Interesting towns of Latvia that are not Riga

Pāvilosta

/ The capital of fishing /

It’s difficult to call Pāvilosta a town. It is so small that it could be a village at best. But despite all of that Pāvilosta has a very beneficial location – right next to the sea. That is why construction of a port was started here at the end of the 19th century. And to this day, the history of Pāvilosta is entirely covered by the theme of sea, with shipbuilding and fishing being the most important activities here. As a matter of fact, if you happen to be an owner of a boat or yacht, sailing to the port of Pavilosta might be a good idea since there’s a luxurious pier here.

Sabile

/ Grape capital of Latvia /

Sabile is a really tiny town in its size with only 1500 people living there. Despite that it has gotten itself in the Guinness world records book. That is because it is here where the furthest to the north grapes in the whole world are grown. A long, long time ago, in the middle ages their local wine was exported but then these grapeyards went into decline. It was only shortly before WW2, when grapes were planted here once again and have been till today. 

Sabile holds a large celebration dedicated to this fact each July. So if you’re lucky enough to get there around this time of the year then there’s no better time to visit. 

There’s in fact another important point of attraction – the round waterfall of Abava. There are not many waterfalls in Latvia, which makes seeing one here even more of a happy traveling moment.

Kuldīga

/ City of the flying fish /

Kuldīga is like that nerdy student of the class, always sitting in the first row, wanting to be the best of the best. Just a few kilometers away from the city, the longest cave labyrinth system of Latvia – Riežupe is located. They also have one of the longest brick bridges in Europe. It looks simply amazing as if any other moment the Eastern Express from Agatha Christie’s book could glide over it. And then of course Kuldīga is also home to the widest waterfall in all of Europe – Ventas Rumba. Possibly you have already heard of the fish that’s flying over it but did you know that the appearance of this waterfall has been done by the devil himself? Believe it or not but that’s how the legend goes.

Cēsis

/ Birthplace of the Latvian flag /

Have you come to Latvia during the Christmas holiday? Excellent! In that case you should go straight to Cesis. This is were two of the best skiing resorts in Latvia are located: Žagarkalns and Ozolkalns. 

But if you have come to Cesis during the warm time of the year then visiting zoo Rakši is a must: It’s an amazing place that offers meeting and greeting alpacas, llamas, camels as well as Poitou and Balinese donkeys. And (we’re sure you have dreamt of this your whole life) there’s a chance to feed real lemurs! The best therapy ever!

The History of Cesis is quite interesting too. It is connected to the Latvian flag in the most direct way. “In 1279, in the battle of Riga, the army of Cesis castle was fighting under the flag of red white and red.” – the chronicle goes. Reminds you of something, right? Flag mentioned in this chronicle was chosen as the National flag of independent Latvia. In fact, the museum of Cesis holds the very first flag of Latvia, made of silk fabric by teacher and journalist – Janis Lapins.

Dobele

/ The Lily paradise /

It is believed that the sense of smell is one of the strongest memory triggers for humans. If you come to Dobele in the time period of May to June then you will forever remember the smell of the city of Lilies. There’s a beautiful garden here and a museum of the famous breeder – Pēteris Upītis. This is where more than 200 (!) different breeds of lilies are grown. What can be better than walking amongst blossoming, intoxicatingly sweet sea of flowers like in a divine fairytale. 

Dobele is also the place with one of the most mysterious forests in Latvia – Pokaiņu forest. It’s like the local Stonehedge with unusual stones of all shapes and sizes and nobody knows how they got there. Some say that this was some sort of a paganic sanctuary and that these stones hold a very strong energy in them. Anyhow, even for those not believing in such things, this forest will be a great place for a walk in fresh air.

Liepaja

/ City in which the wind is born /

One of the first things coming to mind when thinking of Hollywood is the alley of fame. But did you know that Liepaja has its own alley dedicated to famous Latvian musicians? 

Liepaja is located on the shore of the Baltic sea. Because of that there’s a constant breeze of wind flowing thus making Liepaja “The city where the wind is born”. That is also what the anthem of the city is called. Coastline of Liepaja is quite long – around 8 km. And the sand here’s so fine that in the old tsarik Russian days it was even used for manufacturing of hourglass.

Ludza

/ The oldest city in Latvia /

For some people the best form of vacation is exploring new places while for others – lying on the beach and frying in the sun. There are of course also those who can’t imagine life without putting a backpack on and hiking in nature. In Ludza – the oldest town in Latvia, formed in 1177, you can do all of the above. 

Walking in the historical part of the city to see the ancient ruins, houses from the 19th century, medieval castle of Ludza and the oldest wooden synagogue in the Baltic states. From the 19th to 20th century Ludza was even called the Jerusalem of Latvia since 60% of all residents of the town were Jewish. 

Those seeking more activities will definitely find something for themselves too. We suggest looking for the active recreation park, Zidūns.