Gulbenes Sarkanā pils, Neo-Gothic castle in Gulbene, Latvia.
Gulbenes Sarkanā pils is a red brick castle featuring Neo-Gothic design elements including a square tower with battlements and sculptural niches. The building's distinctive red color and ornamental details make it a recognizable landmark in the town's center.
Baron Heinrich von Wolf commissioned this red brick castle in the late 1800s as his family estate in the countryside. By the 1920s, the building had been repurposed to serve as a school, transforming it from a private residence into a public institution.
The castle served as a school for decades and shaped the daily life of local children through the 20th century. Walking through its interior spaces today, you can still sense how this building became central to the community's education and social rhythm.
The castle sits in the center of Gulbene and is easy to spot and reach on foot from most parts of town. While administrative offices now occupy the interior, the impressive exterior and architectural details remain fully visible from the street at any time.
Seven artificial islands in the adjacent Holy Lake were arranged to spell out the name Marisa, honoring the baron's wife. This unusual romantic gesture from the 19th century remains visible in the lake's landscape today.
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