History
The exact date of construction of the castle is unknown. The land on which it was erected belonged to the Courland bishopric from at least the second half of the 13th century, and the castle itself could have been built between the third quarter of the 13th and the beginning of the 14th century. After the fall of the bishopric in the second half of the sixteenth century, the castle became the hereditary property of the German family Baehr, in whose hands it was continuously until the early twentieth century. Despite several fires, including during the Polish-Swedish wars in 1617 and 1622, the castle was rebuilt and reconstructed at the same time, unfortunately, gradually losing its medieval appearance.
Architecture
The castle was a simple stronghold limited in its original form to a almost square courtyard, surrounded by a moat and defensive wall, measuring 31,5 x 34,5 meters, to which from the north a single building with cellar was added. Both the basement and the first floor were divided into three rooms. The original gate placed in the tower was halfway along the eastern wall. Other wings: southern and western, probably were still erected in the Middle Ages, although some earlier researchers date them to the second half of the sixteenth century. Then, for sure, a corner, cylindrical tower was created.
Current state
The castle has survived to the present day in a form transformed heavily in early modern times and enlarged during the expansion of the nineteenth and early twentieth century. A corner, cylindrical tower from the 16th century is a distinctive element of the original building. Currently, the monument belongs to a private businessman who in recent years has carried out its general renovation.
bibliography:
Borowski T., Miasta, zamki i klasztory. Inflanty, Warszawa 2010.
Tuulse A., Die Burgen in Estland und Lettland, Dorpat 1942.