Daugava's Road

Since the 1970s, these ruins have been on a small (100 m long) island that is part of the reservoir of the Rīga hydroelectric power plant.  The island is named after St Meinhard and the ruins are part of the oldest stone building in Latvia.  Work on the church began in 1184, but it was rebuilt and sacked several times, most recently in 1916.  The ruins have been conserved and are protected by a metal cover.  The shores of the island have been strengthened.  The 10 metre metal cross on the island was designed by E. Samovičs, while the stone altar was sculpted by J. Karlobs.

Jānis Jaunsudrabiņš (1877-1962) was a Latvian writer, painter and book illustrator, and he was one of Latvia’s first art critics.  The writer spent two years in Kaplava, where his experiences led to the novel “Highlanders.”  There is a memorial room in Kaplava, and alongside the building is a memorial stone.

The café is on the banks of the Daugava River between Stukmaņi and Pļaviņas, offering a bakery, shop and café. There are dozens of types of bread, biscuits, tortes, cakes and other baked goods.

Latvian cuisine: Dumpling or sorrel soup, farmer’s breakfast, eggs sunny side up, pork ribs, grey peas, potato pancakes with salmon, crepes, blackberry crème.

Special foods: Liepkalni rye bread, bread kvass.

This is Latvia’s first major hydroelectric power plant, and construction along the right bank of the Daugava began in 1936.  The plant was designed by the architect Eižens Laube.  The first hydro-aggregate (17 MW of capacity as the largest plant in Latvia) was switched on in 1939.  A second round of construction occurred between 1976 until 1979, the result being a new building on the left bank of the Daugava, increasing the capacity of the plant to 260 MW.  Another round of reconstruction occurred between 1998 and 2001 on the left bank of the Daugava (the HES-2 plant).  The Energy Museum is now there.

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.

The family enterprise (formed in 2006) makes home-made ice-cream from fruit and berries. They make both classical – such as plombieres, cream, joghurt ice-creams and sorbets and nowadays cuisine’s „miracle”- sprat, blue cheese, horse-radish and potato ice-cream with tomato sauce. Till now 80 different ice-cream recipes have been tried. If you book a visit beforehand, you can have an excursion and learn everything about the process of making ice-cream from the chefs themselves. In the cafe it is possible to try different ice-cream dishes – each one with a different ice-cream sauce. The cafe also welcomes pets!

Special foods: Horseradish ice cream with herring.

This was an island after the Rīga hydroelectric power plant created a reservoir, and before that it was a peninsula on the Left Bank of the Daugava.  During World War I, there were massive battles between Latvian Riflemen and a much larger German army on Death Island.  On December 25, 1916, the Germans used poisonous gas against the Latvian troops.  In honour of this, the architect Eižens Laube designed a monument to fallen Latvian riflemen on the northern shore of Death Island.  It was unveiled in 1924.  Death Island can be reached by boat, and the trenches and graves there are of interest.  There is a pier for boats on the north-western shore of the island, and nearby is a location for leisure.  Some of the trenches and dugouts have recently been restored.  The battles were described by Aleksandrs Grīns in his masterpiece, “Snowstorm of Souls.”

The castle hill is an island in the reservoir of the Pļaviņas hydroelectric power plant, and it can be accessed by boat.  The ancient Selonian castle hill was settled several times between the 6th and the 12th century.  This was the political and military centre of the Selonian region.  In 1373, the Livonian Order built a stone castle on the hill, as it did on many other ancient hillocks.  The castle was sacked in 1704 during the Great Northern War.  Remnants of a square tower, a guard room and the 12 m embankment that once protected the castle are all that survive.  Approximately 300 m to the North of the Sēlpils castle hill is Oliņkalns hill, which is underwater.

This venue organises seminars, courses and activities related to Latvian holidays and family celebrations.  There are master’s classes about culinary heritage in Latvia, musical instruments that can be played, and demonstrations of various handicrafts, including weaving, knitting, crocheting, etc.  The ladies of the house prepare tasty porridges, soups, herbal teas, chicory coffee, pastries and pierogi.  Visitors can learn about folk dances, games and songs.  Wedding performances are also available.

