Latvia Kuldiga Schroeder Malvina 1855 pedigree. Kuldiga, Latvia. Accommodation in Kuldiga
Although the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia was popularly called Courland, its common capital was still Semigallia. The center of Courland proper was traditionally considered Goldingen, or Kuldiga - once a powerful Livonian castle on the left bank, and now a small (13 thousand inhabitants) ancient town, a kind of Latvian Suzdal.
Let's say in the title frame - a wooden town hall from the 17th century.
The main river of Courland is the Venta, at the mouth of which stands Ventspils. Like Gauja in Livonia, it almost entirely belonged to the Teutonic Order, dividing the possessions of the Courland bishopric in half (but at the same time, the capital of the latter, Pilten, was located on Venta). The largest Curonian settlement, Bandava, was located on Venta, a few kilometers from modern Kuldiga. When the Teutons settled in the Baltic States, a strategic road from Livonia to Prussia passed here, and in the 1240s, the castle of Goldingen (originally “Jesusburg”, that is, “city of Jesus”, but this name did not stick) rose at the largest ford on the Venta. the most powerful in the Livonian Transdvina region. In 1355 Goldingen became a city, and in 1368 it joined the Hansa. Over the ancient ford there is now a Brick Bridge (1873) 164 meters long - a grandiose structure for that era:
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Today's Kuldiga stands entirely on the left bank, that is, relative to Riga - “beyond the Venta”, and over this bridge you enter the city... only now not by cart, but by car.
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There is no such house with a tower in Kuldiga, but the wooden house may have belonged to the bridge caretaker:
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The vent here is really very small, but quite wide:
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And from the bridge you can clearly see the Venta Falls (Ventas Rumba) - one of the main attractions of Kuldiga, which is proudly called “the widest waterfall in Europe”. The width really varies from 110 to 270 meters depending on the water in the river. In principle, this is not so small - the smaller of the two Niagara Falls, for example, has a width of 320 meters (the larger one, however, is more than 700).... but the height of the Ventian Rumba let us down - God forbid if it’s a couple of meters:
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In fact, this is not even a waterfall, but a threshold, and there is a hypothesis that it is man-made - the Teutons mined the stone for Goldingen Castle from the bottom of the Venta. There is also a version that the characteristic “baths” were knocked out under Jacob for catching fish going to spawn. According to another version, these are just baths, or maybe natural landforms.
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In any case, it is beautiful here, and the beauty is quite appropriate in the Baltics - northern, discreet. You can calmly walk over the waterfall, but on Midsummer night people run naked across it (according to another version, across the bridge).
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The beach on the right bank is open all summer, and this is perhaps the most extensive river beach that I have seen - even with an observation tower (in case someone does come over from the waterfall, apparently). In general, it was very pleasant to wander around in ankle-deep water along the very edge of the rapids, especially after a hot day on the road:
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The Venta Valley here is generally rich in beauty - 4 kilometers from the city there are also caves (or rather, quarries) of Riežupe, which are ennobled and accessible to everyone, but we didn’t go there anymore.
