Alūksne: Castle Island, Culture and Lake

Alūksne offers several starting points for planning your trip: cultural history, walking and cycling routes, and experiences around the lake. If you’re looking for a hotel for your stay, you can first consider which of these aspects interests you most. The sights and activities vary considerably—from medieval heritage to seasonal offerings on the water.

Cultural history in Alūksne

Tempļakalns is a state-protected cultural monument, an ancient Latgalian hillfort and the site of an old settlement. Castle Island also tells a story of a long past: the Livonian Order completed the construction of a stone castle there in 1342. Castle Island is the largest island in Lake Alūksne. Of the medieval castle’s eight towers, the restored Southern Tower is the only one that survives to a considerable extent today.

Alūksne New Castle represents a different era. Alexander von Vietinghoff commissioned its construction; the castle was built from 1859 to 1863 in the English Gothic Revival style. These dates place it in clear contrast with the castle completed in 1342. For orientation at the observation tower, these specific measurements are also useful: it is 37.8 metres high, and 153 steps lead to its upper viewing platform.

Compare walking and cycling routes

There are two routes of different lengths to choose from for a walk. The nature trail in Tempļakalns Park is a 1 km circular route that you can follow in either direction. The 2.8 km Ezertaka runs around a peninsula in Lake Alūksne. The routes therefore differ both in their layout—a park loop or a route around a peninsula—and in length, by 1.8 km. Trail surface conditions may vary.

For cycling, official route No. 129 is another option: it is 22 km long and runs around Lake Alūksne. Road and surface conditions may also vary along this route. Velo Osta rents out classic bicycles, modern electric bike accessories, and special family bicycles for four to six people.

Lake Alūksne and activities

Lake Alūksne is Latvia’s eleventh-largest lake and has four islands: Cepurītes, also known as Mīlestības sala, Garo sala, Tīklu sala and Pilssala. On Alūksne Castle Island (Alūksnes Pilssala), you can rent boats, catamarans, single and tandem kayaks, SUP boards and a motorboat during the summer season. As this is a seasonal offering, it’s advisable to check availability before your trip.

Another type of activity is the ZZZIPPP zipline. It is 350 m long and reaches an average top speed of 50 km/h. Its availability depends on the weather, so check in advance.

Exhibitions and living culture

Alūksne Cultural Centre brings together contemporary cultural work and the building’s former use. The Cultural Centre is housed in a late-19th-century building that once belonged to the Alūksne manor complex as a distillery and brewery. The “Kalme” applied folk art studio operates there and welcomes guests. If you’re interested in taking part, check the possibilities locally before your visit.

Railway history is presented in the luggage depot at Alūksnes Bānītis station. The displays offer snapshots in time; over more than a century, the narrow-gauge railway is portrayed as a helper, a workplace and a source of inspiration. The Elevators exhibition showcases an extensive collection of vintage cars across three floors. It reflects different eras of automobile manufacturing and conveys the development of historic vehicles; the collection may change.

Discover more destinations: Visikums, Kolberģis, Korneti, Jaunanna, Jaunlaicene.

Return to the main travel overview: Alūksnes Novads.