mar Vee (2 years ago)
Very nice, peacefull, well kept treasure. Really like the atmosphere there.

Stephan Dreyer (2 years ago)
Interesting place to see, not so much historical information (not like a museum). Interesting to see the effect of the new hydropower reservoir. Some nice ice cream

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Photo from Flickr, copyright oxfordblues84

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Koknese Castle Ruins