Daugavgrīva Castle

Daugavgrīva Castle, founded in 1205 by the Livonian Order, once controlled the strategically critical mouth of the Daugava River — the main artery into the Livonian interior. Today, in the Vecdaugava district of Riga, nothing of the original stone construction survives; only raised earthworks hint at where the fortification once stood. The site is less a destination than a historical trace, interesting primarily for those drawn to medieval archaeology and the invisible layers beneath the Baltic landscape.