Medieval castle ruins are the oldest historical monument of the city. A fortified settlement of ancient Latgalians was located on the hill on the river bank from the 9th to the 12th century; at the end of the 13th century the castle of the Livonian Order (Castrum Rositten) was built there.
The castle was located in a strategically important place, therefore it was desired to be occupied by Russians, Lithuanians and Poles, and it was destroyed completely during the Polish-Swedish War (1656-1660) and has no longer been restored. Only fragments of the castle fortification have survived on the castle hill up to nowadays.
At the base of the Castle Hill is located the sculpture of Princess Rose, created from clay by local potters in the form of a mysterious image of a woman, as a symbol embodying both the legend of the Princess and the strength of the traditions of Latgale ceramics.
Across the street from the Castle Hill you can view the model of the medieval castle Rositten (author Edmunds Smans).