Kuldigas Metropole

Sand tunnels of Riezupe

by Raimix

It is quite interesting attraction for people who visit Kuldiga region and Latvia. Actually it is sand tunnels to walk with candles and listen interesting stories, play games. Nowadays it is about 450 meters of tunnels is suitable for tourists.

Tunnels were dig in 1880 when owner wanted to get sand for glass making. About 2,5 kilometers of tunnels were dig, but later, especially in soviet times most of them were damaged. Nowadays it couldn’t be used for getting sand, so excursions are organized from 1999.

I liked the way that tunnels and small squares inside were “glued” by mysterious stories to make walk more interesting and spooky. It reminds me of corn labyrinths in Lithuania for playing spooky games.

It is not possible to visit tunnels in winder, as place is inhabited by bats.

Riezupe is possible about 10-20 kilometers from Kuldiga.

Waterfall in Kuldiga

by rollinstone81

There is a waterfall in Latvia!!! Who would have guested that? Well, in Kuldiga there is the river Venta and there is a beautiful waterfall, not specially high, but quite wide. Beautiful view of it from the bridge. In the summer you can go and have a swim and join the kids that play around the waterfall.

History and Art Museum

by Carletto76

Here is the Kuldīga History and Art Museum, with its excellent collection of ancient jewellery and Latvian war time and Soviet memorablia. The building itself was brought to Kuldīga piece by piece from Paris in 1900 by a wealthy merchant, as a present to his fiancé.

Open Tuesday to Sunday from 11-17. Entrance fee 0.15-0.20 Ls.

Surrounding the museum is a park with sculptures by Livija Rezevska.

Kuldiga - the home of longest waterfall in Europe

by Raimix

It is a place I liked very much, but spend not so much time to see all essential and fell much of it. Actually we took a tour, like not too much strictly planned excursion, but due to hurry to reach Ventspils, we spent in Kuldiga just few hours.

Anyway, town is a nice one, full of old houses (from 17 – 18th centuries) as well as such places as highest waterfall in Latvia or longest one in Europe. It is said it is one of the most attractive towns in Western Latvia.

It was first mentioned in 1242 as a location of Livonian Order castle. In 1561 for some time it was a capital of Duchy of Courland. The place was famous for ship building. Actually it was very much devastated in Northern War (1700-1721), the moment when castle was destroyed as well.

Nowadays place is popular for tourism, cinema making, as some places look quite cozy and not so much changed from 17th or 18th centuries.

Kuldīga, here it's still middle ages!

by Carletto76

"The most picturesque town in Latvia?"

I spent in Kuldīga my first Latvian night, just arrived there in mid afternoon from Liepaja. Here there are no big industries, pollution and big, ugly communist apartment blocks (just a couple!); here is still an old medieval town, with old houses, often made of wood, or half-timbered in the "German way", and, big difference with Liepaja, most of them are newly restored, so that this town can be considered as one of the nicest and most picturesque villages in Latvia! At least I didn't see any other which was better! ;-)

And Kuldīga is also where the wide falls of river Venta are... here they say they are the widest in Europe, but few people believe that, anyway it's a very pleasant place, and there are no doubts abou that!