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And on the high left bank the best place would be for the Livonian castle, which, judging by the old engravings and descriptions on Renata Rimsha’s website, was not inferior and... but no - like many other Courland castles, Goldingen was destroyed in the Northern War and finally dismantled in 19 century. The only thing that survived was this mound, built over a tiny remnant of the wall:
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Yes - indirectly - the caretaker's house (1735), whose duties included keeping an eye on the ruins of the castle so that they were not torn to pieces. The Vohra of the 18th century, I think, was even dumber and more aggressive than the current one, and nearby there was also a place of executions, so this building is also popularly known as the “executioner’s house”:
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Basically, on the site of the castle there is a park, which allows you to appreciate its enormous size. Castle Street, essentially the upper embankment, is a local promenade with a vernissage, souvenir stalls and this gazebo where they sell all sorts of pretzel pies:
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There are many sculptures in the park:
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And the most memorable house, although in appearance simply extremely Courland, was in fact part of the Russian pavilion at the World Exhibition in Paris (1900) ... perhaps representing the Baltic region or the Courland province. There is a legend that he was bought by a local merchant in order to impress either his friends or his beloved. Nowadays there is a local history museum:
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What is worth envying in the Baltics is the state of the parks, but in Kuldiga they are wonderful even by Baltic standards:
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But what remains of the castle are at least the ramparts along the edges - here is the view from them of the city blocks:
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On the other side of the bridge is the castle mill on the Aleksupa River... which falls into Ventoux with its small waterfall, alas, completely hidden by vegetation:
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This mill itself is the same age as the castle, and originally flour was ground here for strength. Under the Kettlers, the mill served as a gunpowder factory, and in 1820-38 as a paper spinning mill. The current building and dam were built in 1805-07... only the pond was drained:
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And the covering of the dam was dismantled for repairs, and it was only possible to climb along the parapet with the risk of falling over. By that time, I was so tired of the toy towns of Courland that I really wanted to do something antisocial, defiant, anarchic and “like in Russia,” so, despite the ban, I climbed in there and took a couple of shots:
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Nearby is St. Catherine's Church, known since 1252. It went down in history because Duke Jacob was baptized here, under whom Courland flourished and almost turned into a colonial empire, briefly taking possession of the island of Tobago in the Caribbean and the mouth of the Gambia in Africa (). Let me remind you how it turned out that Goldingen did not become the capital of the duchy: the first duke and former last master Gotthard Ketler died, his eldest son Friedrich received Semigallia with Mitau, and the younger Wilhelm received Courland with Goldingen, and formally they were equal in rights. However, William quarreled first with his barons, and then with the Polish king, and was deposed: Frederick remained the only ruler, and Mitau remained the only capital. But Jacob Kettler was the son of Wilhelm, and the last Kettlers loved and improved Goldingen as their family nest. The church, however, did not witness Jacob’s baptism - the current building was built in 1665, the interiors from the same time have been preserved... and the exterior and tower are from 1866:
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Kuldiga is a city not of attractions, but of an environment that is extremely integral, very Courlandic in spirit and very cozy. As I understand it, most of its buildings are from the 19th century, when Goldingen turned into an ordinary county town in the Courland province. However, with a population of 8.6 thousand people (1897) in the province, it remained third after the port of Libau with a population of 100 thousand and the provincial Mitava with a population of 30 thousand.
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People's House (1909), more like a factory with attached barracks for workers:
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Kuldiga courtyards:
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The same Aleksupe river permeates all this, forming a sort of narrow street, for which Kuldiga is of course called the “Latvian Venice”:
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In general, through these streets we reached the Town Hall Square, which is opened by the local Metropol Hotel (in Art Nouveau style) and the 17th century “Duke Jacob's Pharmacy” standing opposite it - a real old German half-timbered building (most of the half-timbered buildings in the Baltics, including the Königsberg region, are still younger one hundred to two hundred):
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Perspective of Town Hall Square. Liepajas (Libavskaya) street goes to the right - pedestrian and the main street in Old Goldingen. Surprisingly, the main square is mostly made of wood. The most noticeable is the New Town Hall (1874), used for its intended purpose - that is, as a city administration:
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But much more interesting is the more modest Old Town Hall from the time of Duke Jacob. A wooden house from the 17th century is a rare phenomenon in Russia too... but in Courland such monuments are one of the “tricks”: in Kuldiga, Liepaja, and maybe somewhere else, a dozen wooden buildings from that time have survived. True, these are mostly banal barns, so Kuldiga Town Hall is unique here too:
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I saw an open door, looked in - and found myself in a weaving workshop. There were Lielvard belts (with white and red ornaments) and Suiti scarves (colorful geometric ones) - even though they were modern stylizations, they still at least partially compensated me for the museums I had not seen in and.
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They are not only sold here, but also made. Weaving production in the former town hall - the old mercantilist Jacob Ketler would have approved!
