Preili · LV

Puppet kingdom

Tucked on a quiet street in the small Latgale town of Preiļi, Puppet Kingdom (Leļļu Karaliste) is a handcrafted fairy-tale universe built around roughly 300 original dolls made by local artist Jeļena (Vladlena) Mihailova. Since 2008, the site has grown into one of eastern Latvia's most visited attractions — part art gallery, part miniature town, part royal costume dressing room. The experience unfolds in three parts: a landscaped courtyard filled with a tiny fantasy town of castles, towers, bridges and water mills; an indoor gallery where dolls appear in richly detailed scenes, each with its own story; and a wardrobe of more than 350 historical court costumes, wigs, hats and jewellery that visitors can borrow for photographs in an Empire-style salon and the miniature kingdom grounds.