The Burtnieki Manor ensemble was built in the 18th-19th century when, after several changes of owners, the estate became the property of the Schroeder family. Around 1860, the Schroeders set about laying out a park. The park is remarkable for its grand staircase each step of which has been hewn from a solid block of granite brought to Latvia from Finland. Another attraction is a vase named "Seasons", decorated with sculptures.
The Burtnieki Manor Park is one of the best maintained rural estate parks in Latvia and is home to more than 70 species of trees and shrubs. The park, laid out in the mid-19th cent. by the last owner of the estate Wilhelm von Schroeder, still retains some features of its former splendour - a staircase of solid granite slabs, a fountain and other elements.
The manor building is now a private property and can only be viewed from the outside but the visitors can take a stroll in the lovely park. The Vīsrags Path leads right from the gates, telling the story of the manor and the park.
References:Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.