The former Soviet communications division at Plāņciems in the forests of Bārta is privately owned and is being dismantled at this time.

The radio telescope at Irbene was at one time used for anti-espionage purposes. There were various military units and objects in Irbene, including a military housing estate that has now been abandoned. The radio telescope is now run by the Radio Astronomy Centre of the Latvian Academy of Sciences for scientific purposes. Guided tours of the object are available.

Few Soviet military objects are associated with more legends than this one. During Soviet times, this was a reserve airfield, as well as a storage site (just 50 kilometres from the republic’s capital city) for nuclear weapons. These were hidden in two cement hangars that were covered with soil and vegetation. Public information suggests that an RX-24 nuclear bomb weighing 430 kg and a RX-26 nuclear bomb weighing 1,030 kg were stored here, as were air-to-land missiles equipped with nuclear explosives. If there had been an accident here, what would have happened to Rīga, to Latvia, to the Baltic States and to Northern Europe? The airfield is a closed territory today.

The local museum offers an interesting and extensive exhibit related to World War II at the Kurzeme fortress and the fate of Latvian soldiers who took part in the war. There are also exhibits related to the history of World War I and World War II, complete with a collection of civilian and military objects. Among them – a YI-2 airplane, an armoured personnel carrier, a Red Army tank, and all of the trenches and bunkers of the relevant era.

Today it seems unbelievable that just 20 years ago there were buildings on the coastline with massive projectors that were rolled onto a platform at night so as to shed light on the nearby sea and beach and to look for potential violators of the border regime. Only the buildings and the ruins of the platform are still there – they have been seriously damaged by the waves of the sea.

This building was erected in 1903 and 1904 to be used for military training, exercises and ceremonial events. An addition to the South of the building held a small church, but it is gone. The building was used for gymnastics performances and competitions for horseback riders. Official meals for the garrison’s sailors were held there, too – the hall could hold up to 3,000 people. Only the outer walls survive today, sad to say. You can view the exterior and interior of the hall at any time. This is the only building of its size and type in Latvia. The roof once had bands of glass tiles.

Brāļu kapos apbedīti aptuveni 2000 karavīru. Pirmos kritušos strēlniekus — Andreju Stūri, Jēkabu Voldemāru Timmu un Jāni Gavenasu — apbedīja 1915. gada 15. oktobrī. Sākot ar 1915. gadu, kapos sāka apbedīt Pirmā pasaules kara kaujās kritušos strēlniekus, vēlāk Februāra revolūcijas laikā nošautos kareivjus. Stučkas valdības laikā 1919. gada pavasarī šeit apbedīja Brīvības cīņās pret vācu vienībām un Dienvidlatvijas brigādi kritušos latviešu strēlniekus. Pirmās Latvijas brīvvalsts laikā Brāļu kapos apbedīja ap 800 Latvijas armijas kareivjus un virsniekus. 1941.—1942. gadā Brāļu kapos apbedīja 15 nacionālos partizānus, kā arī pārapbedīja komunistiskā režīma terora upurus. Līdz 1944. rudenim šeit apbedīja arī vairākus desmitus bijušās Latvijas armijas virsnieku un karavīru, kuri bija dienējuši Latviešu policijas bataljonos un Latviešu leģionā.

Abās pusēs ieejas vārtiem (augstums 10 metri, platums 32 metri) divas jātnieku skulptūru grupas (augstums 3,3 metri). Liepu gatve (205 metri) savieno vārtus ar galveno terasi, kuras centrā novietots 1 metru augsts mūžīgās uguns altāris, bet abās pusēs ozolu birzis. No terases abpusējas kāpnes ved uz regulāri veidotu kapulauku. Tā malās atrodas divas "Mirstošo jātnieku" skulpturālās grupas (augstums 3,6 metri), vidus daļā atrodas augstcilnis "Kritušie brāļi". Pret katru kapa vietu novietota smilšakmens vai plienakmens plāksnīte ar kritušā uzvārdu un vārdu vai uzrakstu "Nezināms". Ansambli noslēdz 6 metrus augsta siena ar Latvijas apriņķu un pilsētu vēsturiskajiem ģerboņiem. Pie sienas atrodas četri senlatviešu karavīru tēli, kas simbolizē Latvijas novadus - Kurzemi, Zemgali, Vidzemi un Latgali, bet tās centrā uz 9 metrus augsta sienas masīva paceļas monumentāla figūra "Māte Latvija", kas noliekusi vainagu pār kritušajiem dēliem. Brāļu kapu memoriālais ansamblis ir izcirsts no Allažu šūnakmens, izmantots arī Itālijas travertīns un smilšakmens.

Pirmmetu izstrādāja tēlnieks Kārlis Zāle, arhitekts Aleksandrs Birzenieks, Pēteris Feders un Andrejs Zeidaks.

The first Dnyestr-M radar station was opened here in 1969 to calculate the trajectories of ballistic missiles. The trajectories of satellites were also calculated here. The range of the radar station was 5,000 km. In 1972, construction began on a second, more modern radar, the Dnyepr-M. In 1977, it was ready for use, and the first radar was modernised at the same time. The two radars were located in buildings that were 250 m long and 17 m high. During a 24/hour period, they could identify the height, speed and flight trajectory of up to 750 space objects. In 1985, work began on a third, even more modern radar – the Daryal-YM. This was a radar that could “peek” across the horizon. The antenna building was 117 m high (19 stories), 80 m long and 80 m wide. It had a planned range of 6,000 km, but it was not completed. After the withdrawal of the Russian army in 1995, the building was blown up. That cost LVL 6,172,311 and used up 360 kg of explosives. The territory of the radar stations took up 1,072 hectares, with barracks, a hotel, 551 apartments, a medical facility, a water tower, a war hospital, a bomb shelter, etc. The aim of the facility was to monitor space above Western Europe and North America, as well as to “intercept” any ballistic missiles that were fired at the USSR. The territory is closed to visitors, but it is an important part of Latvia’s military heritage. The abandoned territory can be viewed from the outside. The nearby bus stop is called “Kombināts.” This was the only facility of its kind in the Baltic States.

!!! Since March 2018 the Skrunda army base is closed for visitors.

The Northern Forts of Liepāja are on the edge of the Baltic Sea, and some parts of them have been washed away. This is a small, but very impressive part of the Liepāja fortifications which once encircled the entire town. The underground bunkers of the forts are on two levels, and it’s worth visiting them in the company of a knowledgeable guide from Karosta (tours are organised from the Karosta prison). There’s a car park alongside the forts. It’s also worth walking down the beach for a distance of around four kilometres to the Northern breakwater. On the shore and in the sea, you’ll see two coastal defence batteries and some pretty impressive views.

In October 1948, nationalist partisans who opposed the Soviet regime built a 9x6 m bunker in the forests of Īle for themselves. Five months later, the KGB attacked the bunker. After five hours of gunfire, 15 partisans lay dead, and another nine were captured. The bunker has been restored in commemoration of this event, and it is open to visitors.