Ruins of the Livonian Order Castle 
The Livonian Order stone castle was built in 1342 on the Pils or Maria Island, the biggest island on Lake Aluksne. During the subsequent centuries it was inhabited by Germans, Russians, Poles, and Swedes. In 1658 Aluksne was taken by the Russian troops lead by Afanasiy Ovdim Nashchekin. In the Easter of 1661 he received the envoy of Austria - headed by baron Meierberg - that was on its way to Moscow. From this time a drawing of the castle made by artist Storno has survived. In 1702 the castle was surrounded by the Russian army. Since the Swedes did not want to leave it to the Russians, Swedish Captain Wolf blew it up. The inhabitants and locals hiding in the castle were taken prisoners. Among them were also Ernst Glück, the translator of the Bible, and his stepdaughter Marta Skavronska, later to become empress of Russia Catherine I. 
Today the castle ruins encircle an open-air stage with 3000 seats.

The Temple Hill is situated on the south-western part of the Cemetery Peninsula. In 1807 a granite rotunda or temple of glory was built on the hill in honour of the faithful fighters of the Northern War - Swedish Captain Wolf and Russian Field-Marshal Sheremetiev. 
One of the most popular of the many legends tells that during the war the warriors had brought soil to the Temple Hill in their hats to have a better shooting range across the lake to the Aluksne Castle. 
To make the surroundings of the town more beautiful and attractive, the Tourism Committee started to build different objects in 1937. The Sun Bridge on the Temple Hill was built in 1938, restored in 1995.

 

Lake Aluksne is the eleventh biggest lake in Latvia. The lake is situated 183.7 m above the sea level. There are four islands - Cepurīte (Little Hat Island), Garā (Long Island), Tīklu (Net Island), and Pilssala (Castle Island), and the Cemetery Peninsula. They all are significant in the history and culture of the town. The lake is a favourite place for fishing and relaxation all year round. The most common fish are pikes, breams, sanders, tenches, perches, roaches, European ciscos, eels, and whitefish. It is told that the European ciscos were taken from Aluksne castle to the courts of Petersburg and Berlin.

The New Castle of Aluksne was built between 1859 and 1863 in Neo-gothic style by the order of Baron Alexander von Vietinghoff. The main facade with a polygonal hall is buttressed to the north, towards the park terrace having a wide view to the lake. In 1924 the building was given to the 7th Sigulda Infantry Regiment, but today it hosts the Museum of Local Heritage and Art, the Museum of Nature, the cinema, Children and Youth Centre, and the ceramics department of Aluksne Art School.

Aluksne castle park was laid out in the second half of the 18th century according to the idea of Baron Burhard von Vietinghoff, as a Romanticism style scenery park. It was the best park in Vidzeme and is one of the richest dendrology parks in the Baltics. The park is special for its small but unique architectural objects. While walking through the park along the lakeside you can appreciate art of the 21st century - works created during the Stone Sculpture Symposium in Zvartava in the summer of 2001. Their authors are J.Švalbe, A.Vārpa, S.Kondrāts, I.Dobičins, and others.

Granite Obelisk was built in the Aluksne Castle Park by Burhard von Vietinghoff in 1799 in honour of his father Otto Herman von Vietinghoff. Initially there were a marble plate and a portrait of the baron on the obelisk, but they have disappeared. All granite parts of the obelisk have been preserved, as well as two granite chairs that belong to the ensemble.

Aiolos Temple is one of the oldest architectural monuments in the park. It was built in the second half of the 18th century. The temple was devoted to the Greek god of wind Aiolos. Previously the dome was decorated by a golden ring that was to represent the face of the Sun, therefore, this temple is sometimes referred to as the Sun Temple. Attached to the inside of the dome were four wind harps. They were later removed, because in stronger winds the sound would be so loud that the inhabitants of the castle would be disturbed at night.

Alexander Pavilion is also called Tea Pavilion because barons liked to have hot drinks here. It was built in the 19th century in honour of the visit of the Russian tsar Alexander.

The Mausoleum of the Vietinghoff Family was built in 1831 (architect Johan Vilhelm Krauze). The members of the baron family were buried there.

Palm House
This used to be the greenhouse of the castle where also palm trees were grown, hence the name of the building. The greenhouse was built at the end of the 18th century, combining the Baroque and Classicism styles. 

Aluksne Lutheran church built between 1781 and 1788 upon the initiative of the Aluksne castle owner Otto Herman von Vietinghoff, is a remarkable sample of Latvian early Classicism. The architect was Christoph Haberland. The height of the tower is 55.5 m. In the church there is an ample collection of paintings and the original copy of the first Latvian Bible.

 

Aluksne Orthodox Church was built in 1895 in the Eclecticism style. The towers are topped with small domes. 

St Boniface Roman Catholic Church of Aluksne 
The Aluksne Catholic Church was consecrated in 2001. The architect A. Krusts, instead of using the most common rectangular shape, chose a solution more resembling a living house with a small tower, thus achieving a more harmonious integration of the church in the surrounding environment.