Pope Estate and surrounding area

Kurzeme

Listen to the landscape

The Pope Estate ensemble belonged to the von Behr family. The main palace’s form was particularly splendid. The Baron’s home or palace was built at the beginning of the 17th century, but has been rebuilt several times. The estate ensemble also included the old palace or hunting lodge – a two-storey tower building. In the 19th century a French-style garden was created between the palace and hunting lodge, with a pond in the middle. Of the original buildings, the new palace and hunting lodge, the steward’s and doctor’s houses, the servants’ house, the imposing stable and other buildings have survived. Visitors to the new palace can view its late 19th/early 20th century interior, classicism-period exterior doors and Rococo tile stoves. The building is now home to the Pope primary school.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the estate ensemble comprised 23 buildings. There were two paper mills, a syrup factory, while swamp ore was fired nearby.
A red beech, giant oaks, lindens, yews and chestnut trees grow in the estate parkland.
The Pope Lutheran church, built in 1771, with the von Behr family graveyard, is a noteworthy architectural monument.
The famous feasting scene in the Latvian film Vella kalpi (The Devil’s Servants) was filmed at the Pope Palace.