Cēsis Castle

Cēsis Castle occupies an area of roughly four hectares and is centered around a large, irregular quadrangular main castle measuring about 60 by 60 meters. This main fortress consisted of four three-story wings enclosing an inner courtyard. It was surrounded on three sides by fortified outer baileys—walled enclosures serving as additional defensive layers—and protected on its western side by a deep moat.

The four main wings of the castle contained various functional and representative spaces. The principal floors, located on the first upper story of each wing, housed grand halls and chambers. At the northern, western, and southern corners stood three substantial towers, while the eastern corner featured a Romanesque chapel approximately 25 meters long and up to 11 meters wide. This chapel was vaulted with a three-bay ceiling and included a sacrament niche on its north wall, highlighting its religious purpose.

Today, the ruins preserve nearly full-height outer walls of the east and south wings, while only the cellar levels survive of the north and west wings. On the courtyard side of the ground floor, remains of open galleries can be seen, indicating covered walkways that once opened onto the courtyard.

Four large round towers punctuate the complex, each measuring between 13 and 14 meters in diameter, with thick walls ranging from four to 4.7 meters. The south tower, known as “Langer Hermann,” is notable for its layered construction of alternating limestone and fieldstone. Its exterior decoration includes blind arcades with shooting slits positioned midway up and a round-arched frieze with additional firing openings near the top, combining ornamental and defensive features.

The massive west tower stands out with a square base measuring 17 by 17 meters. It features a rounded upper story topped by a conical tiled roof. The walls here are up to 4.6 meters thick and contain a network of corridors and spiral staircases. The basement of this tower is distinguished by a cross-ribbed vault, a structural feature where intersecting ribs support the roof. On the first floor lies the “Meisterkammer,” a chamber approximately 7.75 by 8.1 meters whose ceiling once displayed a late Gothic star vault. This vault was originally adorned with blue-glazed sections and 69 gold-starred keystones, suggesting its importance as a representative room.

Within the south wing, the first floor housed a sizable great hall measuring 20.6 by 7.8 meters. Its vaulted ceilings were supported by stone consoles—projections embedded in the walls. The east wing’s main level contained a refectory or dining hall, about 22 by 11 meters, featuring a ribbed vault supported by three slender central columns. Below, on the ground floor, were practical facilities including a bakery, a kitchen, and a brewhouse, indicating the castle’s self-sufficiency.

Construction of the castle primarily utilized quarried limestone and fieldstones. In later phases, particularly during the 15th and 16th centuries, brick was employed for the Gothic vaulting inside. Defense was further reinforced by moats, zwingers—narrow enclosed passages between walls designed to trap attackers—gatehouses, and drawbridges connecting the baileys and main castle.

The three outer baileys formed separate fortified enclosures, each with its own gates and towers. Among these defenses was the “Lademacherturm,” a large round tower built in the 15th century that guarded the southern gate. This tower has been partially reconstructed in recent times. The first outer bailey’s ring wall and west round tower survive more fully and are linked to the main castle by a 42-meter-long bridge spanning a neck ditch, a narrow defensive trench.

Today, the castle’s ruins are integrated into a 19th-century Romantic landscape garden laid out with winding paths, a pond, and a variety of exotic plants. This garden incorporates the original hill known as Nussberg, the site upon which the first wooden fortress once stood.

Archaeological investigations have uncovered a vast range of material culture spanning five centuries, including vast numbers of artifacts and the skeletal remains associated with the 1577 explosion. The restoration and conservation of the ruins have been carefully carried out using traditional materials such as lime mortar and dolomite stone, preserving the authenticity of the medieval structures that remain.