The devastation of the castle started in 1556 with attacks by the Livonian Order, which lasted until the end of the Livonian War. The worst damage to the castle occurred from 1657 to 1658, during the Second Northern War between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Swedish Empire. The castle was deserted after that and slowly turned to ruins. In 1683, the king of Sweden ordered the destruction of anything that resembled a fortress around the castle, so all towers were demolished. Today, the Rauna Castle ruins are preserved. Many walls and even the bases of the towers remain.