The Ikšķile Medieval Church is the first known stone building in Latvia, built in the second half of the 12th century under the direction of Bishop Meinard. The ruins of the church’s walls are located on the artificially created St. Meinard’s Island. Over time, the church was rebuilt several times. In the 13th century, the small narrow church was demolished and a new, larger church built instead, preserving the southern wall of the first masonry building. That wall continued to be retained in the rebuilds of later centuries. The church was destroyed several times, the last time during the First World War. The landscape in the vicinity of the church area has changed since the construction of the Rīga hydroelectric power station.  

• The part-buried church walls are about one quarter of their original height.
• In 1993, during the visit of Pope John Paul II to Latvia, Bishop Meinard was canonised.