Mezotne Palace

Mezotne was built between 1798 and 1802 to designs by Giacomo Quarenghi, the architect of much of imperial St Petersburg, for Charlotte von Lieven, governess to the children of Paul I, who was given the estate for that service. It is a compact classicist house with a domed central hall and a portico, standing above the Lielupe with a landscape park running down to the water, and it is among the purest examples of the style in Latvia. It was damaged in the twentieth century and restored, and now operates as a hotel with the principal rooms open to day visitors. An Iron Age hill fort stands beside the park on the riverbank.

What you actually see

• The classicist house - the Quarenghi design with its portico.
• The domed hall - the central room of the palace.
• The Lielupe park - the grounds running down to the river.
• The hill fort - the Iron Age mound beside the park.

When to go

May to September for the park and the river; the hotel operates year round. Events and weddings can restrict interior access at weekends. Weekdays are quiet.

Honest expectations

The house is a working hotel and interior access depends on bookings. Restoration replaced much of the decoration. The visit takes about two hours. It combines with Rundale and Bauska nearby.

Nearby

Bauska lies southeast; Rundale palace is southwest.