The Museum is located in Valmiera Old Town on Bruninieku Street. The area is managed by Valmiera City.
Valmiera Castle
Today only the ruins of the defensive walls and cellar walls of the north-western building uncovered during the archaeological excavations, including a fragment of a catacomb, testify to the former appearance of Valmiera Castle. Even now two loopholes covered by the dolomite slabs can be seen in the northern wall of the castle-front showing that there was a guard gallery in the past. The castle was built as the first fortification of the Livonian Order on the right bank of the River Gauja after the division of Tālava land in 1224. The castle was built half a century later during the reign of Wilken von Endorp, the Master of the Livonian Order (1281 – 1287). The oldest preserved defence walls date back to the 14th century. The main part of the castle was well protected. However, the situation changed when people started using firearms. During the Swedish reign, a new Swedish fortification system with earth ramparts and protruding bastions was built around the castle. The castle was damaged heavily during the Great Northern War in 1702, when large Russian forces attacked the city and set it on fire. The castle was destroyed and lost its military significance. Later buildings were built within the castle area using the stones from the destroyed walls.
