VALMIERMUIŽA
The tower of Valmiermuiža Castle is the only authentic building left from the former Valmiermuiža Castle. It features Moorish-style wall and ceiling drawings, also used in the famous Alhambra fortress in Spain. The drawings are a state-protected monument of art and history, which is currently not available for viewing.
The brightest and most inspiring time in Valmiermuiža was the end of the 18th century, when it was ruled by the Prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck Peter August Friedrich. He built a baroque villa or maison de plaisance in Valmiermuiža around 1764 and created a large hunting park. The villa was the only building of this style in the Baltics, which the prince used as both a hunting residence and a summer house to host guests, including representatives of the royal family. The Russian Empress Catherine II also once stopped at Valmiermuiža, which had become a favorite place for royal rest.
There is not much evidence of the castle’s interior, but it is known that the rooms had high ceilings with a luxurious pavilion concept. That being said, you can look at the former form of the noble castle through specially designed glazed tablets located in the park.
Next to it, allowing the tradition of hospitality of this place to be reborn, there is now a Valmiermuižas alus beer brewery, where live beer is made according to the fashion of the former landlords. In the adjacent old barn building, there is a Latvian flavor shop and the Valmiermuižas alus virtuve (“Valmiermuiža beer kitchen”), where it is possible to enjoy dishes made from beer or specially selected for enjoying with it.