Ventspils Castle unveils new historical exhibition on three floors of its tower
The Ventspils museum has opened a new exhibition inside the tower of the Livonian Order castle, tracing the city's history from the 13th to the 19th century across three floors. The display highlights how Ventspils developed through its close ties to the Baltic Sea.
A museum in Ventspils has prepared a new exhibition dedicated to the city's history and its deep connection to the Baltic Sea. Titled "Sea, Port, City: Ventspils in the 13th–19th Centuries," the exhibition is housed in the tower of the Livonian Order castle, spread across three floors.
Centuries of development
The exhibition spans a broad historical period, from the 13th to the 19th century, allowing visitors to trace how Ventspils gradually took shape and grew as a settlement tied closely to its location on the sea. As reflected in its title, the display is built around three interconnected themes — the sea, the port, and the city itself — presented as a single continuous story of development.
Housed in the castle tower
The new exhibition is located within the Livonian Order castle, one of the most significant historical monuments in Ventspils. Its materials are arranged across three floors of the castle tower, guiding visitors step by step through different periods of the city's growth.
The exhibition offers insight into how the proximity of the sea and the operation of the port shaped the formation of Ventspils as a settlement over the centuries, influencing its economic importance and everyday life. In preparing the display, the museum drew on historical materials to illustrate the city's path from a medieval settlement to a significant port city.
The new exhibition is now open to the public at Ventspils Castle, adding to the city's offerings for anyone interested in the history of the Courland and Baltic Sea region.
