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Kurzeme (Curonian) or the western part of Latvia with its small medieval towns, according to the interlocutor, is the most romantic region in Latvia.
Kuldiga stands out not only for its architecture, but also for its history
And V. Greičius calls Kuldiga the most romantic city in Latvia. It’s about images and history. The former capital of the Duchy of Curonia has preserved not only the design of the city, but also the image and part of the 17th-18th centuries. architecture. With three quarters surviving partially or completely until the 19th century. Flourishing masonry architecture, Kuldiga is considered the latest and best preserved testimonial to the city of the Curonian-era. Due to its material heritage, the city is included in the preliminary list of UNESCO protected sites.
According to the traveler, Kuldiga has everything a curious tourist needs: narrow streets of the old town, original buildings that flow from the Alekšupytė river (hence the city is called the Venice of Latvia), the widest waterfall in Europe: the Sales threshold. Rumba sales, 249 m wide, up to 2.2 m long), the upper part of which can be navigated barefoot, was built in 1874 on the Venta River and is the third longest brick drawbridge in Europe.
The exotic, as Vladislovas Greičius tells, the history of Curonia is related to the Kettler family and its most famous representative, Jacob Kettler, who was born in Kuldiga and spoke Latvian. During his reign, Curonian Spit. Kurzeme), to which the current Žiemgala region in Latvia belonged at the time, reached the pinnacle of its power, wealth and even colonized. Therefore, at that time Venta sailed not only merchant ships (the city of Kuldiga belonged to the Hanseatic League), but also warships that reached the farthest corners of the world.
The Duchy has belonged for some time to the territories of the island of Tobago at the mouth of the Gambia River, in the current state of The Gambia in West Africa and the Caribbean. The latter still has a water name that bears the Curonian Spit name: the Great Gulf of Curonia. Great Courland Bay) V. Greičius highlights the oldest still standing in the city, in 1252. built by the patron saint of the city of St. Church of St. Catherine, where Duke Jacob was baptized and married. Also one of the few half-timbered architectural houses (1622) that housed Duke’s pharmacy. It was called that because the license to open a pharmacy had to be bought from the duke.
Sabile vineyards, a strange place and a park worthy of attention are world famous
46 km east of Kuldiga is the exclusive Sabile (Latvian). Sabile), a city famous for the wine mountain in the Abava river valley. “Sabile Wine Hill” (lit. Sabile Wine Mountain) was founded around the 14th and 16th centuries, and under Duke Jacob, wine cultivation was complemented by new grape varieties, which now grow to around 25.
Photo by V. Greičius / Image from Sabilė Wine Hill
Exotic peaches, apricots and walnut trees are planted next to the vineyards. This 34-meter-tall, 1.5-hectare symbol of the city is not only reflected in the city’s coat of arms, which represents a cluster of grapes, but is also recorded in the Guinness Book of Records for its vineyard northernmost in the world.
Another unofficial place to visit in Sabile, which traveler V.Greičius calls impressive and bizarre, is a puppet garden established in Riga, in the courtyard of a residential house, and striking from afar. About 200 straw dolls of different sizes lined up, dressed in all kinds of clothing and looking down the street with their cute strange smiles, sewn together by a woman who lives here.
Photo by V.Greičius / Sabil Jardín Puppet Garden
The dolls represent circles of children with spinning wheels or main cubs, the elderly, the police, athletes, tailors and housewives who lean on adult couples or dance with adult sticks. Among other things, it is interesting not only to take a closer look at the scenes of life depicted in this way, but also when there is an opportunity to speak to the owner about this idea, which Vladislov could not discover.
The Pedvāles māks parks, a couple of kilometers from Sabile, are worth visiting. The park of almost 100 ha, which varies the diversity of the landscape with a winding river, valleys, steep slopes, meadows, belongs to a part of the protected cultural-historical territory of the Abava river valley.
