Discover Aizkraukle Municipality: Holiday Apartment amid Culture and Daugava Landscapes

Aizkraukle Municipality showcases Latvia through a remarkably diverse combination of medieval history, museums, landscaped gardens and landscapes along the Daugava. Amid castle ruins, nature trails, viewpoints and regional experiences, visitors encounter very different impressions: sometimes a trail leads into the past, sometimes to the water or along a short walking route, and sometimes to an exhibition or an unusual activity.

Culture

The Aizkraukle Museum presents exhibitions on painting, applied art, photography and regional history. In the museum garden, visitors can try out old games and game elements. Another diverse collection can be found at the Voldemārs Jākobsons Memorial House, where more than 50 sculptures as well as drawings, graphics, tools, and artistic and household objects belonging to the Jākobsons family are on display. At the Pēters Graudulis Museum, the master's exhibited works range from his earliest to his latest pieces.

Odziena Manor is a neo-Gothic landmark; its history begins with the first written mention of the name Odensee in 1455. During a guided tour, visitors can learn stories and legends from the time of Aizkraukle Manor, as well as discover the cultural and historical diversity of Daugavas ieleja Nature Park.

History

The medieval castle of Aizkraukle was built around 1211 at the mouth of the Karikste River. Its castle ruins are now privately owned and should be viewed from a distance for safety reasons. Construction of the medieval castle in Koknese began as early as 1209; impressive ruins have been preserved there to this day. A historical exhibition is located in the pavilion at the castle ruins.

The historic sites in Koknese are also situated by the water. At the medieval castle ruins, there is a pier for summer boat trips, as well as rentals of boats, SUP boards and catamarans. Ūdens prieki Koknesē offers excursion-boat trips and SUP-board rentals on the banks of the Pērse near the medieval castle ruins of Koknese.

Nature

Daugavas ieleja Nature Park is a 1,091-hectare protected area that has been part of the Natura 2000 network since 2004. It protects a characteristic section of the ancient Daugava Valley that has remained unchanged due to the construction of the Pļaviņas Hydroelectric Power Station. The “Daugavas takas” walking trail offers another perspective on the river landscape: it is 828 metres long, runs below the district secondary school building along Draudzības krastmala, and extends to the skate park. The trail also has a viewing platform overlooking the Daugava landscape.

At Likteņdārzs, the 200-metre-long Friendship Avenue runs alongside 77 apple trees. Each of these trees is dedicated to a Latvian person, family or clan. The roof of the building at Likteņdārzs serves as a walking area and viewpoint overlooking the garden and the Daugava.

Those looking for longer routes through the landscape will find the Koknese nature trail. It is 5.65 kilometres long and runs along the banks of the Pērse and the Daugava. The Daugava water tourism route runs through the municipalities of Aizkraukle and Jēkabpils.

Activities

The Aizkraukle multifunctional cycling park has a pump track. The “Daugavas takas” walking trail, which was renewed and expanded in 2024, borders the cycling park directly. This means that the site combines a dedicated cycling feature with a short trail offering views of the Daugava.

The “Raganu lidlauks” provides a playful activity. There, visitors can practise flying with a real broom under the guidance of a witch. Beforehand, they complete various entertaining and challenging tasks in teams. The combination of tasks, guidance and the unusual broom experience is one of Aizkraukle Municipality's distinctive offerings.

Food and Drink

During guided tours at Skrīveru mājas saldējums, visitors can learn about the history of ice cream and sample up to 20 different flavours. During visits to Skrīveru mājas saldējums, they can also learn how to make ice cream themselves.

Further destinations at this level: Aizkraukle, Babītes Municipality, Durbe Municipality, Jēkabpils, Skrīveri Municipality, Līgatne Municipality, Ķegums Municipality, Ozolnieki Municipality.

To the higher-level travel overview: Latvia.