Cesvaine Palace

Cesvaine palace was built between 1893 and 1896 for Baron Adolf von Wulf to designs by Hans Grisebach and August Dinklage, a stone house in an eclectic manner mixing neo-Gothic, Romanesque and Jugendstil with towers, turrets, carved detail and a great hall, and it is among the most elaborate manor houses in Latvia. It served as a school for much of the twentieth century, which kept it in use. A fire in 2002 destroyed the roof and interiors, and a restoration begun in 2003 rebuilt the roof, the tower and the rooms; it was finished in 2022, when the palace reopened to visitors. The park around it holds old trees and outbuildings, and the palace is used for events.

History

The palace was built in 1896 for Baron Adolf Gerhard von Wulf by the Berlin architects Hans Grisebach and August Dinklage, in stone, with towers and turrets of many shapes and sizes, tall decorative chimneys and steep roofs (Wikipedia, Cesvaine Palace).

The main sights

• The turreted exterior - the eclectic stone facades and towers.
• Restored interiors - the rooms recovered since the 2002 fire.
• The great hall - the principal space of the house.
• The park - the grounds and outbuildings around the palace.

When to go

May to September for the park and the fullest opening; winter hours are reduced. Weekdays are quiet.

Practical notes

The restoration after the fire was finished in 2022. Interiors are largely recreated rather than original. Labelling is mainly in Latvian. The town has limited facilities.

Nearby

Madona lies southwest; Stameriena is northeast.

Key facts