The first church in Piņķi was made of wood.  The idea of building a new church emerged in the 1850s, and the cornerstone for a design by the architect J.D. Felsco was laid on May 25, 1872.  The church that is there today was completed in 1874.  The nine-register organ was built by the distinguished organ builder Wilhelm Sauer in 1890.  On July 17, 1916, the 5th Latvian Riflemen’s Battalion was on its way to the front lines at Smārde and stopped at the Piņķi Estate.  Col Jukums Vācietis delivered a sermon at the church on that date (though not all historians agree that he did so), and that has gone down in history as one of the most important events of the day.  The historical even inspired Aleksandrs Čaks to write the poem “Sermon at the Piņķi Church.”  The church is a cultural monument and can be toured.  It is lit up at night.  Alongside the stone is a rock that was installed in commemoration of the Latvian riflemen.

This route passed along many places where events directly related to the emergence of the Latvian state and to the subsequent freedom battles occurred.  The historical route from Rīga to Liepāja via Dobele, Saldus, Skrunda, Durbe and Grobiņa was used as long ago as the 13th century.

People in the Kurzeme region of Latvia have always eat sea, river and lake fish, particularly smoked fish.  Potted smoked cod, served in a clay pot, is a particular delicacy, as are smelts, sea pike, sprats, herring and salmon, available all year long.  Ladies of the house bake tasty rye bread, sourdough bread and tasty carrot buns, and they also cook various porridges from barley.

Dairy products, Summer Solstice cheese and “white butter” has an important role. Fresh goat milk cheese is prepared with dills and garlic, and goat milk cheese is also tasty. Menus will include local domestic fowl and meat dishes, including roasts, ribs, sausages, as well as more exotic dishes such as pig’s tongue and bull testicles. Fancy taverns will offer pheasant and wild game with mushrooms, lingonberries, juniper berries and wild herbs.

In Kurzeme you will be greeted with delicious pies, sheet cakes, poppy seed pastries and honey cakes, biscuits with poppies and cranberries, dessert from rye bread, lingonberries or cranberries and sweet cream.Blackberry dumplings are popular. More unusual are marmalades made from wild plants such as mountain ash, cranberries and even fir needles. Slake your thirst with aromatic herbal teas with honey and enjoy a mug of beer or some homemade wine.

The Rudeņi farm is in the southern part of the Zemgale lowlands, to the East of Bērvircava.  Established in 1999, the farm specialises in dairy farming with more than 300 cows and an equal number of calves.  It is also a grain farm, with more than 400 ha of land for winter and summer crops, rapeseed and corn.  Farming waste is used for a modern biogas plant that provides energy for the farm.  The owners actively make use of EU projects, one of which allowed it to build a cattle shed for more than 400 animals and a cow milking carousel. 

The café is in the centre of Ludza with a lovely view of local churches and a castle hill.  Lettigalian foods made of various ingredients are offered.
Latvian cuisine: Grey peas with bacon, various pork dishes.
Special foods: “Owner’s Feast” – filets of chicken and beef with cheese and a honey sauce.

(formerly Pize and Pizā in Livonian).  The current name of the village comes from a lighthouse (Mihailovskii majak) that was built during the age of the Russian Empire and named for the nephew of Tsar Alexander II.  The lighthouse that is there now is the third one to be built on the site.  It was built in 1957 and is the highest lighthouse in Latvia (57 m, can only be viewed from the outside).  The Lutheran church in Mikeļtornis was built in 1893, and nearby is the Pize Saloon (1857), which is terrible condition.  The saloon has a typical design from the 19th century and is the only venue of its type on the Livonian coastline.  The first Livonian cultural activist, Jānis Princis (1796-1868), was born in Miķeļtornis, and he and son Jānis translated the Gospel of Matthew into the Western Livonian language.  The two of them also wrote a collection of poetry, "Holy Songs and Prayers for Sailors."  The only poetry book in Latvia prior to that was published by Blind Indriķis.  A student of Vilhelms Purvītis, Livonian painter Andrejs Šulcs (1910-2006), was born at the Olmaņi homestead in Miķeļtornis.  A monument to Livonian poets was installed at the local cemetery in 1978 and was the first monument dedicated to Livonians.  There are plans to open an environmental object by artist Ģirts Burvis, "Century of Sailing Ships", in 2019.

Atrodas galvenās Kuldīgas gājēju ielas malā. Sadarbojas ar vietējiem zemniekiem un piedavā Kurzemes novadam raksturīgus ēdienus, kā arī ēdienus no dažādu pasaules valstu receptēm.
Latviešu virtuve: Pupiņu zupa, skābu kāpostu zupa, mencas fileja, Baltijas butes fileja, marinēta cūkas fileja, cepetis.

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.

The farm has vast meadows along the banks of the Aiviekste River, with some 400 head of blackhead sheep – the largest herd of its type in Latvia. You can tour the far and purchase pedigree sheep, meat, wool, pelts and vegetables.