BURTNIEKI CHURCH AND PASTORAL MANOR

The church, which stands on the shores of lake Burtnieks, is one of the most notable examples of late Gothic and Baroque in Vidzeme. It was built between 1283 and 1287 and is dedicated to St. Mary. In 1654 the church suffered a fire, but it was completely restored. The church books in the pastoral manor contain records of people’s birth data from 1720.

Upon prior application (via donations), you can climb the church tower and look out over the expanses of lake Burtnieks and the beautiful countryside. At Burtnieki Church you can see the Heroes’ Grove (“Varoņu birzs”), established in 1934, where there is a monument made by Nikolajs Maulics, dedicated to the sons of Burtnieku congregation who died in the First World War and the Latvian War of Independence.