Located in the north-eastern corner of Latvia, the towns of Aluksne and Gulbene, which are connected, are generally interesting in themselves. In modern times, they are twins - both received city status during the First Republic (Aluksne in 1920, Gulbene in 1928), both are known for their neo-Gothic estates, and both are home to a little over 8 thousand people. Gulbene is neater, but Aluksne is more historical - there is a castle there, and an old church, and in addition it is the birthplace of Empress Catherine I.

And also - this is most likely the last, or at least the penultimate post about Latvia before the long break until winter.

As mentioned in the last part, in Gulbene I arrived at 10am and the train left at 12:55pm. In general, three hours is more than enough to go to the estate at the other end of the city and come back. The houses of the station settlement - in some places Latvian towns cannot be distinguished from Russian ones, especially taking into account the northern nature:

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Puteya houses - they are difficult to confuse with something else:

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The impressive size of the church (2000) reminds us of the proximity of Latgale. I don’t even know if there is an Orthodox Church here. Although you can hear Russian speech here on the streets.

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Previously, Gulbene was called Schwanenburg, and was founded in 1340 as an episcopal castle, the northern outpost of the Riga Archbishopric, destroyed in the Livonian War and never restored. The local Wulf estate has been known since 1763, but the city itself began to develop, apparently with the construction of the railroad. In the interwar period, it was called in guidebooks “the city of flowering gardens,” and in general this is still true today - the city is rather poor, but cozy and decorated:

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I walked from the station to the estate for about 30-40 minutes, through some completely nondescript terrain. In fact, the city center remained to the right along a parallel street, and I was returning through it.

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The entrance to the Starogulbene estate, also known as Vetsgulbene or Altschwanenburg, turned out to be through the territory of the ATP - to the left behind the barn there were buses in a row:

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Alas, I forgot to take a picture of the layout of the estate (and of course there is a stand here), and therefore I cannot reproduce from memory the purpose of the buildings. Let me just say that the outbuildings in Vetsgulbene turned out to be more beautiful than the palaces:

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In the background is the end of the house from the previous shots, and in front, as far as I remember, is the homestead cheese factory. Nowadays these buildings are occupied by some institutions:

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Monument to fighters for independence (1929) against the backdrop of a restaurant and hotel, which seems to occupy a former riding arena:

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Across the road is a church (1843). I suspect it lost its tower during Soviet times:

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But in general, the estate disappointed me and I didn’t immediately realize that I was already on its territory. The fact is that its main monument, the White Palace of the 1760s, in the design of which Rastrelli was allegedly even involved, is in a state of what is called “the most severe restoration”:

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All other buildings are from the second half of the 19th century, such as this greenhouse, now occupied by the local history museum:

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I asked the same women near the car where the Red Palace was - and it turned out that this is it:

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The reverse side is much more picturesque. Just like in England - you can imagine in this palace, by the fireplace, the old lord writer in an Indian robe and with a pipe, looking lonely into the fire. In fact, the Red Palace was built by Baron Heinrich Wulf for his wife Marissa.

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Houses near the estate:

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I took a different route back to the station. Typically Baltic-looking five-story buildings with flower beds on the balconies, cottages, and then - just like ours - vegetable gardens.

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Still, it’s a very strange trend to decorate houses with wheels:

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Actually, the center of Gulbene is quite lively and well-groomed. The last rays of the Sun before the creeping gloom:

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Several quite expressive buildings from the times of the First Republic have been preserved here:

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Aluksne

Which I ended with photographs of the dead-end station in Aluksne. As already mentioned, the northern half of the line to Valka was dismantled in the 1970s, and in Aluksne the station is located on the southern outskirts, and it takes 10-15 minutes to walk to the center from here through rather unassuming areas.

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I wonder what kind of building this is? It looks like barracks from the times of the First Republic, but in Riga similar houses on the outskirts were certified as barracks for German prisoners of war who were rebuilding the cities after the war.

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More houses on the road to the center. Oh, this lush vegetation right in the cities pleases my eyes! No irony.

