Purtse – Castle Alt Isenhof

History

   The knight’s castle in Purtse was built in the middle of the 16th century, probably by the owner of the local lands, Johann von Taube. During its history, the castle had many owners and was burned several times. It suffered severely during the Livonian War in the second half of the 16th century and during the Great Northern War in the early 18th century. In addition to residential functions, it later served as a warehouse, dairy, prison and basement for ice. After 1940, it was completely abandoned, and it was renewed only in 1987-1990.

Architecture

   The castle is an example of a late medieval defensive manor with clearly gothic features. The building has three floors: the lowest served as a warehouse, the middle was a residential part, and the highest one was defensive. The entrance was at the height of the second floor and a wooden ladder led to it. In the cellars there was a hypocaustum stove that warmed the main room on the second, residential floor. The corner of the castle is distinguished by a corner tower, one level higher than the rest of the building.

Current state

   Since 2014, the renovated castle has a new private owner and is open to tourists, it also hosts special events, and the restaurant is open in it. Details can be found on the official site of the monument here.

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