Destinations / The Best Places to Visit in Latvia / The Rundale Palace
The Rundale Palace
The Rundale Palace (Rundāles pils) is the most famous and probably the most beautiful palace complex in Latvia. The Rundale Palace is located in the southern part of Latvia on the fertile plain of Zemgale, twelve kilometers from Bauska, in the Pilsrundale village. The ensemble of the Rundale Palace is one of the most outstanding monuments of Baroque and Rococo architecture in Latvia and it was built in the period from 1736 to 1740 as a summer residence of the Duke of Courland Ernst Johann Biron - a favorite of the Russian Empress Anna Ivanovna. The palace was designed by and under the guidance of the famous Russian court architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli. Much of the interior has been created from the 1765 to 1768, when the sculptor Johann Michael Graf and the Italian painters from St. Petersburg - Francesco Martini and Carlo Zucchi were working in the palace in Berlin. The eastern part of the building of the palace is opened to visitors to explore the Golden Hall, the White Hall and the Grand Gallery. In the main building there are apartments of the Duke, the ceremonial salons and private apartments and in the western wing ,completely renovated apartments of the Duchess.
The Baroque Palace of the time is unthinkable without the "French garden" with architectonic border vegetation, which should be a victory of the art over the nature. The park is located in the southern part of the palace, Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli designed it together with the building of the palace. In addition to the stables of the palace, the park is surrounded by a specially dug channel. And although the "French Garden" Rundale value is of 10 hectares, Rastrelli was to design it so that there are intricate and the alley crosses the walkway and the pergola and a maze-bosquet. Before the Palace Rastrelli project provided three fountains, which in the 18th century did not work - instead they were for swimming. The central pool is now surrounded by four ornamental parterres, created from trimmed boxwood shrubs, areas of the bricks and fragments of white marble and lawns. They were rebuilt by Rastrelli. On both sides of the partners, the bosquets area is almost one hectare, made with a big garden of roses, which purpose was to show the history of the cultivation of roses in Europe with the first half of the 18th century to the present day. One of bosquets follows the configuration which was visible in the project Rastrelli and preserved in its natural form, created the "Green House" in the form of an amphitheater, where on July 11, 2004 was opened an opera production of "Rinaldo" by George Frideric Handel. In a quiet estate Zemgale created a "little Versailles" and now its value is far outgrown the boundaries Zemgale and Latvia. The Rundale Palace Museum acts as a center for the study of ancient art in Latvia, it collects collections, organizes exhibitions and prepares publications. In the showrooms you can see the exhibition of applied arts, fine arts, cultural and historical exhibitions held in the palace of ancient music festivals and concerts of classical music. The French formal palace with a garden of roses, a green theater, ornamental parterres and fountains is opened for all visitors. Summer in the Park arranges a "Holiday Garden". The Rundale Palace Museum offers the following services: o Large receptions, balls and concerts in the festive halls of the palace - the Golden Hall, the White Hall and the Grand Gallery. o Wedding ceremony of the first waltz at the White Hall. The Garden and the Green House can be used for different types of events: o presentations, o balls, o concerts o theater and opera productions, o shooting films and videos.
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The country also carefully preserves folk traditions and the architectural masterpieces of the Latvian cities.
There is the warm shores of the Baltic Sea, dozens of modern resorts, nearly fifty of old castles, the famous amber, hundreds of lakes and springs, as well as many hundreds of square miles of picturesque landscapes.
The areas of the Gauja River valley, the banks of the Daugava and Salaca, Vidzeme and Kurzeme coast of the Gulf of Riga, near the village and Ergli Vetspiebalgi, "mountains" and Gaizinkalns Sauleskalns, the urban neighborhood Tukums and Tulsa, the ancient city of Cesis and Kuldiga, the scenic lakes and Esha Reznas - all these places are part of the unique " Baltic Necklace", which gives the country a unique look and beauty.
Latvia is situated in the north-east of Europe, on the east coast of the Baltic Sea.
It has borders with Estonia in the east, with Russia in the south and with Belarus and Lithuania .
It is washed by the Baltic Sea in the west.
The total area is of 64.
5 thousand square kilometers.
The coastline - 531 km.
Most of the country is occupied by plains and lowlands, low hills surrounding the Vidzeme Upland (the highest point - Gaizinkalns, 311 m).
