Mrs. Hoyer’s Hotel in Liepāja
Description
Liepāja’s Kungu and Bāriņu Streets are home to several unique 17th and 18th-century buildings, but the one that stands out the most is the former hotel of Mrs Hoyer, one of the oldest examples of wooden residential buildings in Liepāja, which is part of the historical complex of buildings on Bāriņu Street called Kungu kvartāls – the Lord’s Quarter. Today, the building at 24 Kungu Street has become a museum of 17th-19th-century interiors, thanks to careful restoration.
The oldest information about the building dates back to 1677 when David Hoyer married the Dutch Margarita Gertrud Holst and started to run a hotel with an inn. In 1697, the Russian Tsar Peter the Great stayed at the hotel for about a week, immediately boosting its reputation.
The first documentary evidence of the building is found on the town’s map drawn between 1738 and 1742, depicting it as a small rectangular building. It is first shown in its present dimensions on a map from 1797. The building underwent several alterations in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and during the Soviet era, it was used as the Liepāja Shipping and Fishing Museum.
The building has a three-wing, laterally expanded layout. The middle part houses a tavern and a mantel chimney. The right wing is used as living quarters. It preserves a striking beamed ceiling, and one room features authentic early 18th-century murals. Restoration has unearthed a number of important historical artefacts, most notably a Dutch gold ducat minted in 1802.
After restoration and remodelling, the building functions as a museum of 17th-19th century interiors, and the rooms of Mrs Hoyer’s historic hotel on the first floor have been equipped with period furnishings. The second floor offers a glimpse at the 19th to 20th-century apartment of the Stenders, a turn-of-the-century urban family.
Improvements made within the project
On the first floor, the original late 17th-century layout was restored, highlighting the surviving room decoration and paintings on wood. On the second floor, the 19th-century room layout was partially preserved, and the original interior decoration was restored, including copies of the historical wallpaper. The project also carried out the conservation and prosthetics of the wooden structures, restoration of the stone walls, painting of the wooden walls and ceilings, restoration and reconstruction of furnaces and their tiles, restoration of the mantel chimney and reconstruction of the ancient lavatory.
The building’s exterior changed as well: the façade’s historic paintwork and clay tile roof, as well as windows and doors were restored, the joinery was restored, and the necessary historical copies were made.
The courtyard of Mrs Hoyer’s hotel was also improved, preserving and restoring elements and details characteristic of 17th to 19th-century Liepāja: the round stone pavement was conserved, the original 18th-century stone well was positioned in the courtyard, and a suitable canopy was made to cover it. Wooden benches based on historical models were manufactured, wooden barrels were installed to collect rainwater, a small herb garden was created, and the hotel’s original high wooden fence was restored.
Investments – EUR 3,170,803.65
Of which:
ERDF funding – EUR 1,600,000
state budget grant – EUR 70,588.24
municipal funding – EUR 1,500,215.41
The project was implemented by Liepāja State City Local Government.
Address
Kungu street 24, Liepāja
Working time
01.06 – 31.08
| Monday | closed |
| Tuesday | 10:00 – 18:00 |
| Wednesday | 10:00 – 18:00 |
| Thursday | 10:00 – 18:00 |
| Friday | 10:00 – 18:00 |
| Saturday | 10:00 – 18:00 |
| Sunday | 10:00 – 18:00 |
01.09 – 31.05
| Monday | closed |
| Tuesday | closed |
| Wednesday | 10:00 – 18:00 |
| Thursday | 10:00 – 18:00 |
| Friday | 10:00 – 18:00 |
| Saturday | 10:00 – 18:00 |
| Sunday | 10:00 – 18:00 |
Admission fee
EUR 3
EUR 5 – family ticket (2 adults + 2 children)
EUR 20 Guided tour in Latvian
EUR 25 Guided tour in a foreign language
Getting there
The site is located in Liepāja’s Old Town, about 500 metres from Rose Square. Access on foot or by private transport.
Contacts
+371 29905180
[email protected]
