Mercendarbe Manor Museum

Located in Baldone municipality, 4 km from Baldone, near the Iecava – Baldone – Daugmale highway.

Mercendarbe is one of the manors near which the Baldone spa, which was the oldest in Latvia, was located. The history of the manor is supplemented by the events of World War I. It was located 7 km from the active front fighting site - Nāves sala. Mercendarbe manor served the purposes of the German army, and its surroundings became a direct witness to the war.

During the war, railway infrastructure was one of the most important issues in the plans of every army. In 1915, Germany had occupied the territory of Latvia (at that time part of Russia) and began to build new railway lines to quickly transport soldiers, organize supplies and export resources to Germany, such as timber cargoes. One of the new railway lines connected Mercendarbi with Vecumnieki and further to Jelgava, which was an important support point for the German army. The Mercendarbi line was used to supply soldiers on Death Island, and it also provided support for German army units when they attacked Riga, crossing the Daugava.

Today, the manor houses the Baldone Museum and a Tourist Information Point. A Mercenary Walking Trail has been created, which is part of the “Baldone Story Trail”. You can still see the German army railway embankment.