The castle was built in the first half of the fourteenth century or at the end of the thirteenth century on the initiative of the archbishop’s vassal, Christian von Rosen. Often, the year 1272 is given as the construction date. In the following centuries the power over the stronghold was performed by subsequent members of the von Rosen family. In 1480, the castle had to still have a considerable military value, because it resisted the Teutonic Order army. Even after the destructive Livonian War of the second half of the sixteenth century, the castle was inhabited and retained its military significance. The end of the stronghold came in 1601 during the Polish-Swedish war.
Rosen Castle was built of bricks, the stone was used only in the foundation parts. It was situated on a promontory, the steep slopes of which ensured safety on three sides, except for the south-eastern side. The shape of the castle was depending on the area on which it was erected. The defensive wall was led along the edges of the hill, obtaining a shape similar to a quadrilateral with two rounded corners. The internal buildings were probably wooden, while the gate was halfway along the southern wall. The defense of the towerless castle, in addition to the terrain values, was based on the perimeter of the defensive wall, especially massive on the front side, where it could have the form of a shield wall.
Small ruins of the castle have survived, situated on a fairly high, as for the Latvian conditions, hill. What is unique, they are adapted to sightseeing, thanks to the arrangement of a wooden pavement for tourists and the placement of an information board. Entrance to the castle is free.
Borowski T., Miasta, zamki i klasztory. Inflanty, Warszawa 2010.
Tuulse A., Die Burgen in Estland und Lettland, Dorpat 1942.