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New Town Hall, view from the back:
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There are two old churches in Kuldiga, but near the Town Hall Square stands the Trinity Church (1640), most likely like in Mitau, built at the behest of Poland, to which the Duchy of Courland was a vassal. A very interesting cross weathervane - I have never seen one like this before:
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Then Valery and I (and she brought me to Kuldiga renatar during the South Courland trip, just after Alsunga and Edole) we headed down Libavskaya - this street is now pedestrian and with its toyness leaves behind everything that I had seen in Courland before.
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At the beginning, across the house from Town Hall Square there is another 17th century barn, now occupied by a cafe (they didn’t think to go inside). Nearby is the “boot of Charles XII” - there is another one in the village of Virga, where Renata also took me. They say that in one of the Kuldiga houses there was a chest of the Swedish king built into the wall, which he supposedly left for safekeeping with the owner when he retreated, and the owner, as a true law-abiding German, not only did not open the chest, but also built it into the wall out of harm’s way - it seems “the same” door in frame No. 28.
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View from a side alley of the most impressive house of the “royal” era in Kuldiga on Libavskaya:
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The wooden house nearby is also good. I wonder: were the false windows intended that way, or did he just lose the floor?
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Am I so spoiled, or are the mushrooms and fruits really strange?
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Another view from the alley, or rather from the parallel street - Libavskaya ahead:
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Here are a couple more houses... Alas, in Northern European architecture I am not strong enough to distinguish the genuine 17th century from stylization. Still, stylization:
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The synagogue is visible on the right:
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I already wrote about the “Kurlyanchiks”, local Jews, in a post. The Jewish community here was no smaller than in Lithuania, but the Courland province was not part of the Pale of Settlement, so the Jews here were “white bones” and even spoke more German than Yiddish. The largest synagogues have survived in , Sabile and here. The Goldingen Synagogue (1875) was the Kurzeme cinema under the Soviets, and now houses a library:
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Construction is becoming simpler, but the livability remains:
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The glass cabinet in the middle is a micro-museum of the Vulcan match factory, founded in 1878 and formerly the largest enterprise in its industry in the Baltic region. The factory survived the 20th century, but burned down in 2002, and its restoration, apparently, was considered inappropriate. Its shells have been preserved, but I haven’t gotten to them and don’t even know where they are.
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In the next courtyard there is another scattering of sculptures and installations, this time wooden:
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And the simple, but not entirely banal Orthodox Church of the Intercession (1871):
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The old part of Kuldiga stretches along the same road from Livonia to Prussia: from the bridge to the square and further along Libavskaya, from which the historical buildings diverge only 2-3 blocks. Now on the neighboring Mucenieku Street the views are not at all fancy - for example, a distillery (1867) with an archaic square pipe:
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And the largest church in Kuldiga is St. Anne's Church (1902), whose tower is visible from afar. But up close, especially if the gates are closed, you won’t see anything except the tower:
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Finally, I need to say something conceptual, but what can I say in general? Tiled sidewalks, well-groomed lawns, rickety woodsheds, and an old tower above it all - such a collective image of the Baltic states.
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From Kuldiga it is approximately 70 kilometers to the main cities of Kurzeme - the ports of Liepaja and Ventspils, and 30 kilometers to the sea in a straight line. But before we start a long story about Liepāja, we will reach it through the southern part of Courland: Embute, Priekule, Virga, Grobin.
Kuldiga from A to Z: map, hotels, attractions, restaurants, entertainment. Shopping, shops. Photos, videos and reviews about Kuldiga.
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How to get to Kuldiga
The typical (in the Soviet sense) European architecture of Kuldiga has attracted filmmakers here more than once - in many films it often played the role of some small German town.
One of the most popular attractions is the widest (275 m) natural waterfall in Europe, Ventas Rumba. Next to it on the Wenta River stands a magnificent red brick arched bridge built in 1874 by the German engineer Otto Dietze.
