Holiday apartment in Kuldīgas Novads: Old Town, UNESCO World Heritage and Venta Waterfall

In the Old Town of Kuldīga, the street layout that developed during the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia has largely been preserved. The UNESCO World Heritage area includes the confluence of the Venta and Alekšupīte rivers, as well as the Venta Rumba waterfall.

Culture

The Kuldīga District Museum presents the interior exhibition “The Apartment of a Wealthy Kuldīga Resident in the Early 20th Century” in the Bangert Villa, focusing on the home of a wealthy Kuldīga resident in the early 20th century. In the exhibition “Kuldīga Before Us”, the same museum presents the history of Kuldīga; the Bangert Villa also hosts changing art and history exhibitions.

In Alsunga, architectural history is combined with a vibrant Suiti tradition. The Alsunga Crafts House hosts the Suiti workshops “Austuve” on weaving and “Suitu Ķēķis” on cuisine. The Livonian Order Castle in Alsunga was built in 1372. Parts of the east wing’s cellars, the south wing and two defensive towers have been preserved. The complex is a national architectural monument and was built in stages from the 14th to the 18th century. A permanent interactive exhibition complements the site with sound installations, interactive video projections, a virtual reality installation, and puzzles about brooches and the Suiti collar pattern.

Another way to explore history leads to Skrunda: the “Deportāciju piemiņas vagons – muzejs” museum is housed in a railway carriage. Its permanent exhibition displays photographs, letters, eyewitness accounts, documents and personal belongings of deportees. For a visit, the key can be collected from the attendant at Skrunda railway station and returned there after the tour.

The Piena muzejs is dedicated to dairy processing in Latvia and displays 250 exhibits. Topics include milking and the production of cream and butter. Visitors can try milking a model cow, then separate cream and churn butter.

Nature

The Riežupe Sand Caves form a 2 km-long labyrinth, of which 460 m is open to visitors. The cave labyrinth was excavated by hand over three generations; more than 100 years ago, the white sand was used for glass production in Iļģuciems. The routes in the Riežupe area pass through the Venta Valley Nature Reserve and Riežupe Nature Park. These areas are characterized by slope and ravine forests, sandstone outcrops, and numerous rare plant and animal species. From November to March, the Riežupe Sand Caves are closed because bats use them as winter quarters.

The Žibgravas dabas taka is a 1.5 km-long trail through hilly woodland along the winding Kauliņupīte River. A total of 121 bird species have been observed in Rudbārži Forest Park and its surroundings. The educational “Birders” circuit leads visitors to stations with bird images and QR codes using a map.

Things to do

The “Suitu takas” in Alsunga Municipality comprise walking trails of varying lengths and difficulty; downloadable GPX files are available for them. Individual excursion routes through Alsunga can include tastings of traditional Suiti dishes by prior arrangement.

The hiking trail along the Venta follows the left riverbank to the new bridge in Kuldīga. Along the way, there are views of nature, opportunities for birdwatching and views of the Venta Waterfall. The one-way route is 2.4 km long; an extended route to the Old Bridge covers 5.4 km. Between Pils iela and Vienības iela, the trail is lit and is therefore suitable for evening walks.

RumbaBus offers guided tours for solo travellers, families and small groups in an electric panoramic bus, with short walking stops and multilingual accompaniment.

Water

The Venta is navigable by boats of all kinds. Its banks have well-equipped facilities and campsites established by water tourists. Mārtiņsala is the only official swimming area in Kuldīga. It has beach volleyball courts, children’s playgrounds, picnic and campfire areas, as well as changing rooms and toilets.

There is also an equipped bathing area with a jetty and changing cabins at the lake beside the Īvandes dzirnavezera taka trail. The Īvandes dzirnavezera taka runs along the lake to a small peninsula with an equipped picnic area. For VentaSUPe activities, customers can request transport to their chosen starting point and collection at the destination afterwards.

More places in Kuldīgas Novads can be found here: Kuldīga, Padure, Vārme, Renda, Ķimale, Vilgāle, Veldze, Īvande.

For the overarching travel overview: Latvia.