Photo by V. Greičius / Sabilė
The park has even won a UNESCO award for the preservation and development of the cultural landscape. The open-air museum exhibits more than 150 contemporary art sculptures and environmental art objects. In many of them, the recurring central motif is stone.
Some of the works of art were created during symposia and workshops with the participation of Latvian and foreign artists from various fields of art. The works of the founder and sculptor of the Ojārs Arvīds Feldbergs Art Park are also exhibited here. The artist also invites visitors to the museum to establish a connection with the environment. Both individually and in groups, led by artist Ojārs Arvīds Feldbergs, you can participate in the stone planting ritual as well as take stone tea, a special stone drink.
The Abava Valley cultural historical heritage sites also include the historical centers of the cities of Sabile and Kandava.
Artistic Kandava and its natural surprises.
Kandava, just 15 km from Sabile, is known as the city of artists. Here Vladislav discovered impressive-looking paintings painted on the wall of the house, and the house on Lielā Street, number 25, features a mosaic of more than 20 square meters, titled “Seven Days”. The city of Kandava has a museum, a craft center as well as a craft store, the Vējspārns art gallery and a pottery workshop where young artist Linda can teach how to make clay.
Photo by V.Grečius / Kandava
Other Kandava celebrities: Latvia’s oldest arched stone bridge was built in 1873, Gunpowder Tower is a massive building a couple of meters thick in walls, where sulfur powder and mined nitrate were mined in these areas in the time of Duke Jacob Kettler, as well as on the nearby mound of Livonia. castle ruins According to V.Grečius, in Kurzeme there are as many castles and ruins as in Lithuania or even more. This is due to the culture of masonry construction introduced by the Germans in the Curonian Spit. The wooden castles in Lithuania were burned down or in poor condition.
Photo of V.Grečius / Kandava streets.
Due to its stunning landscapes, the Abava River Valley Natural Park, which also includes the Sabile and Kandava districts, is called Kurzeme Switzerland. V.Greičius, who has managed to travel to many countries in the world, has also been in the true Switzerland, so when asked what reminds him most of the Alpine state famous for its impressive nature in these areas, he replies that
When traveling in Switzerland, the valleys from a high point of view can be seen very frequently. According to Vladislav, the streets of Kandava are so steep that the streets are so steep that you can only go up when the car’s second gear is activated. And so narrow that you don’t lean with another vehicle.
Photo by V.Grečius / Kandava
Surrounded by a unique nature, Kandava can also offer exceptional natural attractions and entertainment. The Abava Valley is one of the richest flower-growing regions in Latvia, with at least 17 protected plant species growing here, and a Čužu wetland protected trail has been built due to the shrubby silver bush. It is the only place in the country where this plant is so widespread, so it is recommended to travel a 4 km route in summer.
In Kurzeme, as V. Greičius notes, nine mighty oak trees grow. You will also see them along the winding streets of Kandava, on the slopes of the mountain rivers, even the oak branch is depicted on the city’s coat of arms, and the acorn motif is repeated in the fountain of the city, ingenious sculptures and ornamentation on the street pavement. However, the most interesting thing is that in Kandava you can see the thickest wild pear that grows in Latvia, whose perimeter is 2.95 m.
Photo by V.Grečius / Kandava
The smallest but most significant Durbe.
The traveler also highlights the city of Durbe, which is officially considered the smallest in Latvia in terms of population (according to 2019 data, 500 people live here). In the city you can see the fourteenth century. The ruins of the castle of the German Order, of which only part of the wall remains. The castle was destroyed 300 years ago, during the Northern War (1700-1721). In Durbe you can hike the short 1.8km Durbe Mound Trail, which leads along the mound and the Durbe Pond.
Photo by V.Greičius / Remains of the castle in Durbe
As you know, in July 1260, one of the most important battles in the history of the Baltic nations took place in Durbe, when the Samogitian and Curonian armies defeated the army of the German Order. As V. Greičius emphasizes, if the end of this important Mindaugas time battle had been different, it would hardly have been Samogitia in Lithuania.
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