There is a small dam near the brick bridge. This is a castle mill over 200 years old. Previously, flour was ground in it, later it was used as a gunpowder factory, and in the 30s. 19th century - like a paper spinning mill. Today, in the already quiet backwater, local boys are fishing.
In the Middle Ages, Kuldiga was called the city in which fish fly. The fact is that when salmon went to spawn through the high threshold of Ventas Rumba, they were forced to jump very high out of the water to overcome the obstacle. Since the 18th century, special wicker baskets have been used to catch these “flying” salmon. You can still watch the flights today. The opening holiday of the tourist season at the end of April is held under the motto “fish fly!”
One of the most unusual entertainments is swimming under the Ventas Rumba waterfall. By the way, in the 19th century they took money for such an attraction - it was necessary to somehow recoup the costs of baths dug into the rocky bottom. Today, absolutely anyone has the opportunity to swim in Ventas Rumba for free.
Another place that is definitely worth a visit in Kaldiga is the Playing Card Museum. Its exposition is one of the richest in Europe.
Not far from the city, in the Snepel parish, there is the Nornieki ostrich nursery - the largest farm in Latvia. Individual and group excursions are held here, after which you can buy the meat of this giant bird, products made from its feathers and leather.
Accommodation in Kuldiga
There is a large selection of accommodation options in the city and its surroundings, including hotels, holiday homes, guesthouses, campsites and apartments. They cost little: 60 EUR will need to be paid for a four-bed cottage in the city, a standard hotel room will cost 40-60 EUR, and an overnight stay in an apartment will ruin a tourist: the price varies from 40 to 150 EUR.
Weather
The climate of Kuldiga is humid maritime with dry and short summers. Humidity in the region is average, with approximately 700-850 mm of precipitation falling annually. The average temperature in January is −4 °C, in July - +17.5 °C. The rains are heaviest between April and October. Kuldiga is characterized by unstable weather, many cloudy (150) and cloudy (100) days.
One of the most beautiful cities in the Latvian province is called Kuldiga. It is located in the central part of the western region of Kurzeme. The Venta River flows through the city. The city covers an area of 13 thousand square kilometers. Kuldiga is considered the administrative center of the Kuldiga region, which unites, in addition to the city itself, 13 more volosts. Several important roads of regional importance pass through the city. If you love history and medieval Europe, then be sure to go on vacation in Kuldiga - you will remember the prices, entertainment and attractions long after your vacation.
First of all, you need to obtain a visa before traveling. A national or Schengen visa will be required. The list of documents required to obtain it varies depending on the purpose of the trip. The visa process takes approximately a week. To obtain this document, and for the trip in general, you will need medical insurance. Medicine in Latvia is generally expensive, and even if you have health insurance, calling an ambulance can result in a large fine if medical workers consider that the call was unfounded.
In Latvia, smoking in public places is prohibited everywhere, and open bottles of alcohol must be placed in special bags if you do not want to pay a fine. It is also prohibited to walk on the lawns; this can also be a reason for a fine.
Climate in Kuldiga
Kuldiga is characterized by a humid maritime climate with short but fairly dry summers. Over the entire year, up to 850 mm of precipitation falls here, which indicates average air humidity. In winter, the temperature drops to -4 degrees, and in summer, on average, it does not rise above 18 degrees. It rains very often in Kuldiga and there are many cloudy or cloudy days.
You can go on holiday to Kuldiga throughout the year. Traditionally, the tourist season in Latvia begins in May. During the summer months, the air here warms up best, and Latvian resorts open their doors to tourists from all over the world. During these months, the cost of vacation increases several times. Therefore, it is better to take care of vouchers in February, when early booking begins.
But you don’t have to limit yourself to the high season when traveling to Kuldiga. This city will be beautiful at any time of the year. In addition, traveling in winter will cost you less. You can easily rent inexpensive housing and leisurely sightsee, enjoying the beauty of architecture.
How to get to Kuldiga?
