Daugavgrīva Castle, Medieval castle ruins on Daugava River bank in Riga, Latvia.
Daugavgrīva is a castle ruin at the mouth of the Daugava River where it reaches the Baltic Sea, roughly 12 km north of Riga. The earthen ramparts and wall fragments show the outlines of the buildings that once occupied this key river location.
The site was founded in 1205 as a Cistercian monastery and served religious purposes for over 100 years. Around 1305, the military order known as the Livonian Teutonic Knights bought the monastery and converted it into a fortress to secure control over the river.
The site shows how people in medieval times shifted between religious life and military defense. You can still see today how the buildings and walls changed shape as different rulers arrived and took control.
You can walk around the ruins during daylight and move freely across the earthen ramparts. Note that the ground is uneven in places and the location can be windy, especially during colder months.
In the 1400s, the knights stretched an iron chain across the Daugava to control every ship heading toward Riga's harbor. This sparked bitter disputes with the city's wealthy merchants, who saw their trading routes threatened.
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