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And finally I went to old manor. If in Gulbene there are White and Red castles, then in Aluksne there are Old and New: the first was founded in 1342 as the order's Marienburg (apparently in defiance of the episcopal Schwanenburg), the second - in 1742 as a possession granted by Elizabeth to Count Vorontsov for helped neutralize Anna Leopoldovna. He, however, almost immediately sold the gift, and it was bought not just by anyone, but by Otto Hermann von Fittinghof - at that time perhaps the most influential baron in Livonia and, in addition, a distant descendant of Arnold Fittinghof, the first commander of this little Marienburg.

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Otto Hermann, however, did not appear in the future of Aluksne either - the park was founded by his son, and the current palace was erected in 1859-63 by his grandson. It seems that besides the palace there is a lot of things here - all sorts of pavilions (including a wooden one in honor of Alexander I, built in 1822), but I didn’t even look for them. Why? Well, first of all, I am showing this manor first in Vidzeme - but I saw it last! And after Berini, Ungurmuiza, the “new castles” of Cesis and Sigulda and a dozen other slightly different, but still similar Courland estates, the manor architecture of the 19th century simply became familiar to me. In addition - rain, wet feet, fatigue... It’s good that in Latvia, unlike Lithuania, this is not interpreted by readers as targeted neglect.

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Below the castle is a war memorial, plaques with the names of the fallen are visible in the title frame:

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In general, the palace is small - but in my opinion one of the most beautiful in Vidzeme:

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Soon I hobbled to the bus port and decided to leave quickly - but it turned out that the nearest bus was only 3 hours later, and I could get to Riga by it at 10 pm. In fact, now I’m glad that fate kept me from cowardice, and although I never returned to the estate, all I could do was go for a walk around the city. Compared to Gulbene, Aluksne turned out to be much more neglected, and the contingent here, frankly speaking, is not very pleasant; in the canteen near the bus station, where the food is as cheap as it is tasteless, I felt uncomfortable sitting.
However, the main street has been dug up, which means that soon there will be tiles, fences and bike paths here too. In Aluksne, standing at old road from Riga to St. Petersburg, historical Center The 1920-30s are much more capital and holistic than in Gulbene.

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The other side of the same street. The clock is on the square near the autoport... which, however, here is a good old Soviet bus station with a map of the area's routes above the ticket office windows, which has probably not seen repairs since the time of Leonid Ilyich. Here you can see the disappointment - the spire of the church, which dominates the city, is packed in scaffolding:

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A huge barn in the courtyard is clearly part of the estate:

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In principle, the entire development in Aluksne is literally one block between the bus port and the church. Here's the other side:

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As for the church, built in 1781-90 on the site of its predecessor, in addition to the fact that it itself is one of the most beautiful in Latvia, a milestone in Latvian and Russian history is associated with it.

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The parsonage, seemingly preserved from a 17th-century church, is now shared by the tourist information center and the Gluck Museum of Bibles. The latter turned out to be closed on the occasion of Sunday (in Latvia, by the way, half of the museums have Sunday-Monday days off instead of the usual Monday-Tuesday), but half of the exhibition is visible through the window - hefty volumes, in which I would still understand little.

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And if you walk like this for a kilometer main street, you can go to the “oaks of Pastor Gluck”. But! If you think that walking a kilometer along an excavated street, when there is not even rain in the air, but fine water dust, which in 10 minutes soaked me to the skin, getting under my waterproof jacket, is easy - you are very mistaken! In general, hobbling there, gritting my teeth past five-story blocks, I only dreamed of quickly ending up in the Central Aizat desert and called my goal nothing more than “glitchy oaks.” According to legend, after translating each biblical book, Ernst Gluck planted a tree, and from the alley he planted, these two oak trees have survived since then... however, I have a strong feeling that they are about 150-200 years younger, a three-century oak is still it looks a little different.

