Põltsamaa Castle

Põltsamaa, Estonia

The construction of Põltsamaa Castle was started in 1272. Between 1570 and 1578 it was the residence of Livonia's King Magnus. Repeatedly pillages, the castle was rebuilt by Woldemar Johann von Lauw in 1770 as a grand rococo-style palace. The castle, and the church built into its cannon tower, burnt down in 1941.

Põltsamaa St. Nicholas' Church was built from 1632 to 1633 on the site of earlier buildings. The nave was built on the 13th century gate buildings and the sanctuary on the 15th century cannon tower. The church was restored by 1952, and the castle ruins came under preservation during the 1970s.

Today the round courtyard holds a tourist information point and several museums including Põltsamaa Museum and a wine cellar with a food museum. There are also an art gallery, restaurant, handicraft and other workshops.

References: VisitEstonia, Aviastar.org

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Details

Founded: 1272
Category: Castles and fortifications in Estonia
Historical period: Danish and Livonian Order (Estonia)

More Information

www.visitestonia.com

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Kert Mõttus (6 months ago)
What a blast! 3YR kid loved it. Great cafeteria! Excellent service! I went there Oct 20 evening.
Dimo (9 months ago)
After some thought, I decided to buy a ticket and go to the castle ruins. From the outside, there was nothing left there except for the walls, the wind blowing through them, and the going to stool pigeons, so I didn't see the point in going in. Nevertheless, I went to the ticket office and asked the woman to tell me what was interesting there. She turned out to be a resident of this cute little town and was happy to tell me about the museum. I liked her story about the 2 places to visit in the castle - the ruins and the museum, and I bought a ticket only for the ruins. I didn't regret it! Although only the walls remained there, there were photos of what it looked like before and extremely interesting stories were told on these walls! So I advise you to go in!
Hannu Impola (11 months ago)
Huge castle and grounds in the inner yard. Very nice place to visit. You can the surrounding country side when you climb to the tower; good exercise. Caesar salad at the restaurant was good, 4 stars. The waiter forgot to bring the drinks, I needed to remind. This place is worth visiting.
Olev Maimets (2 years ago)
Fascinating historical castle. It’s being renovated but already taking shape. The Oberpahlen restaurant serves a tasty mushroom soup and capuchino among other dishes.
Margus Maasik (2 years ago)
Interesting place to visit in the region. I would also recommend to visit the restaurant.
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