A tale of two Annas
| Rundāle Palace Rundāle is a magnificent palace both inside and out and the hardest part is deciding which photos not to post. The palace was designed by Rastrelli (the architect of the Winter Palace in St Petersburg) as a summer residence for Ernst Johann Biron, the Duke of Courland (now western Latvia) and an advisor to Anna Ivanovna, the then empress of Russia. Much of the palace has been faithfully restored, including some intricate stucco ceiling decorations, the gilding in the throne room (right), wood inlaid floors and the unusual porcelain room stoves. I particularly enjoyed the simple vaulted colonnades around the ground floor of the palace. |  | |
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| Tērvete Nature Park The nature park is (in part) a museum to Anna Brigadere, a 19th century Latvian children's author. The Rūķīšu mežs (Dwarf Forest) is full of carved sculptures and cabins, depicting Anna Brigadere's fairy stories. Finding the Dwarf Forest is difficult, unless you are able to find a couple of young locals who are willing to act as guides. |  |
posted by Paul @ 7:00 pm
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