A large stone on the bank of the Kažava stream gives Varakļāni Castle Park its own distinctive feature: locally, it is known as the “Love Stone.” The park was laid out toward the end of the 18th century, alongside the construction of the castle, and is one of the first landscape parks in Latvia in the Romantic style to have a documented date. The castle and park therefore share a period of origin, but the history of the place extends far beyond their architecture.

Castle Park, Castle and Museum

Varakļāni Castle was built between 1783 and 1789 for Count Michael Jan von der Borch. Since 1997, the Varakļāni Local History Museum has been housed in the castle. It features several exhibitions and themed displays. The modernized permanent exhibition is devoted to the life and scientific work of M. Borch, as well as the history of the town of Varakļāni and Varakļāni novads.

The rooms and historic details are also part of a museum visit: visitors can see 18th- and 19th-century wall and ceiling paintings, the castle interiors and a chapel. The history of the building and M. Borch’s life and scientific work are presented alongside the history of the town and novads. The museum regularly organizes exhibitions and themed events, as well as museum education, environmental research and entertainment programs.

The Local History Museum also houses a tourist information center. It offers guided tours and organizes excursions around Varakļāni novads. The castle thus brings together exhibitions on local history and opportunities to explore the region.

Churches and Places of Remembrance

The Chapel of St. Victor was built in 1814 in the Neoclassical style; its architectural model was the Pantheon in ancient Rome. The Roman Catholic Church in Varakļāni houses relics of St. Victor. Its interior contains three altars, most of them clad in colorful Italian marble.

The Lutheran cemetery offers a different perspective on history. Its ensemble includes an Art Deco entrance gate, the family chapel of the P. Mucenieks family and several monuments of sculptural interest. Another monument commemorates members of the congregation who fell in the First World War and the Latvian Wars of Independence. Neoclassical architecture, family memorials and collective remembrance offer different ways of approaching the past here.

Teiči and Regulated Visits

The Teiči Strict Nature Reserve extends into the Murmastiene and Varakļāni rural municipalities in Varakļāni novads. It is designated as an Important Bird Area, a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, and a Natura 2000 site. These designations place the area within different protection frameworks: bird conservation, international wetland protection and the European Natura 2000 network.

The designated Sildas (Krastmaļi)–Siksala visitor route regulates legal visitor access through the reserve. Siksala is a mainland island surrounded by bogs and can be visited only with a guide from the Teiči Reserve. Before making plans, check the current booking arrangements for the route and confirm the access rules for Siksala.

Tasting and Planning Your Journey

A VARA KLĀNU tasting includes nine drinks with different flavors, snacks, a visit to the production site and the family story behind the company. The tasting must be booked in advance. This offers a different way to experience the place than the castle and nature reserve: the focus here is a company and the family story behind it.

Varakļāni novads is located on Latvia’s national highway in the Riga–Jēkabpils–Rēzekne corridor. When planning your journey, check the route on a current map. This makes it easier to combine navigation along the highway with the different destinations in the area—from the castle and museum to a regulated visit to the Teiči Reserve.

More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Varakļānu pilsēta, Murmastienes pagasts, Varakļānu pagasts, Ikšķiles Novads, Mālpils Novads, Salacgrīvas Novads, Iecavas Novads, Ilūkstes Novads.

Back to the main travel overview: Latvia.