Page 172 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Estonia Latvia & Lithuania

170  LA T VIA REGION B Y REGION

Jelgava Palace, built on an island in the Lielupe river, Jelgava
1 Jelgava who died in 1917 in Latvia as to the grandchildren of the
German prisoners of war during Russian Tsarina Catherine II.
Road Map C4. * 66,000.
£ from Rīga. @ from Rīga. World War I. The original design by Italian
n Akadēmijas iela 1, 6300 5445. architect Giacomo Quarenghi
_ International Ice Sculpture Festival + Jelgava Palace was developed by local archi-
(Feb). ∑ visit.jelgava.lv Lielā iela 2. Tel 6300 5617. Open mid- tect J G Berlitz. The Lieven
May–Aug: 9am–6pm Mon–Sat; Sep– family lost the manor in 1920
Between 1578 and 1795, mid-May: 9am–6pm Mon–Fri. & 8 during the agrarian reforms,
Jelgava was the capital of the R Orthodox Cathedral of and it was partly destroyed
Duchy of Courland. The most St Simeon and St Anna during World War II. Today, the
prominent remnant of the Raiņa iela 5. Tel 6302 0207. palace is used for functions and
duchy period is the Jelgava Open 9am–5pm daily. 5 5pm. as a hotel, but it is also open
Palace (Jelgavas pils), the win ter E History and Art Museum to visitors. The highlight is the
residence of Ernst Johann Biron Akadēmijas iela 10. Tel 6302 3383. Dome Hall, with artificial marble
(see p173). Built in the 18th Open 10am–5pm Wed–Sun. & pillars and walls, and a dome
century by Francesco B Rastrelli, painted to give the illusion of
the building today houses the E Latvian Railway Museum three-dimensional decoration.
Latvian University of Agriculture. Stacijas iela 3. Tel 6309 6494. The grounds are in the style of
None of the original interiors Open 10am–5pm Wed–Sat (to an English park, and in summer
remain intact, but a small 7pm Thu). & 8 boats take visitors across the
museum houses archive photo- Lielupe river. On the other side
graphs of the palace’s pre-war of the river is a castle mound,
state. Museum staff also provide 2 Mežotne Palace site of one of the largest
access to the burial vault of the Road Map D4. Tel 6396 0711. Semigallian castles and scene
dukes of Courland. Around 50 Open 9am–8pm daily. & 0 of their final battle against the
wild horses roam the meadows ∑ mezotnespils.lv German crusaders (1290).
on the island behind the palace.
The Old Town offers a handful This restored Neo-Classical
of interesting sights. The structure was built in 1802 for 3 Rundāle Palace
impressively restored Orthodox Charlotte von Lieven, govern ess See pp 172–3.
Cathedral of St Simeon and
St Anna (Sv Sīmaņa un Annas
pareizticīgo katedrāle) was
designed by Rastrelli for Biron’s 4 Bauska
patron, Anna Ivanovna. A Baroque Road Map D4. * 11,000. @ from
building houses the History Rīga. n Rātslaukums 1, 6392 3797.
and Art Museum (Vēstures un _ Early Music Festival (Jul),
mākslas muzejs), which docu- International Country Music Festival
ments local history, while the (Jul). ∑ tourism.bauska.lv
quirky little Latvian Railway
Museum (Latvijas dzelzceļu A small country town, Bauska
muzejs) attracts rail enthusiasts. is known mainly for its
15th-century Bauska Castle
Environs (Bauskas pils), which was built at
The small Nikolai Cemetery, the confluence of the Mēmele
4 km (2 miles) southeast of and Mūsa rivers to help control
Jelgava, contains the graves Pastel-coloured exterior of the the trade route between Rīga
of 36 British soldiers and sailors Neo-Classical Mežotne Palace and Lithuania. Later, it became
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp301–302 and pp322–4

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