Cesvaine Castle is an example of European historicism, combining architecture, sculpture, metalwork and painting. The owner of the castle, Adolf Gerhard Boris Emil von Wolf (1857-1904), built the building between 1893 and 1896 as the new manor house of Cesvaine Manor. It was designed by the prominent Berlin architects H. Griesenbach and A. Dinklage.
The Cesvaine Castle, built of wrought stone, uses Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Art Nouveau elements to create the impression of ancient architecture. The new castle is partly built on the site of both the old manor house and the medieval castle.
ADVISITION:
* Castle tour.
* Observation tower (height – 21 m).
* Exhibitions.
* Visit of the castle museum collection, tel. 28337703 , 26826082 (Rita Medne, rita.medne@madona.lv).
* Museum educational programmes, tel. 28337703 , 22023730 (Renāte Čačka, renate.cacka@madona.lv).
* Guided tour of the Castle, tel. 28337703, 64852225(pils@cesvaine.lv).
Entrance ticket to the castle:
* 6 EUR per person.
* 3 EUR for pupils, students, pensioners.
* 10 EUR per family
– 1 adult with 1 to 3 children,
– 2 adults with 1 to 2 children.
* EUR 8.50 per family
– 1 adult with 1 to 4 children,
– 2 adults with 1 to 3 children,
– large family (with a “3+ Family Card” or other proof of large family status),
* EUR 2.50 per pers. pupils, students, pensioners, in a group of 10 pers. and more.
* 5 EUR pers., adult group 10 pers.
Free admission:
* Children up to 7 years old.
* Persons up to 18 years old with disabilities.
* Persons with disabilities of groups I and II (with a disability certificate) and 1 disabled person accompanying them.
* Orphans and children without parental care (with a disability certificate) and persons accompanying them (1 person per 10 children).
* Boarding school students and children from social rehabilitation centres (with proof of status) and accompanying persons (1 person per 10 children).
* Group leader (1 person) for groups of up to 25 people.
* Group leaders (2 persons) if the group consists of 25 or more people.
On the last Wednesday of every month, all visitors of the castle are admitted for free.
GUIDESERVICES (in addition to the entrance fee):
Excursion in Cesvaine Castle (45 min.)
EN:
* 2 EUR pers. 2 EUR per group up to 10 pers.;
* 25 EUR per group up to 29 pers.;
* 40 EUR per group from 30 pers.,
RU, EN, DE:
* 2,50 EUR pers. in a group of up to 10 pers.;
* 30 EUR in a group of up to 29 pers.;
* 60 EUR in a group of up to 30 pers.
Excursion in Cesvaine Castle and Castle Manor (1 h 30 min.)
EN:
* 3 EUR pers. in a group of up to 10 pers.;
* 30 EUR for a group of up to 29 pers.;
* 50 EUR for a group of 30 pers.,
RU, EN, DE:
* 3,50 EUR pers. in a group of up to 10 pers.;
* 35 EUR for a group of up to 29 pers.;
* 70 EUR for a group of 30 pers.
HISTORY
* The history of the castle goes back a long way. The first castle in Cesvaine was located in the territory of the present castle park – on the Cesvaine Castle Mound, while the Riga Archbishop’s stone castle was built at the end of the 14th century.
* After the Polish-Swedish War (1600-1629) Cesvaine was thoroughly devastated, according to an audit in 1638 there were only 32 men in 26 dwellings. The castle was destroyed in the middle of the 17th century during the Russo-Swedish War. Cesvaine and its castle were again destroyed in the Great Northern War (1701- 1710).
* Now only the foundations of the R wall of the medieval castle, which is made of boulders, can be seen above ground, exposing a length of about 50 m. In 2002 and 2003, some archaeological monitoring work was carried out at the castle under the supervision of I. Osse.
* Construction of the new castle began in 1893. It was ready for occupation in 1895. This is stated in the 1904 St. Petersburg edition of G. V.
* The construction of the castle was complicated by the considerable distance from the railway, the work with untrained people, the variety of languages of the workers. It was particularly difficult to obtain the granite, which was used throughout, for the exterior of the building, which was supplied from the surrounding area. The plan had also envisaged central heating, but as Cesvina has to rely on wood, this idea had to be abandoned in favour of stove heating.
* In the middle of the castle is the entrance – a massive portal and ramp for access. The castle doors are decorated with beautiful Renaissance ironwork. Decorative water gutters are located at the corners of the facades. The left wing of the palace is intended for the lords’ quarters and is surmounted by a magnificent gilding, crowned with a wolf figure.
* After the death of Adolf von Wulff, little is known about the subsequent events in the palace. Since 1919, Cesvaine Castle has housed a school. In 2002, the roof was destroyed by fire. By the end of 2010, the roofs of the left and right wings and the large tower had been restored (2006). Inside, some of the floor coverings, the grand staircase and the vault above it were restored. The dining hall fireplace and several doors have been partially restored, the basement rooms have been opened up and tidied, the ceiling of the musicians’ room and the fireplace have been partially restored, and the reception room has been renovated. In 2019, the roof of the central part of the castle was completed.
* In 1904, the von Wulff family left for Germany, and from 1919 until the fire in 2002, the castle housed the Cesvaine Secondary School. The castle is now gradually regaining its original appearance and is the setting for several international art films. The castle with the observation tower and the manor house are popular tourist attractions.
Photos from the Madona TIC archive.