How to Spend a Day in Bauska, Latvia

Who doesn’t like a nice surprise when they travel? Well, my time visiting Bauska definitely falls into that category. Found in southern Latvia, I went there mainly so I could visit Rundale Palace, a popular attraction nearby. But since I had a spare day up my sleeve, I decided to spend one day in Bauska seeing what it had to offer. 

Make no mistake, the town of Bauska is a reasonably small destination to visit. Latvia seems to excel at that kind of thing though, with Ludza across the country as further proof. And yet Bauska has quite a lot going for it, from a genuinely interesting castle to picturesque riverbanks and a quaint town centre. Here’s what you have to look forward to if you decide to make a day of this enjoyable Latvian town.

How to Visit Bauska

Before we get to the sightseeing, let’s touch on what you need to know to visit. Whether going as a day trip or staying overnight, you first need to travel there. To get there by public transport, it’s easiest to just take a Riga Bauska bus. You’ll find buses run very frequently, with the trip taking 1 hour 20 minutes and costing €3.15. As I said, easy.

With that kind of travel time, visiting Bauska as a day trip from Riga is super manageable. But maybe you want to stick around a night or two. In that case, you have just a few places to choose from. Bauska is small after all.  I stayed at Hotel Berzkalni across the river from town, which was basic but functional, with a pretty good restaurant.

Bauska Castle

Easily the most important thing to do in Bauska is to make your way to the town’s castle. Sitting to the west of the town, Bauska Castle joins the ranks of other terrific castles in Latvia, like those in Sigulda and Cesis. The castle is quite a treat to visit, in no small part to its surrounding scenery. It’s positioned on a small grassy hill bordered on either side by rivers, giving it a perfect scenic backdrop.

But what really makes the castle a highlight of a day in Bauska is that it’s sort of two castles in one. You see Bauska Castle has two parts to it, the medieval ruins of an earlier castle and the renaissance elegance of a later palace. The castle was originally built for the Livonian Order in the 15th century and rebuilt for the local Duchy in the 16th century.

Approaching the castle you’re greeted with the nicely restored palace facade. It’s only when you reach the main courtyard that you clearly see where the “two castles” meet.

It’s worth paying the affordable €1.5 entry fee, as that way you can wander about the castle a bit. The castle seems to be a popular wedding venue which may hinder availability but probably not too bad. I spotted two different wedding parties when I went, but I still was able to explore the grounds and climb its tower. Behind the castle is a large, leafy park that’s quite nice to stroll through.

Rivers of Bauska

Rivers in Latvia always make for beautiful scenery and the green banks of Bauska’s rivers are no exception. The town rests at the point in which the Musa River and the Nemunelis river meet, forming the Lielupe River. As I was staying south of town, I had to cross the Musa River to reach the castle and town centre. Seeing its lush green banks both coming and going was a real treat. The same can be definitely said for the other rivers as well, with each view prettier than the last.

Being summertime, it was pretty common to see locals down in the water swimming as well. There even seemed to be people kayaking down the rivers, which is quite brave given how shallow they appeared.

Town Hall

If you follow the Nemunelis river up from Bauska Castle you’ll soon be right in the heart of the town. It’s there that you’ll reach the Bauska Town Hall and the small square in front of it. Like the rest of town, the town hall isn’t large, but it sure makes an impression. It made me think of somewhere like Poland or Germany actually, with its half-timbered clock tower. Besides the town hall, the little square is home to plenty of flowers and had a strange wooden swing when I visited.

Sights Around Town

From the town hall, feel free to wander around the rest of the town centre. The local museum is directly opposite the square, but was something I completely missed. On the other edge of the square is a small sculpture garden with sculptures made from collections of rock.

Walk around town and you’ll see plenty of quaint buildings that bear the same frontier style of places like Kuldiga that I really like. Heading back towards Bauska Castle you’ll also come across the George the Martyr Orthodox Church. If you find the design or Orthodox churches interesting, it’s bound to catch your eye.

As you’ll see, there aren’t a great load of things to see in Bauska. Instead, there’s just enough to hold your attention for a day. And if you’re anything like me, that’s more than enough reason to add it your trip through Latvia. 

Have you ever heard of Bauska Latvia before? Would you like to visit Bauska when heading out to see Rundale Palace? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

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