Visiting the Charming Latvian Town of Kuldiga

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post, I paid for this trip myself. All recommendations are my own.

We visited the Latvian town of Kuldiga as part of our two week self-drive holiday around the sights of Latvia. We had been staying on the shores of the Baltic Sea in Pape and enjoying the peaceful sandy coast and visiting the wild auroxen and horses. From there we drove onto the charming medieval village of Kuldiga. Untouched by war it has retained its wonderful historic buildings and features. This is now a popular tourist destination, but like the rest of Latvia, it has a relaxed and laid back atmosphere with a strong community feel.

Our first stop of the day was at the Riežupe Sand Caves, a network of man made tunnels created in the 18th century. The site is a short 10 minute drive from Kuldiga along an unsealed gravel road. There is a large sign, you can’t miss it and there is car parking on the road side by the entrance. From the car park we walked up through a forest path to the ticket office. These caves cover more than 2 kms in a maze through the underground, which is why you must join a tour to explore them otherwise you could easily get lost down there.

Our tour began with each of us lighting a candle to light our path through the tunnels. Our enthusiastic guide provided us a short history of the caves which were mined for sand used in glass making. It is incredibly fine and soft sand. The locals also apparently hid in the caves during the war and thankfully these caves were never discovered so kept the locals safe.

It was a lovely hot summers day but the caves were very cold, so do make sure you bring a coat with you. As we explored through the 460m of tunnels that are open to the public, our guide shared with us lots of local superstitions and beliefs. For example, newlyweds bring flowers down into the caves because they can survive without water for months and this gives newlyweds special power for a long marriage.

Tips

• The caves are very cold, so make sure you take a coat with you.
• These caves are not suitable for people that experience claustrophobia.

After visiting the caves we headed back into Kuldiga for lunch. We parked in the free roadside parking along Krasta iela where there is also a public toilet available for use. From there we walked across the historic arched brick bridge which was built in 1874. It still has its traditional cobbled road which was very bumpy to drive over. From the bridge you get wonderful views up and down the Venta River. One of the star features of Kuldiga is Venta Rapid, the widest waterfall in Europe at 249 metres. It becomes even wider during spring floods. The height of the fall gets up to about 2.20 metres and you can actually walk along it. But before getting a closer look, we first enjoyed lunch at Cafe Tilts (Kalna iela 27, Kuldīga, Kuldīgas pilsēta, LV-3301, Latvia) for a stuffed croissant and a yummy piece of cake. We never had any idea of what the cakes were in Latvia but they were always amazing.

The cakes gave us the energy we needed to continue our sightseeing. We walked up Pils iela where there is a lovely park where the local castle once sat. From the street there are steps that lead down to the picturesque Venta Rapid waterfall, so off we clambered and joined the rest of the visitors slowly making their way across the slippery rocks. You do need to be careful as the ground is very uneven, so you have to pick your way across the rocks and lookout for deep spots. People were getting their phones out to take photos on their way across, but I was too scared of dropping it in the water! It was a lovely hot day and the water was refreshing.

Once we got to the other side, there was a short path to the right which took us to a large swimming hole. It was a beautiful spot with a wooden jetty and even a lifeguard. We spent a few hours enjoying a swim and a spot of sunbathing.

On this side of the waterfall is a wooden path that took us back up to where our car was parked and we headed off to check in to our hotel, Jēkaba sēta which is located in the heart of the old town. After a shower we headed out into the warm evening to explore this part of town and walked down the main pedestrian street Liepājas iela. It was like stepping back in time, this place is beautifully preserved with its old timber and brick buildings, flower boxes, rustic old signs, and clean and tidy streets. There are lots of lovely cafe’s, shops and restaurants. I think the best way to explore this town is to just stroll through the streets and alleys and allow yourself to get lost.

We ended up at Residence Kafe (Pils iela 2/2, Kuldīga, Kuldīgas pilsēta, LV-3301, Latvia) where we enjoyed a few drinks out on the terrace overlooking the waterfall. they have great cakes here as well. This was the perfect way to spend an afternoon relaxing and watching the sunset in a wonderfully scenic spot.

