Durbe is the smallest town in Latvia with a distinguished history, as well as the smallest city in the country in terms of population (some 500 residents).  Durbe was first mentioned in a Courlandian document.  In 1260, there was a legendary battle at Durbe between the joint forces of the Livonian Order and the German Order and local tribes, including Courlandians who left the German forces to join the tribes.  One of Latvia's first professional gardeners, Sīmanis Klevers (1834-1922) lived and worked in Durbe, and it is thanks to him that the local gardens feature many rare types of apple trees.  The herald of Durbe, which was approved in 1925 features a silver apple tree.  Several local farms have fruit orchards, and there are many active gardeners.  An apple festival is held each September in Durbe. 

The estate owned by the dynasty of Baron Osten-Zaken was rebuilt in 1856 and 1857, because the old estate was sacked during the Crimean War (1853-1856).  At the beginning of the war, British warships bombarded Latvia's shoreline and ships with the purpose of scaring the Russian tsar.  Some of the gunfire hit Kolka, which was part of the Russian Empire at that time.  After the estate was destroyed, the so-called White House was built there with a series of ancillary buildings.  A mantel chimney was installed on the second floor, and it was used to smoke wild game (the chimney is still there).  The estate belonged to the aristocrats until 1919, when its last owner, Christian von Osten-Zaken, was shot in Tukums.  An elementary school, known as the Kolka School, was installed in the White House in 1929.  It remained open until 1961, when a new school was built.  Crafts lessons were offered at the building until 1989, at which time it was known as the Old School or the Small School.  In 1991, the Old School was taken over by the Faculty of Biology of the University of Latvia, and it has been used for summer internships for students ever since 1994.

Puises ragā (Puise nina) ir uzcelts divstāvīgs atpūtas nams, kas apvienots ar putnu vērošanas torni. No tā paveras skats uz piekrasti, kas ir iecienīta migrējošo zosu atpūtas vieta. Šī ir privāta teritorija, kuras apskati vēlams saskaņot ar īpašnieku.

The tavern and pastry shop is located near the Vidzeme highway, by the natural trails of Cecīļi and Ieriķi. Tourist Information Centre is also nearby.

We offer traditional dishes and our specialities

A small town on the way from Riga to Bauska. Town's name is first mentioned in written sources in 1492. Here you can see Lutheran Church and former Manor Park

The Krimulda Estate was first recorded in documents in the 15th century.  The Krimulda Castle that can be seen now is on the right bank of the ancient Gauja River valley opposite the aerial tram.  There are outstanding views of the ancient river valley from the castle and the opposite shore.  The Krimulda Castle is a Neo-Classical structure which was built by a local nobleman in the 19th century.  In the 1920s, the castle was expropriated and turned over to the Latvian Red Cross, which installed a children's sanatorium there.  Today the Krimulda rehabilitation hospital is in the building, and among other structures, the ones that have survived include the stables, threshing barn, servants' quarters, governor's quarters, and the so-called Swiss house.  Educational tours are available, and overnight stays are possible at the estate.

The largest town in the region dates back to the 19th century, when three local fishing villages – Neibāde, Pēterupe and Katrīnbāde – became a popular location for leisure and swimming.  This led to the construction of many summer homes, and the development of the spa was facilitated by the opening of a rail line between Rīga and Saulkrasti in 1905.  New spas and restaurants were opened, and the spa infrastructure was developed.  During the summer there were various entertainments, including balls and concerts featuring orchestras from Rīga.  Also facilitating the development of the spa was a road and railroad line between Rīga and Saulkrasti that were installed during the 1930s.  During the Soviet occupation, leisure homes, sanatoriums and new summer homes were built in Saulkrasti, which was given the status of a city.  Today Saulkrasti is attractive because of its white sand beach, as well as various annual events, the Saulriets trail, the White Dune, the unique bicycle museum, Sea Park, the “Centrs” swimming facility, Sun Square, etc.

Atrodas Rīgas – Daugavpils autoceļa (A 6) 118. kilometrā.