Birini Palace

Birini was built between 1857 and 1860 for Baron August von Pistohlkors in the romantic historicist manner then fashionable for Baltic manor houses, red brick with a tower, stepped gables and terraces, set above a lake in a landscape park of around thirty hectares with old oaks, a chapel, a boathouse and a mill. It came through the twentieth century as a sanatorium, which preserved it, and it now operates as a hotel and event venue with the principal rooms open to day visitors, including the hall, the staircase and the tower. Boats are hired on the lake, and the park is walked freely. Weddings and events occupy the house at weekends.

History

The Riga architect Friedrich Wilhelm Hess built the palace between 1857 and 1860 for Baron August von Pistohlkors; it was rebuilt in the early 20th century to plans by Rudolf Heinrich Zirkwitz, and from 1926 until 1995 it housed health resorts, the first of them for workers of the printing industry (Wikipedia, Bīriņi Palace).

The main sights

• The brick palace - the towered manor above the lake.
• The interiors - the hall, staircase and rooms open to visitors.
• The landscape park - the thirty hectares of grounds and old trees.
• The lake - the water below the house with boats for hire.

When to go

May to September for the park and the lake; the hotel runs year round. Weekends are heavily booked with events and access to interiors may be restricted. Weekdays are quiet.

Things to know

The house is a working hotel and event venue, so interior access depends on bookings and can be closed at short notice. Entry is charged for the park as well as the house. The visit takes about two hours.

Nearby

Sigulda lies south; the Vidzeme coast is north.

Key facts