Salaspils Municipality: Daugava, Nature and Culture

Salaspils Municipality leads to the Daugava, Dole Island and a landscape where nature, history and culture meet. Dole Island is the largest island in the Daugava and lies in the area of the old river delta between Salaspils and Katlakalns. Rare plant species have been recorded in Dole Island Nature Park; rare and protected bird species also breed there. The destination area also includes Salaspils.

Nature

At the National Botanic Garden, the “Botania” Environmental Education and Information Centre presents six themed exhibitions with more than 100 topics related to plant life. The entrance to the garden is located directly opposite Salaspils railway station on the Riga–Daugavpils railway line. Visitors can also use a spacious car park on the premises.

Dole Manor Park is also part of the region’s landscape. It is a landscape park dating from the late 18th to the early 19th century. Boats can be rented in Dole Island Nature Park. At the archery course, 3D animal targets in nature are shot at with bow and arrow; the course is 2.5 kilometres long.

Culture and History

The Daugava Museum is housed in the New Manor House of the Dole estate complex on Dole Island, built in 1898. Its permanent exhibition covers the history of the Daugava and the history of Salaspils Municipality in the 19th and 20th centuries. It comprises 1,174 exhibits, including objects as well as physical and digital photocopies. During opening hours, an orienteering course is available on the museum grounds.

The exhibition at the Salaspils Memorial presents the history of the camp and the memorial, as well as the development of the memorial ensemble into an object of Latvia’s Cultural Canon. The multimedia offering includes video testimonies from former prisoners. A memorial stone commemorates the victory of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Duchy of Courland over the Swedish troops in the Battle of Salaspils, also known as Kircholm, on 27 September 1605. A 14th-century architectural monument with Romanesque and Gothic features is also located in the vicinity of Riga.

The open-air farmstead “Mellupi” shows the authentic home of a 19th-century river fisherman. Alongside the major historical themes, it therefore also offers a tangible insight into life by the river in the past.

Activities

The protective embankment of the Riga Hydroelectric Power Plant is more than 15 kilometres long. It is a popular place for walking and is particularly suitable for cyclists. Horse riding and wakeboarding are also available in Salaspils Municipality.

On Dole Island, the family business “Doles Tejas” offers its guests natural herbal teas and medicinal plants grown and collected in Dole Island Nature Park. The offerings include garden tours, tours of the tea production process and tea tastings in the garden pavilion.

Events

The Salaspils Municipality Festival takes place every year at the end of May and attracts thousands of visitors from all over Latvia. The Ragavas Music and Art Garden hosts open-air summer cinema evenings, concerts, theatre performances and art exhibitions. The Salaspils Cultural Centre also stages theatre performances.

More destinations

Find more destinations here: Rēzeknes Municipality, Saulkrasti Municipality, Limbaži Municipality, Durbe Municipality, Aglona Municipality, Krāslava Municipality, Cibla Municipality.

For the overarching travel overview: Latvia.