Rundāle Palace

Rundāle Palace is a baroque palace in Latvia with beautiful gardens and a museum showcasing the palace’s history. Built as a grand residence for the Duke of Courland in 1768, the palace was designed by the Italian baroque architect Barolomeo Rastrelli who is known for designing the Winter Palace in St Petersburg. It is easy to see where the comparison to Versailles comes into place, with lush French gardens, over 2,000 rose varieties and a forest surrounding Rundāle.

The palace was badly damaged in the Franco-Russian War in 1812 and again during the Latvian War of Independence in 1919. At one point, the once glorious rooms stored grain during Soviet occupation. Full restoration of the palace was officially finished in 2015 and today about 40 of the 138 rooms are open to visitors.