Latvia · 13th century
Koknese Castle ranks #5,045 of 9,040 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #27 of the 47 mapped in Latvia. Founded 1209, it is older than 74% of the atlas's dated landmarks, one of 1091 atlas entries founded in the 13th century. 1 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Riga, 87 km away. See how Latvia compares in the castle statistics.
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.
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