The well-fortified 15 m high Rēzekne castle mound served as the location of an ancient Latgalian castle already in the 9th– 12th centuries. Climb atop the Rēzekne castle mound to get the most scenic view of the city!
To get into the castle, one should have gone over the balance bridge, through 3 iron gates and from the East side entered the front castle. Since the castle was a strategically significant object, it was desired to be occupied by Russians, Lithuanians, and Poles, but it was destroyed by the Swedes between 1656-1660. It was not rebuilt as a castle.
Beginning in 1712, the surrounding inhabitants were officially allowed to use the stones from the castle walls for the building of their own houses and household buildings.
Still, at the beginning of the last century, the living and household buildings were in the territory of the castle, but part of the castle was landscaped: there was a park, a light, and a summer stage for the theatre.
Today, the castle hill is the most remarkable and most visited place in Rezekne. The marvellous sight to the centre of the city and the trading part of the city is open from the hill. At the beginning of 2003, the model of Rezekne Castle was placed in the territory of SIA "Rēzeknes Ūdens" near the castle hill. The author of the model is Edmunds Smans, a teacher from Rezekne Vocational Secondary School No. 14.
The model is open to the public only in the tourism season, from April to October. The square near the foot of the hill is named after Bishop Jāzeps Rancāns (1886-1969).
Still, at the beginning of the last century, the living and household buildings were in the territory of the castle, but part of the castle was landscaped: there was a park, a light, and a summer stage for the theatre.
Today, the castle hill is the most remarkable and most visited place in Rezekne. The marvellous sight of the centre of the city and the trading part of the city is open from the hill. At the beginning of 2003, the model of Rezekne Castle was placed in the territory of SIA "Rēzeknes Ūdens" near the castle hill. The author of the model is Edmunds Smans, a teacher from Rezekne Vocational Secondary School No. 14.
