Preili — the city of snails and steampunk

Nester Custom Gallery

We advise you to start your immersion into the local postmodern culture at the steampunk gallery Nester Custom, located on the outskirts of the city at A. Upīša, 20. It was created by husband and wife Alexander and Alina Nesteriuki. 

According to Alexander himself, he started in 2012 with a custom bike. The technology of creation of author’s works is as follows: various metal parts from old and unnecessary equipment are taken as a basis and combined in the most unexpected combinations. As a result, you get toilets with toilet paper made of sandpaper and other outlandish things. For example, Alexander’s first recycled sculpture was a bull made from parts left over from the redesign of his motorcycle. 

All the pieces are not just for viewing, but also for buying. For only 250 euros in your home will appear brutal table lamp made of metal chain, and for 760 euros in the pool or bathtub can be launched Nester Duck — a life preserver made of a car tire with a metal tail and a duck’s head. And for lovers of ornate roofs, there’s always a steampunk rooster weathervane. From May 2023, sculptures, furniture, accessories and bikes can be viewed at the gallery’s Riga branch at 4 Vaļņu Street.

Ošu Mājas Snail Farm

Literally one kilometer away from the steampunk gallery is another amazing place that confirms Preili’s status as one of the most unusual cities in the country — the Ošu Mājas snail farm. 

In 2009, its creator Ainis Noviks lost his former business due to the economic crisis that swept the world. His ingenuity helped him to cope with the lack of financial resources. Together with his wife they bought a plot of land near Preili, where, to their surprise, they found a lot of grape snails. What to do with it? Of course, they should organize their own snail farm! 

Over the years, the family gained experience and developed a new business, as a result of which the farm became one of the most popular tourist places in the whole Latgale region. From May to October, the farm hosts workshops, lectures and excursions. Here you can also eat dishes according to the recipes of Ainis’s wife and buy something to take away. A jar of classic canned snails in garlic butter costs in the neighborhood of 10 euros. Since the farm is also a family home, it is better to coordinate any visit in advance by calling the phone numbers on the Latgale tourist website.

Puppet Kingdom

If steampunk and snails are not to your liking and you want something more classic, then you should definitely visit the Puppet Kingdom on Daugavpils Street 21. Its creator, Vladlena, has been making author’s dolls since 2007. Her works are presented in different countries and cities of the world, and in 2009 she even fulfilled the order of the President of Latvia for an original gift to the Spanish King Juan Carlos. 

In the gallery you can not only admire the exhibits, but also dress up in various costumes. There is an opportunity to be photographed in eclectic interiors or against the background of a model of a fairy-tale castle. It is better to coordinate the visit in advance by phone: +371 65321737.

There is an extensive park with picturesque ponds, pavilions and manor buildings from the mid-19th century. Among the old buildings of the city, the church built of boulders in 1886, located next to the bus station, also deserves attention.

Postmodern architecture

A significant asset of the city is something that many people have not yet come to think of as something important — postmodern architecture from the 1990s–2000s. There’s a detailed article on this topic on Neighborhood+, but here we’ll just draw your attention to the important details. The small square concentrates a significant number of monuments of that era: from an experimental Old Believer church to a fusion-style restaurant.

By the way, we recommend you to have a rest and a snack in this restaurant. The cuisine there is quite acceptable, but the most important thing is the interiors and architecture in the spirit of playful flirting with geometric shapes and decorative elements. If you just want to have a coffee in a lamplight atmosphere, it is worth a look at the chamber cafe Coffe Del, located opposite the main Catholic chirch.

One of the most interesting guesthouses in Preili is Pie Pliča at 9 Raiņa Boulevard. It is located in the oldest log building in the city, designed in the spirit of eclecticism. Many original details from the 19th and 20th centuries have been preserved inside. The building belonged to the well-known in these parts family of Count Borchov. From 1859 to 1993 it housed a hospital.

After its closure, the house became empty, but by 2001, on the initiative of Igor Plich, it was restored. As a result, in addition to the guest house, the house became a museum of everyday life, and in the neighboring garden a wooden church was built, which is considered to be the smallest in Latvia. You can book a place to stay in the house by calling +371 29121689.

How to get there 

If you are going to drive from Riga to Preili by private car, it will take you about three hours — there are 202 kilometers between the cities. Every day four buses run from the central Riga bus station to Preili. They move quite quickly and are inexpensive: spending 8 euros you will be there in three and a half hours. The trip may seem tiring, but it will hardly leave you indifferent: pastoral landscapes, hilly fields, wide Daugava, stone churches, picturesque manor houses and a lot of birds and animals. The city is conveniently accessible from other major regional centers: Daugavpils, Rezekne, Jekabpils.

Outside of the city, there is also much to see in the Preili region. For a few extra days you can visit the lakes in the east, as well as Latvia’s religious mecca, the Catholic Church of the Ascension of Our Lady in Aglona. In the north of the region there is the Galeni manor with an impressive boulder church. Other attractions can be easily found on the map prepared by the local tourist office. If you have never traveled to Latgale before, Preili will be a great place to start exploring the region.