Ludza Castle Latvia

Built by German crusaders in 1399 to protect the eastern front of the Livonian Order, the castle has been in ruins since 1775. Today the melange of crumbling crimson brick and smoky grey boulders is both haunting and beautiful, and makes a great place for a picnic overlooking the church spires and rivulets down the hill. Nearby are the twin towers of the reconstructed Church of the Assumption.