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Gluck also indirectly influenced Russian history: his pupil was Martha Skavronskaya, whose parents died of the plague in 1684. Where they lived and what her nationality was, historians still argue to this day - some say a Latvian or even a Lithuanian from near Kegums, others say an Estonian from near Dorpat, fortunately Marienburg was just halfway there. Be that as it may, when Russian troops entered Livonia in 1702, Gluck was first taken to Moscow as a prisoner and kept in prison for several weeks, but then the educated German was invited to Russian service, founded the first gymnasium in Moscow and even wrote poetry in -Russian. Well, Martha (a year earlier, married to the dragoon Kruse, who died in the same battles) became a marching servant and apparently the mistress of Field Marshal Boris Sheremetev, then transferred the same responsibilities to Menshikov, and then to Peter I himself, who nicknamed her Katerina and, judging by I really fell in love with everything and, according to the recollections of contemporaries, I only rested my soul with her. In 1707, she was baptized into Orthodoxy and received the name Ekaterina Mikhailova (since Mikhailov is the incognito signature of Peter I himself), in 1712 she became the official wife of the emperor, and after his death - the empress, the first official female ruler of Russia since Princess Olga. She did not rule for long, however, but the feminine principle in power marked the entire 18th century, perhaps the most successful century in Russian history.

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From the church I went down to Lake Aluksnes - it is actually quite large (6 km across), but the city stands on a narrow bay, most of which is occupied by Castle Island (or Pilsala).

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Boat garages near the water are amazingly colorful:

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There seems to be a gymnasium near the shore:

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The cellar looks out over the island, towards the ruins of Marienburg Castle:

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Near the bridge there is a lake with natural lotuses. A man on a rubber boat was fiddling with something underwater for a long time, periodically almost overflowing and swearing in Russian (Latvians can do this!), and when I walked back, the boat was lying on the shore, and the man was looking with a satisfied look at the striker in the same fountain place. A wooden pavilion in the distance occupies a small restaurant, where it was very pleasant to have lunch under the smell of wet wood in the warmth.

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Reeds in the lake:

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And the ruins of the castle are not large, but they look stern and medieval. Arnold Fitingoff was a Frenchman by birth, his real name was Arnaud de Bettencourt, and he was a fugitive Templar: in 1307, this legendary order was destroyed by order of the French king, and its knights were put on trial - the leaders were burned at the stake, ordinary members were sentenced to hard labor or sent to monasteries. The Templars are generally covered in legends to the point of fantasy, and local legend says that Betancourt took with him the treasures of the Templars and hid them in the basements of the castle, and Peter I dug up and built St. Petersburg with this money.

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There is now a football field under the ancient walls:

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Inside is a summer theater:

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And over there on the “mainland” is that same school and cellar:

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I don’t promise anything about what the next one will be about and when it will be. Those who subscribed to me exclusively for the Baltic states - soon you will have to offend your eyes with “soviet” (Chernobyl) and “Asian” (Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan). Well, who is already thinking about unfollowing me for the Baltics - soon, I hope (

Useful information for tourists about Aluksne in Latvia - geographical position, tourism infrastructure, map, architectural features and attractions.

The city of Aluksne is located in the north-eastern part of Latvia on the shore of Lake Aluksne. The city has a large number natural resources, and besides, it is developing rapidly. In addition, Aluksne is rich in water resources, as well as natural and architectural monuments and objects. For the first time its name, like “Alust” and “Volost”, was mentioned in the Pskov historical chronicles in 1284.

Aluksne received city status in 1920, when its population reached 2,000 inhabitants. Aluksne is a border town, it is located in the north-eastern part of Latvia, 202 km from the capital. Its area is 14.2 sq. km, and its population is about 10 thousand people. Aluksne is the highest located among the cities of Latvia, the height above sea level is 200 meters.

One of the most important, and most importantly picturesque, attractions of the city is Lake Aluksne, which ranks 11th largest among the lakes in Latvia. Aluksna Lake is surrounded by picturesque shores, in addition, there are 4 islands on it: Shapochka, Castle, Long and Network Island. The maximum depth reaches 15 meters.

On the Castle (Mariinsky) island of Lake Aluksna there are the ruins of the castle of the Livonian Order. The castle, built of stone, was built back in 1342. After the foundation of the castle, a settlement gradually formed around the fortress. The building material for the castle of the Livonian Order was local cobblestones; the thickness of the walls in some places reached almost 2 meters. The castle was badly damaged during the Northern War. In 1702, the Swedes, during their retreat, blew up the fortress. And since then no one has restored it. Mariinsky Island connects to the mainland wooden bridge, whose length is 120 meters.