First you need to get to Riga, this can be done by a regular regular flight. And from the capital your path will lie in provincial Kuldiga. The easiest way is to take a bus departing from the Riga bus station. Every day there are several flights from there in the desired direction. In two and a half hours the bus covers a distance of 150 kilometers. You will have to pay 6 euros for the trip. If you prefer to get there by your own transport, then first take the A9 or A10 motorway. Then turn onto highway Z120 or P108, which leads to your destination.
Kuldiga Hotels
This relatively small town has about 30 hotels. Among them there are both expensive hotels that offer their guests, in addition to housing, full board, and there are also very inexpensive hostels where you can only spend the night. In such places, “conveniences” are located on the floor, and the rooms have several beds. The cost of living in a standard hotel room is about 30 euros. if you prefer to stay in a four-room cottage, you will have to pay 60 euros for it, apartments will cost 40 euros per night.
Transport and communications
The best way to get around the city is by public transport or just walking, looking at interesting historical buildings along the way. The fare on all city routes is 0.4 euros. If you need to get to a neighboring town, then use the buses departing from the local bus station.
In order to call from Kuldiga to Russia, you need to dial +371 and then the desired phone number. If dialing is from a landline phone, then dial 810371 and then the phone number.
What to try in Latvia?
National Latvian cuisine is devoid of any gastronomic delights. All dishes here are simple and satisfying. Most often, food is prepared from locally produced products. Baltic fish, local mushrooms, vegetables and fruits, and pearl barley are used.
Be sure to try the gray peas cooked with smoked brisket. This is one of the Latvian dishes that was prepared by peasants for breakfast. It gives you a long-lasting feeling of fullness and you can then work all day. As an appetizer, you should try lightly salted herring with potatoes, croutons and cottage cheese cream. For the second course, fish dishes and homemade meat sausages are most often served. For children, you can offer popular desserts in the country made from rye bread with the addition of cream and berry sauce.
Shopping
If you decide that you need to bring souvenirs to remember your trip to this wonderful city, then pay attention to the souvenirs depicting a waterfall called Rumba and the famous stone bridge connecting the banks of the Venta River.
When you are near the Tourist Information Center, be sure to visit the small workshop. There you can find beautiful colored woven blankets and scarves decorated with folk patterns. In the information center itself you can buy souvenir playing cards depicting views of the city, which you can take with you as a souvenir of your trip to Kuldiga.
Excursions
This city is rightly ranked among the most beautiful cities in the country. Narrow medieval streets, the Alekshupite river flowing through the entire city. You can find interesting houses and buildings everywhere. Here is the widest European waterfall, a brick bridge built on the model of ancient Roman ones. Thanks to its typical medieval architecture, Kuldiga has often become the subject of attention of filmmakers. About 25 films were filmed here. Usually Kuldiga was assigned the role of some small German town. There are also many interesting places in the vicinity of the city. You can go for a walk to the cleanest lake Zvirgzdu or explore a mushroom plantation. Lovers of mysticism will certainly be interested in walking through the cave labyrinth.
The waterfall called Ventas Rumba is the widest in the old world. It stretches almost across the entire river for 149 meters. There is something to see here. This can be done at any time of the year, but the waterfall is most beautiful in the summer months. In April-May, in these places you can observe a rare phenomenon - flying fish. Fish going to spawn jump out of the water to overcome the threshold. Back in the Middle Ages, it was caught with special devices. This fishing method was practiced until World War II. Now, during spawning, a special festival is held, marking the beginning of the tourist season. During the holiday, you can watch the flight of fish from a specially built observation deck. A popular summer activity for tourists is swimming under a waterfall. In the century before last, they even took money for swimming under the waterfall. Now this entertainment is absolutely free.
Next to the waterfall is the Kuldiga Museum. This small house was once brought from the Paris World Exhibition by Captain Bangert. Now its windows offer a wonderful view of the waterfall. In the museum you can see in detail the model of the local castle, which once stood on the site of the current museum. The museum also contains real armor of a knight from the Middle Ages. But most of all, tourists are interested in the unique deck of playing cards, which depict famous political figures.
