Koknese Castle

Koknese Castle (Latvian: Kokneses pils, German: Burg Kokenhusen) is a complex in Koknese, in the Vidzeme region of Latvia, dating from the 13th century. The castle was situated on a high bluff overlooking the Daugava river valley. In 1965 a hydroelectric dam was built downriver, creating a water reservoir that partially submerged the castle and flooded the surrounding valley.

The castle was heavily contested between Polish, Swedish and Russian forces in the 16th and 17th centuries. It changed hands many times, while the native inhabitants endured periodic slaughter, capture, and famine. In 1701, during the Great Northern War, Koknese was blown up by retreating forces to avoid the strategic castle falling into advancing Russian hands.

Text adapted from “Koknese Castle” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Koknese Castle ranks #3,454 of 5,793 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #24 of the 37 mapped in Latvia. Founded 1209, it is older than 79% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 519 atlas entries founded in the 13th century. See how Latvia compares in the castle statistics.

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Read the full history on Wikipedia ↗