There is a Lutheran church in the city, which was built between 1781 and 1788. Aluksne Lutheran Church is an example of early classicism architecture. This temple is visible from almost anywhere in Aluksne. An organ, whose creation date is 1885, takes its place in the church. It was made in an organ workshop in Riga. There is also an Orthodox church in Aluksne, which was built at the end of the 19th century. The altar part is decorated with a two-tier iconostasis.

Another attraction of the city is the Banitis narrow-line railway, connecting the cities of Gulbene and Aluksne. This narrow line began operating in 1903. Its length is 33 km and its width is 75 cm. This railway carries out daily Passenger Transportation. Moreover, not only local residents hurrying about their business, but also tourists ride along this route. Moreover, some carriages are furnished in the style of the early 20th century; in addition, there is a guide who talks fascinatingly about the country and region, as well as the secrets of the forest.

At the end of the 17th – beginning of the 18th century, Pastor Johann Ernst Gluck lived in Alūksne (Marienburg), who was the first to translate the Bible into Latvian.

Pastor Gluck had a pupil, a poor orphan. Although, in fact, he used her as a maid. Her name was Marta Skavronskaya.

Empress of All Russia Catherine I.

True, which will be discussed below, was built much later.

Myths and facts

The city of Marienburg (Aluksne) with its surroundings was granted to Mikhail Illarionovich Vorontsov, the future count and state chancellor in 1742. Together with Princess Elizabeth, he arrived at the barracks of the Preobrazhensky Regiment on the night of November 25, 1741, and participated in the arrest of Anna Leopoldovna. There was a lot to be rewarded for; the future count received many estates, including Marienburg. But, never appearing on the shores of Lake Aluksna, Vorontsov sold this city to Otto Hermann von Vittinghof.

One of Otto Hermann's ancestors (most likely a cousin) - Arnold von Fittinghof in 1342 became the first commander of the order's castle, which stood on an island in Lake Marienburg.

Otto Hermann von Fittinghof-Schelle served in the army in his youth and took part in many campaigns and battles. In 1757, at the age of 35, he retired and got married. He had many estates (about 30) throughout Livonia, but Fitingof lived on the Zolitude estate near Riga. Otto Hermann made a brilliant career in the civil service, becoming a privy councilor and senator. Von Fittinghof built the first special building for a theater in Riga, and subsequently actually maintained the theater. In addition, he was the first in Livonia to engage in distillation - the production and sale of wine. The honorary nickname of Otto Hermann von Fittinghoff-Schelle is “The Uncrowned King of Livonia.”

The son of Otto Hermann, Christian Burchard von Vietinghof-Schelle is the author and initiator of the creation of the park in Marienburg. The Temple of Aeolus, the mausoleum, and various other attractions are his achievements.

The next ruler of Marienburg, Guard Captain Alexander Joseph von Fittinghof-Schelle, son of Christian Burchard, following the emerging fashion, wished to live in the castle. Construction began in 1859, the New Marienburg Castle was ready in 1863. Construction work was carried out under the leadership of the Prussian architect Paul Benjamin Polinau, the architectural style was English neo-Gothic.

The von Fittinghof family was, of course, baronial, and the head of the family was sometimes called a baron. But officially the baronial title for the surname von Vietinghof-Schelle was recognized in 1868.

Marienburg (Aluksne) remained in the possession of the Fitingof family until 1920, when, like all other estates, it was requisitioned by the state.

Now there is a museum in the New Castle.

What to see

The New Age Alūksne Castle is not exactly close to medieval castle, but not too far - 850 meters, ten minutes on foot.

A fairly large part of the town of Alūksne is occupied by a park designed by Christian Burchard von Fittinghof-Schelle.

If you are planning to visit Aluksne, be sure to set aside a few days to get to know it amazing city. Believe me, you will be very sorry if you look here only while passing through or staying for one day. Revise incredible photos made in Aluksne, you will be countless times.

Aluksne – Latvia in all its glory

Aluksne is a city in the northeastern part, located near the border with two countries: Russia. Distance to – 202 km.

