The church was built between 1742 and 1578 after a design by J.K. Dorn and for the needs of the local German congregation.  The 55 metre steeple was completed only in 1866.  The façade and interior of the church are in the style of late Baroque and Classicism (with elegant Rococo elements inside the church).  The church is known for the organ that was built by H.A. Koncius between 1773 and 1780.  Since a reconstruction in 1885, the instrument has more than 7,000 pipes, 131 registers and four manuals.  It is suggested that it is the largest mechanical organ in the world, and its sound is just wonderful.  Visitors can visit the church, examine the organ and climb the steeple.

The Volkenberga Castle was built in the 13th century by the Livonian Order, and it was practically impregnable, as it was on top of Mākoņkalns hill.  These were among the first fortifications in Latgale, and only fragments of the castle remain today.  Architect Pēteris Blūms has said that this was a special type of fortification.  Legends say that after the lord and lady of the castle died, the property was divided up among their three daughters – Roze, Lūcija and Marija.  Each sister built a new castle on the land which she inherited – Roze built Rēzekne, Lūcija built Ludza, and Marija built Viļaka.  A memorial plaque at the foot of Mākoņkalns hill recalls the visit which pre-war Latvian President Kārlis Ulmanis paid to Latgale in 1938.