The rock is along the main street of Krāslava and is found at Augusta Street 12.  After major reconstruction of the city’s infrastructure, the rock was successfully integrated into the surrounding landscape.  The rock is 2.8 m long, 2.2 m wide and 700 cm high.  It once served as a border stone for the village of Krāslava.  It was placed there in 1729 to commemorate the day when the noble Plater dynasty bought Krāslava.  The dynasty’s seal is engraved in the side of the rock along with the date when it was installed.  Legend has it that Polish King Augustus II dined at the rock after a hunt, and that is why it is known as Augustus’ Rock.

A Nazi concentration camp was at this location during World War II, and there is information to suggest that more than 50,000 residents of occupied Europe were murdered here.  This is one of the largest ensembles of its type, taking up 25 hectares of land.  It was opened in 1967 and has large groups of sculptures, including “Mother,” “Solidarity,” “Unbroken One” and “The Path of Suffering.”  The wall of the entrance gates has a thematic exhibitions.

This is the highest point in the southern part of Daugavpils.  A radius of approximately 300 m around 18. Novembra Street once housed the first Old Believer prayer house (1908-1928), the St Boris and Gleb Orthodox Cathedral (1905), the Daugavpils Mother of God Catholic Church (1905), and the Daugavpils Martin Luther Lutheran Church (1893).

Pēteris Barisons (1904-1947) was a Latvian composer and conductor, and this is his birthplace – the Skudras homestead.  The exhibition features the composer’s personal items, including musical instruments, documents and other bits of evidence about his life.  Call +371-6512-9504 to arrange for a visit.

Located at Daugavas Street 58 in Skrīveri, this was the first home of the Andrejs Upītis (1877-1970).  It was built in 1908, but the one that is there now was built on the foundations of the first one in 1921.  The building houses a museum which features the life and work of the writer, including the writing his great novel “The Green Earth.”  There is a garden around the building.  In 1952, Upītis gifted the house and garden to the state.  The museum offers tours and educational programmes.

This is a modern and contemporary centre, including an old and restored granary. It offers an exhibition hall, an historical exhibition, a shop where you can purchase crafts, and a conference hall. Craftspeople from the region work here, and you watch them at work or try your own hand at what they are doing.

The potter is happy to welcome guests, offer them tours and demonstrations, and allow visitors to help in producing ceramics.  Particularly interesting is the opening of the kiln, and pottery can be purchased at the site.

Not far from the Rīga ring road on the Right Bank of the Daugava is a monument designed by the sculptor Ģirts Burvis in 1994, which is dedicated to the Livs of the Daugava region and their Mārtiņsala leader, Ako,  who led a battle against the Holy Crusades in 2016.  Around the monument is a large area for leisure and perambulations.  This is one of the loveliest locations in the lower reaches of the river.  A bit further along are information stands about the history of the banks of the river before the construction of the Rīga hydroelectric power plant.

The National Botanical Garden in Salaspils ranks as the largest botanical garden in Latvia and in the Baltics with a territory of 136 hectares. The National botanical garden collection consists of about 14 thousand different varieties. More than 5,000 plants are found in the arboretum, as well as various other exhibitions, such as orchards, rosaries, ornamental plants.

Botanical Gardens can inspire you to uprade your own garden assortment with new plant varieties and offers the experience of learning about botanical knowledge in nature. In addition, it presents opportunity to expand your personal photo archive with an exclusive background photographs and close-ups. There is a playground for children, comfortable cycling paths, nordic walking paths, picnic possibilities.

