Holiday Apartment in Saldus Municipality – Nature, Culture and History

Saldus Municipality combines protected landscapes, paths along rivers and lakes, manor houses with historic architecture, as well as museums and regional specialities. In addition to the nature and walking activities mentioned, there are family attractions, museums and places with historical themes.

Nature

The Sātiņi Ponds are designated as a Natura 2000 nature reserve and are important for nesting and migratory waterbirds. A 9.8-metre-high birdwatching tower stands in the protected area. The Zvārde Nature Reserve is also characterised by its landscape and birdlife: it encompasses the Stūri and Zvārde bogs as well as the area around Lake Ķerkliņi, and is considered an important breeding area for rare bird species.

Several paths provide different ways to explore the landscape. The Ciecere nature and walking trail runs along the Ciecere River between the bridge on Kuldīgas iela and the bridge on Saules iela. Because of the limited and low-lying terrain, some sections have been built as wooden boardwalks; these are also suitable for walks with prams. In Kalnsēta Park, narrow, steep paths run along the Ciecere, alongside wider paths for leisurely walks. Another path follows the Vadakste River to the Vadakste Reservoir and the border between Latvia and Lithuania.

Lake Saldus has a developed beach with a recreation area, volleyball courts and playgrounds. During the summer season, an open-air café is also open there, and SUP boards can be rented. At the Zaņa Mill Pond, the shoreline facilities include fishing piers, a swimming area, a children's playground and a beach volleyball court.

Historic parks also give the landscape its own distinctive character. Jaunauce Castle Park is a seven-hectare 19th-century landscaped park that has preserved its historic scale, layout and planting. Remte Manor House is surrounded by a 26-hectare landscaped park from the early 19th century, featuring varied plantings, ponds and a canal system.

Culture

Jaunauce Castle is designated as an architectural monument of national importance. Jaunauce preserves a late Classicist interior complex, a collection of seven early-19th-century stoves and Latvia's only authentic Classicist-style dome painting. The castle's “VĀRTI” augmented-reality application allows visitors to view paintings, busts and historic dances in 3D.

In Saldus, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of St John is the oldest building in the town. Its furnishings include historic organs, a Mannerist-style pulpit and a 19th-century altarpiece. The J. Rozentāls Museum of History and Art displays original works from the early creative period of the Latvian painter Jānis Rozentāls.

The Oskars Kalpaks Museum features exhibitions about Colonel Oskars Kalpaks, the Kalpaks Battalion, the First World War and the Latvian War of Independence. The open-air exhibition “Kaujas priekšpostenis”, opened in 2023, has also been established at the museum. The barn of Nīgrande Manor houses exhibitions about the writer Jēkabs Janševskis and his work, traditional life and the furnishings of manor houses, as well as the Soviet era. There is also a replica of a mammoth tusk found in the vicinity of Nīgrande.

History

The New Castle of Remte Manor was built in 1800 in the Berlin Classicist style. The three-kilometre Ezere nature and history trail begins at the former manor complex and also leads to the customs house. On 8 May 1945, the surrender document of the German troops encircled in the “Courland Pocket” was signed there.

Food and Drink

The region's culinary culture can be discovered at specific production sites. Saldalus Brewery traditionally brews five varieties of live beer; the entire production process is carried out by hand. For small groups, Saldalus offers brewery tours with tastings by prior arrangement.

At the Gotiņa confectionery factory, visitors can learn about the production process of the milk toffees and watch a film about their production. The visit also includes tasting the sweets and purchasing them on site.

On the Way

For trips around the town and other local journeys, bicycles are rented by the Saldus Tourism Information Centre and the Brocēni Tourism Information Point. Both locations also offer bicycles for routes in the surrounding area. Another family-oriented attraction is the “Silavas” Mini Zoo, where visitors can feed the animals with food prepared on site. In an indoor exhibition, the mini zoo displays parrots, dormice, fish, a turtle and pythons.

Other Places in Saldus Municipality

The directly associated subareas include Saldus, Šarlote, Jaunlutriņi, Druva and Kursīši. Other destinations in the same higher-level local area include Jaunpils, Vecpiebalgas Municipality and Krimuldas Municipality.

To the higher-level travel overview: Latvia.