Ēdole Castle

About this place

Ēdole Castle is a Gothic Revival castle on the shore of Lake Ēdole in Ēdole Parish, Kuldīga Municipality, in the Courland region of western Latvia, about 17 km northwest of Kuldīga in a straight line. It originally consisted of two residential buildings linked by a stone wall, is surrounded by a landscape park, and is an architectural and archaeological monument of national importance. The castle was built for the bishop of Courland between 1264 and 1267 and rebuilt in the 16th century. From 1561 until 1920 it belonged to Baron von Behr and his descendants. It was enlarged in the 18th century and reconstructed between 1835 and 1841, becoming one of the first examples of Gothic Revival architecture in Courland. In 1906–1907 a service yard and a corner tower were added, keeping the Gothic forms of the facade. The castle has pale pink walls, a round tower with a conical roof and battlemented walls, framed by tall trees and a green park, and from the tower the view opens over forests that turn colour in autumn. Visitors walk the castle courtyard and park, tour its furnished rooms and climb the tower for the view. The visit pairs well with Kuldīga's old town and the Venta Rapid.