Castle · Riga, Latvia
Riga Castle
Riga Castle (Latvian: Rīgas pils) is a castle on the banks of River Daugava in Riga, the capital of Latvia. Built 1330.
Photo: Diego Delso via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Riga, Latvia |
|---|---|
| Type | Castle |
| Built | 1330 |
| Elevation | Elevation: 9 m |
| Coordinates | 56.9509° N, 24.1006° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Riga Castle is known for
Riga Castle (Latvian: Rīgas pils) is a castle on the banks of River Daugava in Riga, the capital of Latvia.
About Riga Castle
Riga Castle (Latvian: Rīgas pils) is a castle on the banks of River Daugava in Riga, the capital of Latvia. The castle was founded in 1330. Its structure was thoroughly rebuilt between 1497 and 1515.
History
The castle was built based on a treaty between Riga and the Livonian Order, who consisted of the remainders of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword and were by then part of the German Order – in the 13th century Rigans had rebelled against the Order and demolished its original castle in the centre of the town. Due to constant conflict with Rigans the Order chose to build a new castle beyond the borders of the town rather than to rebuild the original castle. The site occupied by Convent of the Saint Spirit – a hospital and shelter for the poor – was chosen and the convent moved to the location of the original castle.
Planning a visit? Visit the official Riga Castle website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Riga |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Riga International Airport (RIX) |
| Distance from the airport | 5.0 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Riga International Airport (RIX) · Riga, Latvia · 5.3 miles away
- Palanga International Airport (PLQ) · Palanga, Lithuania · 133.2 miles away
- Kaunas International Airport (KUN) · Kaunas, Lithuania · 137.3 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More castles
Frequently asked questions
What is Riga Castle?
Riga Castle (Latvian: Rīgas pils) is a castle on the banks of River Daugava in Riga, the capital of Latvia.
Where is Riga Castle located?
Riga Castle is in Riga, Latvia. Its coordinates are 56.9509° N, 24.1006° E.
How do I get to Riga Castle?
The nearest town is Riga, and the nearest airport is Riga International Airport (RIX), about 5.0 miles away (straight line).
When was Riga Castle built?
Riga Castle was built 1330.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riga_Castle — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q322183 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://www.president.lv/en/riga-castle — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.