Found in the western part of Daugavpils and on the banks of the Daugava River, this is almost the only fortress in Northern Europe that has been preserved since the first half of the 19th century.  Work on the fortress began in 1810, though it suffered much damage during the war of 1812 and because of flooding in 1829.  The fortress was of strategic importance in terms of its location, not least in terms of the battle against Napoleon’s forces.  It was consecrated in 1833, though construction work ended nearly half a century later, in 1878.  The fort is divided up into squares, with the Parade Field in the centre of the whole fortress.  After it lost its strategic importance in 1897, a warehouse was installed there.  Prior to World War I, General Jānis Balodis, Colonel Frīdrihs Briedis and others served at the local garrison.  In 1912, in honour of the centenary of the aforementioned war, a monument was unveiled in the park of the fortress.  During the Soviet occupation, Red Army units took over the fortress, and a technical aviation school was established there.  Even today, the fortress is a “city in a city.”  It has a residential area, though the buildings are quite shabby.  Both inside and outside the fortress are many elements that relate to military issues.  Right now fundamental work is being done to reconstruct the buildings, water pipelines and streets of the fortress.  The fortifications of the fortress are home to one of the largest colonies of bats in all of Latvia, and it is strictly forbidden to disturb them when they are asleep.  Major restoration of the fortress has included the establishment of the Mark Rothko Art Centre.  The distinguished artist was born in Daugavpils in 1903, when Latvia was still part of the Russian Empire.

The Slutiški village is a very ethnographic village with a layout and buildings typical of the Latgale region, complete with decorated windows and facades. The Slutiški Old Believers House features a museum focusing on the cultural environment and traditions of the Old Believers. One of Latvia’s most unusual landscapes can be seen from the ancient banks of the Daugava River.

The Eastern breakwater was installed in the mid-19th century to reduce silt in the river valley and to regulate the flow of water.  It is made of wooden pilings that are covered with rocks.  The breakwater is 2.2 km long and has been rejuvenated as a popular place for hiking, leisure and fishing throughout the year.  Birds can be watched from the breakwater, and sometimes people are lucky enough to spot a seal.  At the start of the breakwater are two rocks with engraved text to say that the site was visited by Russian Tsar Alexander II in 1856 and by his heir, Nikolai Alexandrovich, in 1860.  This points to the importance of the Rīga port in terms of Baltic Sea trade routes at that time.

This is one of two crossing points across the Daugava (the other is near Līvāni).  It is an exotic form of transportation to carry pedestrians, bicyclists and light automobiles across the river.  There is a motor that operates a 200-metre metal cable.  The crossing point is based on Soviet military pontoons that were used to build pontoon bridges for tanks.  The crossing point was established by its owners.  The Dunava Catholic Church is on the left bank of the river, and nearby is a monument to rafters.  During the 1820s, there were three crossing points of this type across the Daugava.

The monument is on the banks of the Daugava River opposite Kaļķu Street in Pļaviņas.  The symbolic raft is made of  logs and stones, and around it are informational stands with photographs that tell the story of the heavy work that rafters on the Daugava once did in terms of overcoming the rapids of the river.

There are several buildings from the estate that survive to the present day and were built by the Plater dynasty of noblemen.  The old mansion that is on the side of the Count Plater Street was built in 1759 on the banks of the Jāņupīte River.  The Baroque building was designed by an architect from Venice, Antonio Parazzo.  Later the mansion was rebuilt, and after a new castle was erected, the Plater family spent its summers on the first floor of the old building.  The second and third floors had a library with some 20,000 books.  The noblemen managed to move most of the contents of the library to safer locations during World War I, when the library as such was destroyed.  Work on the new castle of the Krāslava Estate (on the upper part of the Daugava River Valley) began in 1756 (architect Domenico Parazzo).  Initially it was in the Baroque style, but reconstruction at the turn of the 18th century involved Classicism.  Unique Rococo wall paintings with views of Rome have been discovered in the building.  These were based on samples from castles in Poland and were painted during the 1760s and 1770.  A high school used the new castle until the 1970s.  Then the building was abandoned and gradually turned into a ruin.  More recently there has been major renovation of the castle’s façade, and it now has a good appearance.  Surrounding the structure is a romantic landscape park that dates back to the mid-18th century.  It is on the hillocks of the Daugava River Valley and the valleys that cross it.  An artificial grotto has been restored, and a statue of a lion stands guard over the site.  The stairway has been placed in its historical location, and the park features pathways and a yard.

