The riverside façade of Jelgava Palace is magnificent. Designed by the court architect of Imperial Russia, Bartolomeo Rastrelli of Winter Palace fame, its baroque exterior is graced by ornate windows and striking cast-iron medallions. With 669 rooms, 674 windows, 615 doors, and 25 chimneys, the palace served as the principal residence of the rich and powerful dukes of Courland. Situated on low lying land that is prone to seasonal flooding on the banks of the Lielupe, Jelgava Palace lacks a formal garden and is not considered Rastrelli’s best work. However, it’s…