The famous bridge over the Venta River is another attraction of Kuldiga. This is the longest brick bridge in Europe. Its model was the ancient brick bridge across the Moselle, which was built by the ancient Romans. Such ancient and interesting sights led to the fact that Kuldiga, together with the Ventas waterfall and the Venta River valley, were included in a special waiting list, and in a few years they will become sites protected by UNESCO.
Another interesting place to visit in Kuldiga is the Riezupe Caves. Don't be afraid for your safety while walking through the caves. There is no danger of getting lost, as the excursions are well organized. This excursion is provided free of charge for preschool children, while others will be charged 6 euros for entry. You cannot go for a walk through the caves immediately after purchasing a ticket; you must wait until there are enough people.
It took about a hundred years to excavate these caves. At first, caves were dug out of practical interest - for the sake of quartz sand, which was used for glass production. He was sent to the factory in Ilguciems. The caves stretch for 2 kilometers, but only 460 meters are open for viewing. All year round, the air temperature in the caves remains at +8 degrees. During the winter months, visiting the cave is prohibited, as this is where bats hibernate.
Not far from Kuldiga you can visit an ostrich farm. It is considered the largest in the country. They even organize special excursions to the farm with the opportunity to purchase a real ostrich egg or products made from leather and bird feathers.
If you like the charm and feel of a small medieval town, as well as taking part in never-before-seen cultural events, then Kuldiga is the right place to spend a romantic weekend. Kuldiga has always attracted the minds and attention of people, like a beautiful maiden, whom painters compare with a wonderful and coveted painting.
Location
Kuldiga is located on the banks of the Venta River, 155 km from Riga. The historical center of the old part of Kuldiga in the ancient Venta Valley is included in the UNESCO national list. Nature has turned the Kuldiga region not only into one of the most picturesque, but also into one of the warmest regions in Latvia. Tourists fell in love with the Riezupe Nature Park with the mysterious sandy caves of Duke Jacob and the picturesque Riezupe Valley.
City `s history
More than 1000 years ago, Kuldiga was the largest trade and cultural center of the ancient Curonians, which was visited by the Scandinavian Vikings. Since 1368, the city of Kuldiga entered the Hanseatic League. Kuldiga was also the capital of the Duchy of Courland, where the most famous historical figure in Kurzeme, Duke Jacob, was born. In his time, more than 150 ships were built that sailed along the sea routes to the Kurzeme colonies - Tobago, Gambia, etc.
For travelers and city guests
In 2007, “the city of Kuldiga in the ancient Venta Valley” received the international title “Outstanding Tourist Route in Europe 2007”. When driving through Kuldiga, the obligatory sightseeing places that should be included in the route are:
- – the widest waterfall in Europe (249 m); a natural waterfall around which a number of legends and historical events have developed. Because of the fishing devices invented by Duke Jacob at the waterfall, Kuldiga in ancient times was called the city where salmon are caught in the air.
- – built in 1874, one of the longest brick bridges in Europe. The bridge was built according to the traffic standards of tsarist times, i.e. 500 feet long, 26 feet wide. The bridge is often used for filming films, e.g. “The Tricks of Emil”, “The Bridge”, etc.
- - a unique, extremely well-preserved and only ensemble of small town buildings in the Baltics from the 17th-18th centuries, located near a river, which is why Kuldiga is called the “Latvian Venice”.
- Waterfall on Alekshupite– the highest waterfall in Latvia (4.5 m). In the 17th century, it was fortified and built up to be used to run the first mills in Kurzeme, intended for paper production.
- City garden with Kuldiga region museum– on the site of the first stone castle of the German crusaders in Kuldiga (1242), from which several fragments of the wall and the castle vault have been preserved. The site of the later ducal castle (destroyed in 1701), now sculptures by L. Rezevskaya are located here.
