Schloss Ruhental (2025)
Rundāles Castle (Latvian: Rundāles pils) is a Baroque castle in the Latvian region of Zemgale, located 10 kilometers west of the city of Bauska in the village of Rundāle, which has been state-owned since 1920. It is often referred to as the Versailles of the Baltics. It was modeled on the French Palace of Versailles.
The construction of the palace was commissioned by the Russian Tsarina Anna Ivanovna.
The Russian-Italian architect and master builder at the Tsar's court, Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli, who had already drawn up the plans for the Winter Palace of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, was commissioned to design the palace. The foundation stone was laid in 1735, and construction initially lasted until 1740.
At the same time as the construction of the palace, its park was laid out in the then fashionable French Baroque style according to a design by the architect Francesco Rastrelli.
In short: definitely worth a trip, as is the entire Baltic States.
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