Ermes (Lat.: Ērģeme)

57° 48′ 26″ N, 25° 49′ 19″ E

Ērģeme Castle is first mentioned in 1320–1323. It suffered several Russian attacks in 1569, yet each of them was successfully dealt with. On 2 August 1560 a critical battle took place not far from the fortress walls, when the commandment of the Livonian knights perished. This battle is considered to be the last one in the history of northern crusaders. So far the exact site of the battle has not been defined (presumably, it took place either 10–16 km away from Ērģeme towards Valka or on the Unu river in Latvia). Anyway, the name of the battle is associated with Ērģeme Castle as the closest facility of the Order. Today the sombre castle walls resemble an enormous hecatomb, a tacit vault of the last crusaders of the Teutonic Order. This site is especially impressive in the summer, when the fortress ruins are drowned in wild flowers. The castle ruins are located in modern Ērģeme (Latvia).

Ermes 1 site