The Swedish army built a modern fortress during the 1640s with five bastions and two gates.  There were 120 cannons and mortar throwers, barracks for soldiers, flats for officers, a garrison church and warehouses for food at munitions.  After the Great Northern War in 1710, the fortress was taken over by the Russian army.  After the Soviet occupation in 1940, the Soviet navy took over the fortress.  Alongside it is a former Soviet army facility with abandoned buildings and a monument to sailors who served in submarines.  The fortress is open for tours on Saturdays and Sundays.

The complex dates back to the 17th and 18th century, when a fortress was replaced by a mansion and other buildings.  The rectangular yard that is in the centre of the state is surrounded by the mansion, two granaries with columns that were built opposite one another, a stable and a wheelhouse.  The stable and wheelhouse, the bell tower and the gate create the most impressive part of the buildings.  Bells were rung because of religious rituals, but also to inform people at the estate about everyday issues.  The silhouette of the building is reminiscent of cloisters, city halls and churches that were common in Europe in the 18th century.  In 1780, the estate was taken over by the family of Karl Otto von Löwenstern, and the mansion can only be viewed from the outside.  There is a hiking trail near the estate.

Located in the south-eastern part of Piedruja and on the banks of the Daugava River, the rock can be accessed via the local path or a local land road.  The rock was sculpted by Vilnis Titāns, who engraved the name of the Daugava River in seven languages – Latvian, Livonian, Estonian, Polish, Russian, German and Finnish.  Opposite the rock is Druja, which is in Belarus, as well as a large island that splits the river in two.  A temporary permit is needed to visit Piedruja.

In the southern part of Līvāni, where Zemgales Street ends at the Daugava River, there is a fairly unusual and exotic form of transportation – one of three river crossings in Latvia.  Unlike the one in Līgatne, this one is operated by a motor, not the flow of the river.  It involves a cable across the river, and it is based on Soviet military pontoons that were used to build pontoon bridges for tanks.  The crossing point was established by its owners.

Established in 1900 at the place where the Pērse River flows into the Daugava (now the reservoir of the Pļaviņas hydroelectric power plant), the park offers a look at 17^th century Swedish cannons and monuments from Medieval graves.  Next to the high school in the park is a restored fountain, “Head of a Faun,” which was near the legendary Pērse waterfall during the 1930s.  The waterfall is now underwater, but its location is indicated by a stone sculpture, “Girl of Pērse,” which was created by the sculptor Juris Zihmanis.  A path leads to an 11 metre high wooden sculpture, “For Eternity,” by the sculptor Ģirts Burvis, and another sculpture, “Little Owl,” which is the work of the Rurāns brothers, both of whom are sculptors of wooden sculptures.

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.

The Naujene castle hill is on the steep bank of the Daugava River, is up to 25 metres high and has two valleys on its sides.  Between 1275 and 1277, the master of the Livonian Order, Ernst von Ratzenburg, organised the construction of a brick castle to replace a Lettigalian wooden castle that had stood there before.  The castle had a drawbridge and an external and internal forecastle.  Until the middle part of the 16th century, the castle was the residence of one of the top officials in Dünaburg.  The forces of Ivan the Terrible sacked the castle in 1577, after which the location lost its strategic importance.  New fortifications were built in the location that is now the city of Daugavpils.  Alongside the ruins of the castle is a miniature model that helps to imagine the appearance of the location many centuries ago.  A well-appointed pathway leads from the car park to the castle hill.  The hill offers one of the loveliest views of the curvy Daugava River and its surrounding nature park.

The monument dedicated to the Staburags cliff was installed in 2003.  Designed by the sculptress Solveiga Vasiļeva, the monument is known as “The Ear of God,” and it is installed in the place where the reservoir of the Pļaviņas hydroelectric power plant flooded one of Latvia’s most interesting geological monuments.  Staburags relates to many legends and stories told by rafters.  It stood 18.5 m high and was a sandstone cliff on the left bank of the Daugava River, dating back to the last Ice Age.  The Liepavots stream that trickled out of the cliff is now also underwater.  Staburags and the flooded Daugava quarry were once among the most popular tourist destinations in Latvia.

