The river front
Long, red and white.
Scotch Mist — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Scotch Mist — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zairon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Laima Gūtmane (simka… — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Sebleouf — CC BY-SA 4.0
Jelgava Palace is the largest Baroque palace in the Baltic states, on an island between the Lielupe River and its branches in the city of Jelgava. Bartolomeo Rastrelli designed it as a residence for the Dukes of Courland in their capital, the same architect behind their summer palace at Rundāle. Much of it now houses a university, so it does not feel only like a museum. Work began in 1738 on the site of a medieval Livonian Order castle. It stopped after Duke Ernst Johann von Biron's fall in 1740, with materials even moved to St. Petersburg. It resumed after his return from exile in 1762, and he moved in during 1772. Louis XVIII of France and his family took refuge here from 1798 to 1800, and Marie Thérèse married here in 1799. The red and white front runs long on the riverbank, with rows of windows and columns and matching wings, filling the horizon when seen from the far bank. At sunset it becomes a great silhouette above coloured water. On the other side are a broad court and arched entrance, flags and flower beds, and behind it a quiet park with big trees and small ponds. It is 40 km in a straight line from Riga and 39 km from Bauska Castle, reached by train. The best picture is from the opposite bank. Most of the building is a working university, so stay out of teaching rooms, and ask about the historical exhibition in the building. Respect the students' quiet, and check times before you arrive.
Long, red and white.
A silhouette above water.
Trees and ponds.
An island on the Lielupe, Jelgava
No, most of it is a university, with an indoor exhibition.
Yes, both are by Rastrelli.