In the evening we headed up the road to Bangert’s (Pils iela 1, Kuldīga, Kuldīgas pilsēta, LV-3301, Latvia) restaurant for a tasty meal for a very reasonable price. They have an interesting menu that uses a range of local ingredients and we were lucky to get a table on the balcony overlooking the river.

We had a wonderful time in Kuldiga and I would have happily spent several days relaxing here swimming in the river and enjoying the lovely cafes and restaurants. I definitely recommend you include a stop here in your Latvian itinerary.

Accommodation Options in Kuldiga

Search available accommodation in Kuldiga

Budget

• Lauma – an apartment with shared bathroom
• Vintage Anna Apartment
• Jēkaba sēta – we stayed here. It has parking and is in the the old town.

Moderate

• Boutique Hotel Virkas muiža
• Comfort Hotel Kuldiga
• Kuldigas Metropole – located in the town centre square

Luxury

• Boutique Apartment Venezia
• Boutique Apartment Villa Rumba

Practical Tips for Visiting Kuldiga

• How to get to Kuldiga: We drove to Kuldiga from Pape Nature Reserve, but you can get here from Riga on either bus or train. Check the schedules on the Latvian Transport website.
• How long should I visit Kuldiga for? We stayed for one night and that was enough time to see the main sights and attractions, but I would have loved to spend another night so I could have spent more time enjoying the shops, cafes and restaurants and swimming in the river.
• Tourist Information centre: Baznīcas iela 5, Kuldīga, Kuldīgas pilsēta, LV-3301, Latvia
• Language: Latvian is the official language of Latvia. Latgalian, Ukrainian, Belarusian and Russian are also spoken. Most younger people we came across spoke excellent English, particularly at the tourist sites. But do try your hand at a few Latvian words:
  • Hello – Sveiki (Svekee)
  • Please – Lūdzu (LOO-dzoo)
  • Thank you – Paldies (PUHL-dyehs)
  • Yes – Jā (yahh)
  • No – Nē (neh)
  • Excuse me – Atvainojiet (UHT-vay-noh-yeht)
  • I’m sorry – Piedodiet (pyeh-DOH-dyeht)
  • Goodbye – Atā (UH-tahh)
  • Where is the toilet? – Kur ir tualete? (koor eer TWAH-leh-teh?)
• Currency: Euro. Most places accepted card for payment, however, there are quite a few smaller places that only accept cash, so I recommend taking some cash with you.
• Tipping: Not required.
• Electricity: The electrical current is 230 volts AC. Wall outlets generally take the European two round prong plugs. However, you are better off purchasing a worldwide adaptor that can be used in Latvia as well other countries. At least then you can potentially get some further use out of it on future vacations. If you’re taking a number of electronics with you, then I would recommend purchasing a couple of these adaptors.
• Driving in Latvia: In Latvia they drive on the right hand side and all vehicles must have their lights on day and night. In built-up areas speed limits are 50 km/h and 20 km/h in residential areas. On normal roads car speed limits are 90 km/hr and 100km/hr on dual carriage ways. There are a lot of speed cameras in Latvia and they are hard to spot as they are a modern slim grey design. There will be a warning sign directly before it, but they are easily missed. They carefully monitor speeding in Latvia as we witnessed a number of drivers being stopped by police, so watch your speed.
• Navigating: Use Google’s free Offline Maps which allows you to access free maps for navigating that can be used offline i.e. you don’t need WIFI, data, or roaming to be able to use them. Follow this detailed guide on how to use Googles Offline Maps.
  • Using your phone as a GPS will drain your battery quickly, so use a portable battery charger which you can use to charge your phone and any other USB chargeable devices.
  • If you prefer a paper map, then purchase a Latvian road map before you go. At least it’s reliable and won’t run out of battery or malfunction like the electronic options!