Description of the attraction
Bauska Castle is located in the town of Bauska at the junction of two rivers - Musas and Memeles. The castle was a fortress built in the 15th century. It is believed to have been completed in 1451. A settlement was formed near the castle, the inhabitants of which were artisans and fishermen. The formed settlement was named "Vairogmiests". It also housed a church and school building.
Already in 1518 the settlement was mentioned in the chronicles under the name Bauska. Linguists note two possible variants of the formation of this name: from the word bauska - bad meadow, or from bauze - head, top of the hill.
At the end of 1559, the Bauska fortress, along with some other fortresses and regions, was transferred to Poland for temporary use, as a payment for helping the Livonian Order in the fight against Russia. In the spring of 1562. After the fall of the Livonian Order, its last master, Gotthard Kettler, swore allegiance to the Polish king Sigismund II Augustus and became Duke of Kurzeme and Zemgale. At the end of the same year, Bauska Castle was transferred to the ownership of the Duke of Kettler.
After the end of the Livonian War in 1852, the construction of the new Bauska castle began, the construction of which was completed, presumably, in 1596. This is evidenced by the discovered stone tablet with the inscription “Soli Deo Gloria Anno 1596”. In the same year, according to the will of Gotthard Kettler, the duchy was divided between his two sons: Frederick and Wilhelm. Duke Frederick moved to Jelgava. It is believed that Bauska received city status in 1609, when Duke Frederick awarded the city with a coat of arms depicting a lion.
In 1621, with the beginning of the Polish-Swedish war, Duke Friedrich, together with the court, temporarily settled in Bauska Castle, since Riga and Jelgava were occupied by Swedish troops. In 1625, the Swedes managed to capture the Bauska castle, here they remained until 1628. In 1624, after the death of Duke Frederick, his throne was taken by the son of his brother Wilhelm - Jekab. In 1658, the Swedes occupied Jelgava again and captured the Bauska and Dobele castles. The ruined and ruined castle returned to Poland in 1660 after the signing of the Treaty of Oliwa. Then a large amount was spent on the repair and restoration work carried out in the castle.
At the beginning of the Northern War in 1701, the Swedes captured the castle again, and in 1706 almost the entire territory of Courland passed to the Russian Empire. In 1795, the Duchy of Courland became part of Russia. In 1812, German troops invaded Courland, and for several months they managed to occupy Jelgava and Bauska. They hoped to restore the Duchy of Courland and annex it to Prussia.
Restoration work at the Bauska Castle, which was the seat of the Dukes of Courland, began in 1973. Nowadays, visitors can view the ramparts, the ruins of the castle, in addition, you can climb to the observation deck located in the central tower, which offers a magnificent view of the castle's surroundings. In addition, the Bauska Castle Museum offers its visitors a tour of the residence of the Dukes of Courland.
There are several legends associated with Bauska Castle. According to one of them, at midnight a master ascends to the tower of the castle, who once erected the walls of this fortress. He was buried many centuries ago not far from the castle, and to this day his spirit cannot come to terms with that. That numerous wars destroyed the fortress. There are also two ghosts of sentries that appear at the castle gates at night. The fact is that once the guards slept through the enemy, and he entered the castle and captured it. The spirits of these guards at night return to the bridge leading to the castle and saw it to prevent the invaders from entering the fortress.
