Jaunlaicene: Manor House, Museum and Barons’ Cemetery

Jaunlaicene has a strong cultural focus: the manor complex, the museum in the manor house, the permanent exhibition featuring a Malēnian word game, the Barons’ Cemetery and a walking trail through an open-air exhibition offer different ways to explore the area. When deciding on your trip, therefore, it is not only the name of the place that matters, but also whether you are particularly interested in architectural history, language or a themed outdoor exhibition.

The manor complex and its architectural history

The Jaunlaicene manor complex was built from fieldstones and locally made bricks in the late 18th century and the first half of the 19th century. These two periods and the materials used provide chronological and architectural reference points for its history. The construction dates and building materials answer different questions: the dating places the complex in its historical context, while the fieldstones and bricks describe its material character. Sixteen buildings have been preserved in the complex; the Jaunlaicene Manor Museum is located in the manor house. This makes it possible to distinguish the size of the manor complex from the specific location of the museum. To get your bearings, it is worth considering the estate as a whole and the manor house as the museum’s location. If you choose Jaunlaicene for its architecture, you can appreciate the manor complex and the manor house as distinct aspects of the area’s history.

A linguistic perspective

The permanent exhibition “Malēnīeša pasaule” (The World of a Malēnian) includes a Malēnian word game. Alongside the architectural themes, this interactive activity offers a linguistic perspective: Jaunlaicene’s culture can be understood not only through architecture but also through language and participation. If you are weighing up different cultural themes while planning your trip, the word game offers a distinct focus alongside the history of the manor. It provides a different experience from looking at a building and appeals to travellers who are also interested in language.

The Barons’ Cemetery and chapel

The Jaunlaicene Barons’ Cemetery is a cultural and historical monument and was consecrated in 1814. The chapel in the cemetery was built later: it was constructed between 1859 and 1865 to a design by the architect Paul von Hardenak. Work on the chapel thus began more than four decades after the cemetery was consecrated; the two dates mark distinct historical reference points. This chronology helps distinguish the history of the cemetery from the later construction of the chapel. The chapel resembles a small Gothic church. This comparison adds a clue about its architectural appearance to the information about when it was built. Visitors interested in monument history can consider the year the cemetery was consecrated, the chapel’s design and its later construction together.

A walking trail through an open-air exhibition

A walking trail by the manor leads through a themed open-air exhibition. This combines walking with an outdoor exhibition and differs from the permanent exhibition, which includes a Malēnian word game. When deciding on your trip, you can compare two specific formats: an exhibition theme along a walking trail or an interactive language activity in a permanent exhibition. This can help you decide which form of cultural interpretation best suits your interests.

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

View the broader travel overview: Alūksnes Novads.