Bauska: Old Town, Castle and Regional Experiences

Bauska brings together different historical perspectives with nature and cultural experiences. The medieval town layout is preserved in the Old Town; the castle tells the story of several building phases. Museums focus on toys, local history and technology. The river landscape, swimming spots, a cycling route and regional brewing culture round out these highlights.

Old Town and Castle: History in the Urban Landscape

Bauska Old Town is an urban monument of national significance. Its preserved medieval layout includes two main streets running parallel to the river, smaller cross streets and a central market square with the town hall. This means the town’s history is visible not only in individual buildings, but also in the arrangement of the streets and market square. A free audio guide, “Iepazīsti Bausku!”, is available in Latvian, Russian, English, Lithuanian and Estonian for exploring the Old Town.

Bauska Castle stands on a picturesque promontory at the confluence of the Mūsa and Mēmele rivers, where they form the Lielupe. Its oldest part is the Livonian Order castle, built in the mid-15th century; only ruins remain from this period. The later part of the complex was built in the late 16th century as a residence for the Kettlers, the dukes of Courland. The castle grounds thus bring together different periods of construction and functions. The central tower stands 50 metres above sea level and can be climbed. Before your trip, check whether seasonal access is available during your visit.

Museums and Regional Culture

The permanent toy exhibition at Bauska Museum explores the world of toys and dolls from the late 19th century to the early 21st century. It is the only exhibition of its kind in Latvia. Another exhibition focuses on Bauska in the 20th century. The museum also offers the educational programme “Piedzīvojums 20.gadsimta Bauskā”. The topics thus range from the long history of toy development to a specific century in the town’s history.

The “Bauska” applied folk art studio operates as a department of the museum. It advises on putting together and making the traditional costume of the Zemgale region. The Bauska Motor Museum exhibition offers a different perspective on history: it uses 400 square metres to display around 30 exhibits on the history of automobiles in Latvia and worldwide during the 20th century, as well as agricultural machinery and other objects from everyday life.

Nature, Swimming and Cycling

Bauska Nature Park is a Natura 2000 protected area that preserves unspoilt stretches of the Mēmele, Mūsa and Lielupe rivers. The river landscape thus complements the historical themes with a natural setting shaped by three named rivers. Bauska also has two popular local swimming spots: one on Rīgas iela by the Mēmele and one on Krasta iela by the Mūsa.

For those planning to cycle, Bauska is the starting point of the 138-kilometre “Iecavas augšteces loks” cycling route. Swimming and cycling offer a different focus from the Old Town, castle and museums, without needing to be combined into a single excursion route.

Town Hall Tour and Brewing Culture

Bauska Town Hall is currently the only reconstructed 17th-century town hall in Latvia. On the “Svari un mēri Bauskā” tour, visitors learn about the town hall’s history and historical weights and measures. They can be weighed and measured using old units such as the pud and the ell, and receive a certificate. The experience makes units of measurement part of the visit itself.

Bauska Brewery gives visitors the opportunity to learn about traditional beer-making and sample local beer. If this visit is important to your travel plans, check the latest visitor information in advance. When looking for a hotel in Bauska, you can first decide whether the Old Town and castle, museums, river landscape and cycling, or regional brewing culture should shape your stay.

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Return to the main travel overview: Bauskas Novads.