Porkuni Borkholm

Bishop Simon von der Borch of Tallinn built a castle on a hill by Lake Porkuni in 1477–1479, and it took his name: Borchholm, “Borch’s island.” Cannon towers guarded the corners of its irregular square, and the gate tower bore the arms of the bishopric and the von der Borch family. Muscovite troops took the castle in 1558, and it fell into ruin.

Built / first recorded

1477–1479

Style

Late Gothic castellum

Condition

Lost 1558

County

Lääne-Viru County · Tapa

German name

Borkholm

Owners

• Tallinna piiskopkond1477–1558
• Rootsi kroon1558–1650
• von Tiesenhausen1650

Good to know

• The name Borchholm means “Borch’s island.”
• The machicolation frieze atop the gate tower was added later, as 17th- and 19th-century engravings show.
• The round-arched apses of the castle chapel recall the Romanesque style.

Photos through time

Nearby