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 owners have maintained a historical windmill (built in 1885) and its mechanisms. You can go on a tour of the structure, look at the mechanisms of the mill and taste local baked goods and country bread. 

Ja mērķis ir savākt pilnvērtīgu etnogrāfisko ciemu fotokolekciju, ir jāapskata Strazdi (no lietuviešu valodas strazdai tulkojumā nozīmē strazds), kas ir pavisam neliela apdzīvota vieta Balošas (Baluošas) ezera ziemeļu krastā. Strazdi pirmoreiz rakstos minēti 1783. g. un ciema nosaukums cēlies no kādas mežziņu dzimtas uzvārda.

Tūrisma gide Ineta Jansone piedāvā ekskursijas grupām uz Melnalkšņu dumbrāja laipu. Melnalkšņu dumbrāja laipa ir viena no īsākajām un interesantākajām takām Ķemeru nacionālajā parkā (600 m). Melnalkšņu dumbrājā Vēršupītes krastos novērojami dabiskam mežam raksturīgi elementi – jauni, kā arī veci un dobumaini koki, kritalas, sausoņi, ciņi. Daudzveidīga ir meža putnu fauna. Jebkurā gadalaikā melnalkšņu dumbrājs ir īpašs. Taču visā krāšņumā dumbrājs atklājas tieši pavasarī. Vēršupītes pālu laikā ūdeņi pārklāj lielāko dumbrāja daļu, bet visapkārt zied zeltainās purenes, gaiss vibrē no putnu dziesmām un dzeņu bungošanas.

Contact her in advance, and the landlady here will bake various cakes, pastries, carrot buns and pierogi with various fillings.  You can also order smoked fish.

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.

On the right bank of the Bērze River and in the western part of Dobele, the castle hill and its fortified forecastle were occupied between the 10th and 13th centuries, with an ancient town at its foot (currently the square between Tērvetes Street and the Liepāja highway).  As was common, the Livonian Order used this ancient Semigallian castle hill to build a brick castle between 1335 and 1347.  The castle was sacked during the 18th century, and its fairly impressive and beautiful ruins have been conserved.  A viewing platform is part of the charm.