The wooden buildings with few floors emerged in the 19th century.  Tourists can look at typical closed yards, verandas, wooden elements and decorations.  The city suffered from fires in 1866 and 1938.  The Market Square is the historical centre of Ludza, while the Ludza castle hill dominates the region.  The streets of the city were established around the hill, which had an ancient Lettigalian wooden castle late in the 14th century.  The Livonian Order replaced with the mightiest brick castle in Latgale.  It was sacked in 1654 by the forces of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich.  The castle hill offers a lovely view of Latgale and the oldest city in Latvia and its historical centre.

This is a unique small town in a certain sense, and it is the only one in the Baltic States which has remained in place since the 17^th and 18^th century. The town is around the small Alekšupīte River, and in some places the stream runs along the walls of the buildings. Because of this fact and the many bridges that are in town, Kuldīga has become known as “the Venice of Latvia.” Baznīcas, Liepājas, Kalna and other streets are full of interesting cultural monuments.

The Old Town of Kandava is located around the old Market Square and dates back to 1881, after a fire in the town. The urban environment in Kandava is made up of farms with various buildings, closed yards, passageways and walls made of fieldstones. These can be seen in Talsu Street and Sabiles Street. Uncommon for Latvia is Lielā Street. At the foot of the Bruņinieku Castle Hill is a model of the Castle of the Livonian Order that was created in 2010.

Known as Alšvanga in the past, this place was mentioned for the first time in 1231 in an agreement that was signed between the deputy legate of the pope in Rome and the Courlandian tribes of the region.  The Livonian Order ruled the territory until 1561, and from 1573 until 1738 the order’s castle belonged to the von Schwerin dynasty from Pomerania.  It during the rule of this aristocratic family that a stone church was built in honour of Archangel Michael, and local residents began to convert to Catholicism.  Alsunga became the Catholic centre for all of Kurzeme, and local residents became known as the Suiti (from the Schwerin suite).

For nearly 400 years, Alsunga has been the historical centre of the Suiti territory.  This is Latvia’s most conservative region and is widely known with unusual songs, colourful folk costumes and various folk traditions and beliefs.  The Suiti have their own dialect, foods and many other things that have been long since abandoned or forgotten elsewhere in Latvia.  The religious has commingled with the folk here in one unique whole.  The Alsunga District covers 191 km2 and has some 1,500 residents.

The ruins of the Koknese Castle are found where the Daugava and Pērse rivers flow together. The castle, which is on a floodplain, was built for the bishopric of Rīga in 1209, and it replaced an ancient Latvian castle that was made of wood. The castle was blown up by Saxon forces in 1701. A visitors centre is near the ruins, and there you can carve a Medieval coin or rent a boat to sail down the Daugava. Make sure to stroll through the Koknese park, which is alongside the ruins.

In 1615, Courlandian Duke Friedrich Kettler (1569-1642) allowed Bauska to build a new city hall.  At the beginning of the 17th century, Market Square in Bauska featured the largest city hall in the entire duchy.  A lack of money led to the dismantling of the hall’s tower in 1852 and its second floor in 1871.  A new city hall was built in 2011, and now Bauska can be proud of a new and outstanding tourist destination that can also be entered.  The restored city hall offers a chance for people to weigh themselves and measure their height with old-time measurements.  Each person who does so receives a certificate to attest to his or her height and weight.

Jurmala town (the second largest in Latvia) was founded in 1959, by combining Kemeri and Sloka towns in the Riga city Jurmala district. It stretches 32 km along the coastal line of Gulf of Riga. Jurmala resort once was one of the most important objects of this type in the Northern Europe. This was facilitated by the development of local and interstate transport and traffic (coaches, steamers, train). The first guests was accommodated in Dubulti, where in 1834 the first hotel was built, but in 1847 - The first wellness centre. In the 19th the first medical institution launched. Starting from 1834 the rapid construction of summer cottages began. Development of the resort was ended by the World War I. After the war the number of resort vacationers boomed from 12 thousand (in 1920) to 32 thousand (in 1935). Kemeri resort developed along with Jurmala, which received a massive of vacationers' amount during the Soviet period.
Today, Jurmala is a popular venue of concerts, festivals, exhibitions, sports competitions, and other public events.

Krustpils was first recorded in documents in 1237 in relation to the construction of the Kreutzburg castle on the right bank of the Daugava River.  A 1511 document lists it as a village.  In 1585, Polish King Stefan Báthory gifted the town to Nicholas Korff, whose family continued to own it until 1920.  Battles between Swedish and Polish forces occurred outside of Krustpils in 1626, and the sacked village was in poor shape until the mid-19th century.  Jēkabpils, in turn, was constructed as a settlement for Old Believers who were persecuted in Russia.  The Daugava has rapids opposite Krustpils and Jēkabpils, which means that boats had to dock there and reload their goods into wagons.  The settlement flourished, and in 1670 it was given the rights of a city.  It is named after Duke Jacob.  When the Rīga-Daugavpils rail line opened in 1861, Krustpils flourished, and Jēkabpils did not flourish.  The two cities were administratively merged in 1962, keeping the name of Jēkabpils.  There are typical one-story wooden buildings from the 19th century, red brick buildings built at the turn of the 20th century, as well as seven churches used by different denominations.  The dam along the left bank of the Daugava was built in 1861, and it was aimed at protecting the city against flooding.  Today it is a promenade that is popular among local residents for strolling and leisure.

Jaunpils development is linked to the Livonian Order's castle, which until now has hardly changed its building volume and appearance. From 1561 until 1919 it belonged to the barons Reki family. In 1905 the castle was burned down, but later it was reconstructed under the supervision of architect V. Bockslaff. Substantial castle restoration work began during the sixties of 20th century. Now in the castle is a museum, but gourmets can taste medieval dishes at the castle tavern.

This location is important in terms of Latvia’s history, because during the 12th and 13th century, this was the administrative and spiritual centre of the Lettigalian tribe, with the ruler of Jersika being Visvaldis.  The castle stood on the shore of the Daugava at a height of 18 m, and this was a mighty castle hill.  The flat part of the hill measured 100 x 75 m, and it was surrounded by a barrier and a defensive wall made of logs.  People entered the castle via guarded gates beyond which there were residential and household buildings, as well as a small church.  Archaeologists have found the remnants of log buildings, as well as many antiquities from the 10th to the 13th century that speak to extensive trade relations with other parts of Europe, including ancient Russia.  In 1209, the forces of Bishop Albert fooled the people in the castle and sacked it and the ancient town that was around it.  Visvaldis’ family was taken hostage, and so the Lettigalian ruler was forced to become a vassal of the bishop.  The castle hill is privately owned, so please contact the owner before planning a visit.