Ergeme Castle Ruins, Ērģeme, Latvia

Ērģeme castle served as a powerful fortress for the protection of the Livonian Holy Order eastern border and as a castle-front for the Cēsis castle of the Livonian Holy Order master. The castle was mentioned in 1422 but it was built already around year 1320 under the ordinance of the Order master Gerhard von Jocke. Masters used castle as a storehouse, point of support and shelter for the night. Planning of the castle is clearly legible. Nowadays still quite impressive castle ruins with the round corner tower in the height of two stories can be viewed.

Outside stone wall of the castle forms a regular quadrangle (it is so-called convent type castle) with two big fortification towers. Moats filled with water were around the castle. Drawbridge united the castle-front with the central part. Castle of Ērģeme was in the district of the master of Holy Order, ancillary castle of the Komturei of Cēsis. In 15th century castle was significantly rebuilt. In 1575 Ērģeme was conquered by the Livonian duke Magnuss who sold the castle to Polish in 1578. In 1621 Swedish king Gustav Adolph occupied the castle and in 1625 it was loaned to the major-general de la Barre whose family owned the castle till 1795. In 1658 again castle was conquered by Polish. In 1670 fire started in the castle of Ērģeme and there are no data that afterwards castle was inhabited.

In the 5th of July 1702 during the Livonian war castle was blown up. Up to the 1853 castle was used as a grain storehouse of the parish. In 1986 castle ruins were conserved but works were not finalized, therefore castle ruins gradually are perishing. During the summer period cultural events take place in the open-air stage of the castle ruins.

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Latvia Travel

Wieskirche

The Pilgrimage Church of Wies (Wieskirche) is an oval rococo church, designed in the late 1740s by Dominikus Zimmermann. It is located in the foothills of the Alps in the municipality of Steingaden.

The sanctuary of Wies is a pilgrimage church extraordinarily well-preserved in the beautiful setting of an Alpine valley, and is a perfect masterpiece of Rococo art and creative genius, as well as an exceptional testimony to a civilization that has disappeared.

The hamlet of Wies, in 1738, is said to have been the setting of a miracle in which tears were seen on a simple wooden figure of Christ mounted on a column that was no longer venerated by the Premonstratensian monks of the Abbey. A wooden chapel constructed in the fields housed the miraculous statue for some time. However, pilgrims from Germany, Austria, Bohemia, and even Italy became so numerous that the Abbot of the Premonstratensians of Steingaden decided to construct a splendid sanctuary.

Didzis Didzisss (16 months ago)
Ok.

Azar Safarov (3 years ago)
Nice quiet place, mostly ruins. One tower partially restored and closed, the rest is just walls and grass. 3 years under reconstruction and can’t tell that it’s a great success. No ticket is required and it’s open 24/7. I hope one day it will be restored and we’ll be able to see the beauty of the castle.

Edijs Zegods (4 years ago)
Super

Eduard Kreis (5 years ago)
Main entrance is closed now due the restoration works. Will be nice after that. Has a nice wooden path around and to the church ruins, along the water.

Edgars Cirulis (5 years ago)
bibimbap

Ergeme Castle Ruins

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