Fabled Mežotne and the Mežotne castle mound, one of the largest fortifications of the Semigallians, lie opposite each other on the banks of Lielupe. The former hillfort overlooks the gently sloping Lielupe banks, but the other side is home to an English-style landscape park with the estate palace at its centre. The Mežotne Palace is a striking example of classicism, built between 1798 and 1802. It was designed by architect Johann Georg Berlitz from an original project by Italian architect Giacomo Quarenghi. The palace’s most ornate feature is the Cupola Hall, reminiscent of Rome’s Pantheon. The hall’s windows open on to the estate parkland, its wide lawns surrounded by magnificent, tall deciduous trees.  

• In 1795, Russian Tsarina Catherine the Great granted the estate to her grandchildren’s governess Charlotte von Lieven. Construction of the palace was started at Lieven’s suggestion.
• The estate palace area also includes the steward’s house, barns and stables around a courtyard.
• A number of scenic views surrounding the centre of the park have been preserved: the palace to the north; to the west – the gently sloping Lielupe bank, to the east – the road and meadows, and to the south – the gully and pond.