Holiday apartment in Ķekava Municipality – trails, the Daugava and history

Ķekava Municipality reveals its different sides particularly clearly along the trails and at the historical sites around Baldone, Ķekava, Katlakalns and Baloži. The Baldone Story Trails comprise six walking and hiking trails ranging from 1.5 to 20 kilometres in length. In the terrain, they are marked with differently coloured footprint markers and signposts. Information boards provide maps and information about the sites; QR codes lead to audio guides.

Outdoors

The Baldone Forest Stories also combine exercise with local narratives. One route features 16 tourist attractions where audio-guide stories can be listened to. A total of 29 works of art are displayed in the forest. One circular route is up to 20 kilometres long. In addition, the digital route focusing on Baldone’s military heritage covers 10 kilometres and includes 13 information stations.

The Riekstukalns ski slopes cater to different winter preferences: they are suitable for experienced skiers and snowboarders, for more leisurely descents and for beginners. Those who prefer to be on the water can rent SUP boards, boats and kayaks in Ķekava on the Sausā Daugava River near Murdiņi. Dabas zirgi also offers horseback rides or horse walks in Ķekava Municipality.

For cyclists, the cycling route between Ķekava and Riga can also be started in Riga; it provides an alternative to the A7 motorway.

Culture and history

At Daugmales hillfort, historical traditions meet the location on the Daugava. In earlier times, the site was a centre of trade and crafts on the banks of the Daugava. Historians suspect that its foot, at the mouth of the Varžupīte where it flows into the Daugava, was the port of Zemgale mentioned in historical documents. From Daugmales hillfort, visitors can climb up and view the Daugava from above.

The Katlakalns Evangelical Lutheran Church was built in 1794 as an outstanding monument of Classicist architecture. The grounds feature dendrological plantings with more than 320 species of trees and shrubs. The Ķekava Local History Museum offers another insight into regional culture, displaying approximately 1,800 caricatures and photographs from its collection.

Rare trees grow in the park of Baldone’s Baltā pils, including larches, firs, cedar pines, Manchurian cork trees, silver firs and red oaks. Railway history is present at the Baloži Peat Narrow-Gauge Railway Museum: 2.5 kilometres of a former narrow-gauge railway are preserved, along with a collection of rare locomotives and carriages. The Baloži peat train also offers a narrow-gauge railway ride from the peat bog to the factory.

At the Baldone Observatory, the programme includes a creative workshop as part of guided tours. Visits to the mini-planetarium “Count the Stars, Not the Time” are also available.

More places

More local pages in Ķekava Municipality: Ķekava, Rāmava, Katlakalns, Baloži, Lielvārži, Daugmale, Vimbukrogs, Pulkarne.

Open the relevant local pages if you would like to explore Ķekava Municipality further by subregion.

For the overarching travel overview: Latvia.