Poltsamaa Castle

The Order built a castle at Poltsamaa in 1272 on the river, and in the eighteenth century the interior was rebuilt as a rococo palace of considerable elaborateness under Major General von Lauw, with stucco and plasterwork that was among the finest in the region until it was destroyed in 1944. What survives is the wall circuit and courtyard, the church built into the range, cellars, and fragments of the decoration in a museum. Poltsamaa was known in the Soviet period for fruit wine made at the local plant, and cellars in the castle serve and sell it. A rose garden was planted in the courtyard, and the river and mill pond lie below.

What you actually see

• The castle courtyard - the walls and enclosure of the medieval circuit.
• The rose garden - the planting inside the courtyard.
• The wine cellars - the tasting and sale of Poltsamaa fruit wine.
• The church - the building set into the castle range.

When to go

May to September for the rose garden, which flowers from late June, and for full opening; winter hours are limited. The courtyard is open year round. Events are held in the walls in summer.

Honest expectations

The rococo interiors are gone and only fragments survive; the courtyard is a shell. Museum and cellar hours are seasonal and can be irregular. Poltsamaa is a small town with limited facilities. The visit takes about two hours.

Nearby

Paide lies northwest; Tartu is southeast.