Aizkraukle: Daugava Trails, History and Remarkable Architecture

Aizkraukle can be explored through a wide range of themes: the Daugava walking trail, exhibitions, an archaeological hill and a church by the river. A stay here can combine outdoor activity, local history and landscape. Which of these aspects interests you most can be a helpful guide when planning your trip.

Trails and the Daugava landscape

The Daugava walking trail in Aizkraukle is more than 800 metres long and illuminated. Another trail is called the Daugava Walking and Learning Trail: it includes a 400-metre paved circular route connected to a cycling route. Trail facilities may change; check current conditions before your trip.

The two trails differ both in length and in the type of route described. The longer Daugava walking trail and the shorter paved circular route therefore offer different points of reference for planning your day. The learning trail also connects to a cycling route.

Museum and local history

At the Aizkraukles Vēstures un mākslas muzejs „Kalna ziedi“, the permanent exhibition is titled „Daugavas krastu likteņstāsti“. Another exhibition in Aizkraukle, „Padomju gadi“, focuses on the cultural and historical heritage of the 1950s to the 1980s. It covers three floors and a total of 1,060 square metres. The period and scale give a concrete sense of how broadly the topic is presented.

„Padomju gadi“ also includes sections on the history of Pļaviņu HES and the origins of the city of Aizkraukle. The exhibition therefore focuses both on a specific construction and historical topic and on the city’s development. If you are interested in recent history, you can consider these topics alongside the permanent exhibition as a separate focus when planning your trip.

Archaeological traces and remarkable architecture

Kalnaziedu pilskalns is located on a 17-metre-high hill surrounded by deep ravines on three sides. The landscape and archaeological interpretation are closely linked here: according to excavations, the site was inhabited from the end of the 1st millennium BC until around the 9th–10th centuries AD. The hill probably served more as a refuge where people hid in times of danger than as a permanent settlement. This interpretation remains a hypothesis, distinguishing the site’s possible function from the period of habitation established through archaeological findings.

Kalnaziedu pilskalns adjoins the grounds of the „Kalna Ziedi“ museum in Aizkraukle. This offers two different perspectives on local history: the museum’s exhibitions and the archaeological traces on the hill. They can be considered together when exploring history, without treating the two places as one and the same.

The Aizkraukles Svētās Terēzes no Bērna Jēzus Romas katoļu baznīca stands in Aizkraukle on the bank of the Daugava. The garden around the church offers a view of the river. Two towers mark the building; they are considered a characteristic feature of a Catholic place of worship and indicate its denomination. Landscape and architecture stand out in different details here: in the view from the garden and in the shape of the church.

Local products and choosing your accommodation

Fresh produce from local producers and craftspeople is offered at the market by TC „IGA“. The products available may vary. The market complements the sightseeing and history themes with a glimpse of local produce.

If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Aizkraukle, you can use your personal interests as a starting point for planning: trails and outdoor activity, exhibitions and city history, or landscape and architecture. The themes described offer different ways to shape your trip.

For the broader travel overview: Aizkraukles Novads.