About 44% of the country is covered with forests.
The territory of Latvia was stretched by quite an extensive network of water - more than three thousand lakes and 12 thousand rivers, which provide good opportunities for active tourism.
Many hotels in Latvia are situated on the Baltic coast.
Hotels in Latvia will amaze you with the breadth of the price range and services offered.
An inexpensive holiday in Latvia is a journey to a European country with a long history and a high level of service, original architecture and the diversity of cultural life, beautiful nature and business centers - here one will find what looking for.
Tours in Latvia will be remembered for a long time: you might want to re-immerse yourself in the unique atmosphere of the magnificent cathedrals, ancient churches and ornate streets, soak up the high-SPA, to be back at parties and festivals.
Buying trips to Latvia, you get a great opportunity to relax, for example, during the SPA-tours as Amber weekend or year-round tour of the Golden Ring in Riga , where you will see many colorful historic sites.
Strolling through the streets of Riga you can visit the beautiful and austere Cathedral, the Swedish Gate, the Monument of Liberty, the Residence of Peter I, inspect the symbol of Riga - 137-meter tower of the church of St.
Peter.
Of interest are the church of St.
Jacob, the Powder Tower, the Garden Gate Viesturs with the Alexander at the entrance, established in honor of Russian victory over Napoleon.
No less interesting museums in Riga are, for example, the famous historical museum, the Museum of Medicine, the Museum of Foreign Art, the National Gallery of Art, the Automotive Museum, the Ethnographic Museum, a collection of buildings XVI-XIX centuries from across the country from the typical wooden churches to windmills.
And at the Shopping-Tour in Riga individual travelers must go to the Riga market - the largest market in Europe.
Culture of Latvia Latvian literature is saturated with rich folkloric traditions.
These are folk songs, legends and fairy tales which have begun writing culture.
The first significant achievements of Latvian prose of the novel are of brothers Reinis Kaudzit Mathis, and "Seasons of the surveyors' (1879) and Jacob Apsishu stories about the life of the village.
The founder of the Latvian drama is A.
Alunana.
For significant achievements of the national culture is to translate the Bible into the Latvian language, made by Ernst Gluck as well as the release of the first periodical in the Latvian language under the title "The Latvian newspaper" in 1822.
In the Soviet period was carried out work aimed at the integration of all national cultures.
Many books have been translated by Latvian writers, like the languages of the peoples of the USSR and in foreign languages.
Latsis, Kempe, ITES, Sudrabkalna, Mane, Vatsientisa and many other published their works .
Latvian national cuisine The basis of the Latvian cuisine make putra and milk products in the first place and cheeses.
The main products include the national cooking pearl barley, flour, beans, vegetables, potatoes and dairy products.
Among meats pork keeps the palm, and after beef, veal and poultry.
In the preparation of dishes of national cuisine herring and sprat are widely used.
In the ranking of the most popular dishes of Latvian cuisine should be made sour milk and bread soup, also cabbage putra.
Putrov is a thick broth, pearl barley boiled in milk, added thereto as meat and fat.
Exact scattering of dishes in Latvia are made from cabbage, beet tops, sorrel, fresh and pickled vegetables.
The real "favorites" legumes are Latvian table.
Worth a try are the dumplings beans or peas with yogurt or boiled peas with cooked bacon.
Economy of Latvia Constant trading partners of Latvia are the country's neighbors.
However, becoming a member of the European Union, the country has expanded its trade horizons.
It established cooperation with many European countries, in particular, with Sweden, Britain and Germany.
The main export goods of Latvia are: iron and metal, electrical machinery and equipment, lumber, textiles and knitwear, round timber.
By the weaknesses of the Latvian economy is the fact that energy is in a state of dependence on imported oil and gas, but it has its own raw material resources available.
The country has a high unemployment rate, reaching 15%.
All this inevitably turns Latvia in one of the poorest countries in Europe.
Latvia can rightly be called the "pearl" of the Baltic states.
This is a country of blue lakes, forests, springs.
Among the scenic beauty, Latvia "has registered" dozens of modern resorts.
This country has medieval castles, knights' castles, rich history full of beautiful legends.
This is a country where past and present go hand in hand.
Perhaps that is why Latvia is so attractive to tourists.
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