- Sand caves of Riezupe– the largest labyrinth of underground caves in Latvia, which can be explored over a 2 km stretch. During the reign of Duke Jacob, sand was transported from the Riežupe Sand Caves along the Venta by ships to foreign countries for the glass industry.
Active tourism
The Kuldiga region seems to be created for hiking, cycling, boating, horseback riding, or fishing. Kuldiga is rightly called the cycling city of Latvia. The largest non-profit cycling festival in Latvia, “Bike Day and Bike Night in Kuldiga,” takes place here every year at the end of May. Hiking enthusiasts have an unprecedented opportunity to feel, see and enjoy the atmosphere of an ancient narrow-gauge railway by going on an adventure trip from Kuldiga to Alsunga called “Lasās malā Bānis nāk!” (“Banis goes to the land of salmon!”).
Culture
Culture lovers will enjoy original events that have never been held before, starting with the spring flood show in April – “Fish Fly in Kuldiga” (“Lido zivis Kuldīgā”) and the naked race across the bridge over the Venta on Jan’s Night. Also romantic are the Alekshupite carnival and the race at the city festival “Feast in Kuldiga” (“Dzīres Kuldīgā”). In August, the Live Fest music festival takes place, which brings together world-famous artists. The experience will be complemented by the historical atmosphere at the Duke Jacob Fair in October, and at the end of the year, in December, the Winter Festival “Believe in a Miracle” is held in Kuldiga.
Transport
When traveling by public transport from the capital Riga, you can use the bus service. When traveling by car, it is recommended to first take the A9 or A10 motorways, then take the P108 or P120 to Kuldiga.
In Kuldiga you will find that breath of antiquity and the charm of a small Latvian town that cannot be felt in any other city in Latvia.
Once upon a time, the small town of Kuldiga was a large Livonian castle. This is confirmed by archaeological finds that indicate early settlements of the Curonians. Today the city is a beautiful provincial settlement, very interesting for tourists.
Kuldiga – description
It attracts tourists with such places as a real oil well, one of the cleanest lakes, as well as plantations of mushrooms and medicinal herbs. Taking a walk around the city, you can also get a lot of impressions, because here you can see stunning tiled roofs, medieval street layout and the Alekshupite river winding among them. Guests who are planning to visit this city should take into account that the weather in Kuldiga in winter is much worse than in summer.
Kuldiga – natural attractions
The city of Kuldiga, Latvia, is located on the left bank of the Venta River, which is quite wide. The main attraction is the Ventas Rumba waterfall, which is considered the widest in Europe. It stretches for 149 m, almost the entire width of the river.
To witness the flying fish, you should come to the waterfall in late April and early May. This happens because the fish goes to spawn along the river and has to jump over the threshold. You can determine that the tourist season has already begun by the national holiday “Fish Fly!”.
Architectural and cultural monuments of the city
The city contains architectural monuments of historical and cultural value. Having looked at Kuldiga in the photo, you can get acquainted with the unique objects, but it would be better to see them in person. The most notable attractions include the following:
Where to stay in Kuldiga?
There are many hotels in Kuldiga, both expensive and fashionable, and budget ones, so any tourist can choose an option to suit his taste and budget. Among the most popular hotels are the following:
Where to eat in Kuldiga?
In the city of Kuldiga there are many cafes and restaurants where travelers will be offered to taste both traditional dishes typical of European cuisine and those containing their own special piquancy. Among the most famous establishments in Kuldiga are the following:
- Golding Room– offers European cuisine; delicious Italian pizza is prepared here. The restaurant is suitable for vegetarians.
- Pagrabins– a restaurant that serves European and Latvian cuisine; vegetarians can also order dishes here.
- Metropole Restaurant– invariably receives rave reviews from tourists, it is characterized as a great place for a romantic dinner, serving international and Latvian cuisine.
- Stenders– a unique restaurant in the city center, memorable for its delicious food and cozy atmosphere.
How to get there?