The first mention of this settlement dates back to 1284, but until 1917 the city was called “Marienburg” (in honor of the Virgin Mary). Much of Alūksne's history is connected with the Livonian Order. It was he who built, many centuries ago, fortresses and castles on the shores of the lake, which today tourists from all over the world come to see.

The current name of the city comes from the Latvian Alūksne - “spring/key in the forest”. This region is truly rich in water resources. On the territory of Aluksne there is a lake of the same name, which ranks 11th in size among all Latvian lakes. In addition to the picturesque shores, this body of water is famous for having 4 islands: Long, Shapochka, Castle (Mariinsky) and Network Island.

Attractions

In this place powerful ancient cultures merged. The city was at one time captured by Finnish-speaking tribes, German crusaders, Russians, the Polish-Lithuanian state, and the Swedes. And all this was to some extent reflected in local attractions.

Top attractions in Aluksne:

The city of Aluksne attracts not only tourists, but also wealthy residents of other countries. Real estate here is in demand. And the reason for this is the most beautiful nature, a measured, calm lifestyle and very clean air. There is not a single heavy industrial enterprise in the city and its surroundings, and the residents of Aluksne do not know what traffic jams, rush hour, and huge business centers filled with bustle and stress are.

Where to stay?

There are always a lot of tourists in Aluskna, so there are quite a lot of hotels here. If you are going to devote all your free time to exploring the sights of the city, you can stay in one of the inexpensive hotels, where the cost of accommodation ranges from 10 to 18 € (per night):

• Jaunsētas(2.5 km);
• Apartamenti Sia Ack Būve(0.8 km);
• Alūksnes Nami(1.8 km)
• Ierullē(0.3 km).

The distance from the city center is indicated in brackets.

There are also many luxury hotels with an expanded range of services in Aluksne. Accommodation in them will cost you from €24 to €177 (per night). Premium hotels:

• Holiday Apartment(0.2 km);
• Retumi(6.9 km);
• Jolanta(1 km);
• Jost Residence(3.5 km).

There is also a hostel in the city Atpūtas centrs Paideri. You will pay about €10 for a night there.

Things to do?

In addition to excursions, entertainment in Aluksne includes many interesting activities. Among them:

Shopping lovers are advised to check out the gift shop. Gifts by SIA Rever A(Blaumana 5-2Aluksne 4301) and shopping mall Apdrukas Darbnīca(Tirgotāju 11 Aluksne 4301). Here you can buy souvenirs, gifts for friends and family.

restaurants and bars

You can have a snack in Aluksne on almost every street. There are several canteens ( Unti, Andalo), pizzeria Pajumte, as well as many cafes ( Abols, Cepurite, Gustins, Altins, Aluksne).

Taste delicious dishes national cuisine You can go to any restaurant in the city: Pie Martas, Jolanta, Katrinkrogs, Pajumte. In the evening you will be warmly welcomed by Aluksne bars: Luna, Klondaika Algksne, Vinotazs.

Interesting Facts

• Aluksne rises above everything (it is the highest city in the country, located 200 m above sea level);
• there is a legend that, having captured Aluksne, the Russians took away the Templar treasures hidden in the ancient castle (some historians believe that it was these treasures that were invested in the construction of St. Petersburg);
• in 1750, the Russian Empress Elizabeth handed over Aluksne to Count Mikhail Vorontsov as a sign of gratitude for helping her in the coup of 1741;
• "Banitis" is the only operating narrow-gauge railway Railway in the Baltics;
• Every September, a harvest festival is held at the Aluksne Museum of Peasant Life at the Ates mill (guests are treated to fresh bread, herbal teas and rich Vidzeme moonshine, participants sing songs and show theatrical performances).

How to get there?

If you are traveling by car, it is most convenient to take the A2 “-Pskov” highway. You should follow it until the intersection with the P27 “-” highway, then turn onto Gublen. A straight road will take you to Aluksne. Travel time from Riga is 2.5 hours.

Trains depart daily from Riga Bus Station to Aluksne (journey time – 3 hours, 10 minutes).

You can also get to Gublene from Riga by train, and then get to Aluksne by bus (distance - 17 km).