Found at Rīgas Street 22A, this impressive building was suggested by Latvian President Kārlis Ulmanis and built in 1936 and 1937 after a design by the architect Verners Vitands.  It is seen as one of the most outstanding architectural monuments from the first period of Latvian independence, and it is said that it was once the most modern multifunctional building in all of Europe.  The building now houses the Daugavpils Theatre, the Latgale Central Library, the Latvian Cultural Centre, the Latvian House, the US Information Centre, the Daugavpils Tourism Information Centre and other institutions.  Unity Square is alongside the building, and beautiful compositions of flowers are nearby during the growing season.

The museum is in the mansion of the Dole Estate, which was built in 1898 for the Loeuwis von Menar dynasty.  The collection presents Daugava as an important water route, with the apparel of Baltic and Liv tribes, everyday objects, etc.  Outside the movement is equipment to catch lampreys and a reconstructed weir to catch salmon.  Alongside is a 17th century cannon from the Duchy of Courland that was found in the Misa River and was cast in Baldone.  Nearby are four cannons from the Russian tsar’s army.  Those were found on a building lot in Salaspils in 2007.

This is one of comparatively few castle hills along the banks of the Daugava River that is not overgrown with trees and bushes, which means that it has a classical castle hill form that is part of the local landscape.  The Dignāja castle hill was settled during several periods, particularly between the 5th and the 9th century AD, when it was an important centre.  Archaeologists have found that Lettigalian tribes lived here.  After the Holy Crusade invasion, the Livonian Order built a castle on the hill that has not survived.  It is said that there was once an underground passageway under the hill.  The hill itself offers a lovely view of the Daugava River valley.  World War I trenches have been preserved the area.  There was once a settlement at the foot of the hill.

The Kurmīši farm grows medicinal plants in an ecologically pure and lovely nature park, "Curves of Daugava," which is part of the protected landscape area "Augšdaugava." Since 1994, the farm has produced approximately 40 types of medicinal plants so as to ensure the preservation of the farm.  Enthusiasts and tourists can learn all about medicinal plants and how they are prepared.  After the tour, you can taste and purchase Kurmīši herbal teas, which taste the best if you add honey from local beekeeping operations.  Candles made of beeswax offer a special atmosphere.  The farm has areas for relaxation and a facility where the candles are made.  You can purchase a wide range of wax souvenirs and tour the beekeeping facility.  The owner also offers guided tours of the arm. 

The Western breakwater was finished in 1885 and stretches 860 metres into the sea.  Together with the Eastern breakwater it regulates the flow of water from the Daugava River into the sea, also reducing silt levels in the river.  The structure of the breakwater is based on piles that are strengthened with rocks.  The breakwater has been reconstructed and strengthened several times.  During the 19th century, it held a prison for offenders.  Approximately ½ of the breakwater has been restored with cement, but the rest of it is in fairly sad shape.  Polish King Stefan Báthory ordered the construction of a lighthouse alongside the Daugava in 1528, and the first map to show a lighthouse was produced in 1536.  A 1721 list of lighthouses in the Russian Empire notes a pile of rocks at the location upon which a fire was lit.  Later there were wooden and stone towers that were destroyed during wars.  The current Daugavgrīva lighthouse was built in 1957 and is 35 m high.  Its light can be seen at a distance of 18 nautical miles.

The “Gulbji” Selonian homestead is one of the very few places in Latvia where you can see a farm typical of the historical region of Selonia with its typical buildings. “Gulbji” is comparatively far from major roads and populated areas. It is on the so-called Dronku Island, not far from the beginning of the ancient Dviete River valley. The owners of “Gulbji” have collected a wealth of ancient household objects. Visitors can study the farm, examine a collection of medicinal plants, enjoy Selonian foods, or take a “black sauna.” It could be said that people at “Gulbji” have a natural farm which nurtures and maintains the traditions of the historical region.

Latvian cuisine: Crepes, grit soup, cream of potato soup, beans sautéed in a special sauce, fruit dessert, bread soup with whipped cream, tortes, herbal teas.

Special foods: Zeppelins.