Winter Palace of Queen Anna Ioannovna

Northwest of the town of Bauska, Latvia, is the magnificent palace complex Rundal, also known as the Winter Palace of Queen Anna Ioannovna. It was designed by the famous architect, author of the Grand Palace in Peterhof - F.B. Rastrelli, who supervised the construction of the entire complex in the period from 1736 to 1740. At the same time, a landscape park with a garden and man-made ponds was laid. Then, until 1764, the construction and decoration work was discontinued due to the exile of Ernest Johann Biron, a favorite of Anna Ioannovna, for whom the entire palace complex was intended.

After the return of Biron, work resumed, but previously designed facades and gate towers were not implemented. In total, 138 rooms were built in the palace, their decoration is made in the late Rococo style. More than 1500 people took part in the construction of the palace complex at the same time. In the park were planted 45005 chestnuts, 328185 lip and 1885 oaks. Now the palace and the adjacent territory are a museum, and also serve as a reception for high-ranking guests.