LIVONIAN CASTLE

The castle was built in 1290, making it one of the country's oldest fortresses. In the late ^17th century, the castle tower was used to guide ships. During the 1655-1660 war, the castle was partially destroyed. From 1706 to 1835, the site was occupied by the Lutheran church, then by the Orthodox church until 1901. More recently, the castle was used as a prison, and during the Soviet period as a border guard station. Today, the castle houses the informative Ventspils City Museum.