Rundāle Palace Museum
Rundāle Palace Museum things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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*How to get here info below* A very nice palace and worth a visit if that's your thing. Ornate rooms and lots of paintings, as you would imagine. Pleasant gardens at the rear. There is a cafe inside the main building which serves really nice fresh food for reasonable prices. I've given it 4 stars as some of the rooms were a bit empty, and overall it's not really a patch on Versailles or any large English stately homes. Perhaps it's not meant to be... The adult entry fee in August 2024 was 17 Euros for the palace and gardens, which is IMI a touch high, although I know people have to make a living and maintain the site. The palace is on several tour-bus itineraries. You can also get to it from Riga on a public bus 3 times per day (4 euros each way, 1 hr 45 mins duration), the last one leaves Rundale at 17:00 which is perfect. You will need a good 2-2.5 hours at the site, but there are pubs and cafes in the estate if you have some time to kill. You can also get to Rundale from the Hill Of Crosses in Lithuania, there is a local bus several times per day from the HOC main road junction, to Joniskis (1.5 euros). Unfortunately there is no public transport between Joniskis and Eleja, so we had to take a taxi (20 euros) but you could have probably fairly easily hitched from Joniskis if you were brave enough (make sure you go out to the main road). Once in Eleja, from the crossroads to Bauska there is a public bus 3 or 4 times per day heading for Bauska and stopping at Rundale Palace.
Stephen PsallidasStephen Psallidas
00
Addendum: back home I discovered they used the palace as a set for the RTL series Sisi. (See pictures) it's nowhere advertised during the palace visit but it's really worth watching the serie before or after your visit of Rundale. It will get you completely in the mood of the Habsburgs culture and age of beautiful dresses and grand gestures. Visited in winter so we couldn't enjoy the gardens. The palace itself is big enough to easily spend 2-3h if you want to see it all. It's pretty impressive, a miniature version of Versailles in France but a lot less pricey and it's very well maintained/restored. In winter it's a lot less busy. We could dance all alone in the ballroom 🥰 There is a convenient app with audio-guide and info on the smartphone and WiFi throughout the palace to be able to use it. Take earbuds to be able to listen to the guide! The place was also comfortably heated. There is a small cafetaria with lunch and bakery options, classic Latvian cuisine.
Sam BouckaertSam Bouckaert
10
Rundale Palace Rundale Palace takes you back to the Early Modern Era of the 1700s in Europe, also known as the Baroque Era, when extravagance, opulence, and art were the fashion of aristocratic society. Rundale Palace, taken from the German word Rhenthal, means Valley of Peace. The palace is situated where a castle once stood. Built in the late 1400’s and was referred to as a Livonian Palace in 1555. The castle was torn down, and a small palace was built on the same land. In 1732 Johann von Biron bought the land and soon after Rundale Palace construction began. When you walk up the staircase and enter the grand reception room, your eyes quickly go to the magnificent ceiling painting by Italian artist Francesco Martini. Each palace room has a theme, and you see and feel the extravagance that must have been the world of the Duke and Duchess of Courland, the von Birons. This marvelously restored palace should be a must when visiting Latvia.
Kevin ScanlonKevin Scanlon
00
We planned a stop at this palace between Riga and Šiauliai and don't regret it at all! Parking was pretty easy and the walk to the entrance was a little long, but nice. The palace itself is fairly well set up with many artifacts and pretty good informational stations in most rooms with many language choices. We got the ticket that included the French garden (€17) and don't regret it. The gardens are so beautiful!! I've been to Versailles and maybe it was the time of year, but these gardens seem a lot more luscious because there isn't a constant drought. There are many benches for resting and several shady spots as well. There were souvenir shops, but nothing was interesting enough for us to buy. Although the parking lot was fairly full it didn't feel crowded at all! We visited on a Sunday. Overall we had a great time and thought it was a beautiful place! Highly recommend if you are driving through Latvia!
Hilary RobertsHilary Roberts
00
Wonderful visit, on our way from Riga to Kaunas. Impressive palace and gardens. Easy parking and good facilities (WC, café). From Wikipedia: “Rundāle Palace (Latvian: Rundāles pils; German: Schloss Ruhental, formerly Ruhenthal or Ruhendahl) is one of the two major baroque palaces built for the Dukes of Courland in what is now Latvia, the other being Jelgava Palace. The palace was built in two periods, from 1736 until 1740 and from 1764 until 1768.” The full ticket is around 23 euros per person, I believe, but it’s worth it. You can visit the many, many rooms (beautifully decorated and furnished) and the gardens, and today it was very quiet (mid October, early Friday morning). The gardens keep their beauty even during autumn season but they must be even more astonishing during the spring or summer time. Highly recommend!
André MarquesAndré Marques
00
There is Rundāle Palace itself and the park of Rundāle palace. Full entrance ticket - 13 EUR, park only ticket - 4 EUR. We have spent 6 hours in the park, I would recommend to separate the visit inside park and inside the palace. French baroque garden covers 10 hectares and fully retains its original layout designed by Francesco Rastrelli un 1735/36. It is most important historical garden in the Baltic's. Best time to visit is end of May till end of June due to blooming in that time - The rose garden, in the front of French garden, which covers about one hectare. In total, there are 2230 rose varieties including 600 historical varieties grown in the past in the garden of Rundāle Palace. Inside the garden there is cafeteria with local food for lunch, beverages.
TatianaTatiana
20
Nearby Attractions Of Rundāle Palace Museum
French garden of Rundales Palace

French garden of Rundales Palace
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Basic Info
Address
Pilsrundāle, Rundāle Parish, Bauska Municipality, LV-3921, Latvia
Map
Phone
+371 26 499 151
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Website
rundale.net
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Reviews
Overview
4.7
(5.3K reviews)
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Description
Rundāle Palace is one of the two major baroque palaces built for the Dukes of Courland in what is now Latvia, the other being Jelgava Palace. The palace was built in two periods, from 1736 until 1740 and from 1764 until 1768.
attractions: French garden of Rundales Palace, restaurants:

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