Day 01
Bauska Castle, Rundale Palace and Jelgava Palace
- Make your first stop at the medieval Bauska Castle, built as a 15th-century fortress and royal residence for the Dukes of Courland and Semigallia. See the cannons and other defences used by medieval Latvians, and learn about the royal court's social customs and fashion sense with your Latvian tour guide. The two palaces you will tour today were built in the 18th century for the same family, the Dukes of Courland and Semigallia. Italian architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli also created Russia's ornate Winter Palace and Tsarskoye Selo Palace for the tsars.
- See why Rundale Palace is like a time capsule of 18th-century royal Latvian life, with beautifully preserved and restored Baroque architecture and Rococo art. Don't miss a stroll through the massive French-style gardens outside the palace.
- Make a final stop at Jelgava Palace, which was burned down during the War of Independence in 1919 and heavily shelled during World War II. The Baroque-style palace was reconstructed in 1961 and is currently home to the Latvian University of Agriculture. Visit the crypt of the royal family members who once lived here, which houses their ornate sarcophagi, before heading back to Riga.
