Things to do in Kurzeme

A producer of sparkling, fruit and berry wines, ciders and stronger drinks, and since 2021 of grape wine from its own vineyard on the Abava in Sabile, described as one of the northernmost in Europe. Guided tours, tastings for individuals or groups, workshops and a small shop; arrange your visit in advance.

A Neoclassical manor house in Tukums, one of the most interesting classical manors in Latvia. It houses part of the Tukums Museum collection and is surrounded by a park.

A Gothic Revival castle on the shore of Lake Ēdole, surrounded by a landscape park. It originally consisted of two residential buildings joined by a stone wall and is an architectural and archaeological monument of national importance.

A music club and bar in a historic building in central Liepāja, known for live music.

A red-brick castle built in 1901 for Riga’s mayor George Armitstead and now an architectural monument of national importance. With its towers and grounds it is a popular place to visit and to celebrate near Tukums.

A medieval castle at Jaunpils that is more manor house than fortress and now houses a hotel. You can look round the rooms and courtyard, stay the night and soak up the medieval atmosphere.

A former military prison in Liepāja’s Karosta district, built in the early 20th century and now a museum with a theatrical twist. Tours take in the cells and solitary-confinement cells and an exhibition on the Second World War and Soviet times; you can sit through a “discipline” show, eat in the prison canteen or spend a night in a cell. May and September 10–18, June–August 9–19, October–April Fri–Sun 12–16.

A Byzantine-style Orthodox cathedral with gilded domes in Liepāja’s Karosta district, built in the early 20th century for the Russian Empire’s naval port. One of Latvia’s four Orthodox cathedrals and the landmark of Karosta’s skyline.

A concert hall on Liepāja’s waterfront with an amber-coloured facade, opened in 2015 and designed by architect Volker Giencke. Home of the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra, with pop concerts and shows too.

Sports complex with a pool and spa, an ice hall, an indoor football hall, a gymnastics hall, an indoor arena and stadiums. The tennis hall is separate, on Liedaga iela.

The cathedral of the Bishop of Liepāja in the old town, an 18th-century Lutheran church with a richly decorated Rococo interior. Its organ was once the largest mechanical organ in the world, and organ concerts are held here.

Latvia’s oldest professional theatre, founded in 1907: drama, comedy and musical productions in the centre of Liepāja.

The restaurant of the five-star Promenade Hotel on the old harbour promenade in Liepāja, looking out over the port or the Great Amber concert hall. Refined dishes and fresh fish from the Liepāja coast.

A former German baron’s hunting residence at Sieksāte, now a hotel with a spa. A white country sauna and a black-stone sauna with a ritual lasting several hours, milk baths with local milk and massages, a small pool and an aromatic steam bath. The estate also has a rose garden, a milk museum, a fallow-deer park and tennis.

A five-star hotel on the Old Harbour promenade in Liepāja. Its 58 rooms sleep 116, conferences and events take up to 150 people, and the hotel’s Piano restaurant is on hand for dinner.

A manor near Kandava with a Neo-Gothic manor house built in 1876; in the late 19th century owner Edgar Lyra added a Renaissance-style veranda with a grand staircase. The restored estate has guest apartments in the former stables and servants’ house, a restaurant in the old coach house, and a park with ponds and a bridge to a small island.

A manor on the bank of the Venta beside the Riga–Liepāja highway, with hotel rooms in the main house and a separate building, banquet and conference halls and a park. The restaurant cooks with produce from local farmers; spa in a separate building.

A manor whose history goes back to 1484, one of the few fortified medieval manors in the Baltics and the only one that survives in Latvia. It has a 15-room budget hotel and guided tours, and the interiors reflect the road-building firms that ran it.

A theatre and concert house in Ventspils’ Ostgals district: touring productions, concerts, exhibitions and events.

One of the oldest and best-preserved Livonian Order castles, which has kept its original 13th-century layout. Over 700 years it has been a fortress, residence, garrison, school, military base and prison; it was restored in 1995 and turned into a museum.

The planetarium and observatory at the Ventspils Creativity House: 360° films about nature, space and the planets in an 8 m, 40-seat dome, in Latvian, English, Russian and Lithuanian. On clear days you can view the Sun through a telescope, and evening observations run from September to April.

A Swiss-style summer manor in a park in Kuldīga, the town’s only wooden manor and a local architectural monument since 2014. It now has 22 design rooms, each in a different style.

Swimming pool and spa in Ķesterciems. The Albatross Resort spa, with pools and saunas.

A beer cellar on Kuģinieku iela in Liepāja with Latvian and foreign beer on tap.

Badminton training and games in Ventspils, in the basketball hall of the Ventspils Olympic Centre.

Badminton training and games in Talsi, at the Talsi municipal sports school.

Combat sports club in Liepāja: boxing. Weekday hours: 09:00–21:00.

A restaurant on the bank of the Venta in Kuldīga, looking at the old brick bridge and the Venta Rapid, with three terraces in summer. Latvian country cooking from local produce: baked Latvian cheeses with rhubarb jam, trout from Pelči, a venison burger and Abava cider. Year-round 12–21, until 23 in summer.

A family fish restaurant in Ragaciems, a fishing village on the Gulf of Riga. Fish and seafood plus meat and vegetarian dishes, generous portions and a seafaring interior. Open daily 12–21; book ahead on warm weekends.

A music club and lounge in central Liepāja with DJ nights; in summer it also runs its own beach bar.

A bowling hall with a café in Liepāja, recommended by the city’s tourism guides as an indoor option for a rainy day or an evening with friends.

Swimming pool in Liepāja. Weekday hours: 07:00–21:00.

A Mediterranean restaurant in the heart of Kuldīga old town by the town hall square. Pizzas are baked in an oak-fired oven, alongside starters, pasta, fish and meat dishes and selected wines.

Gym in Liepāja for strength and cardio training. Weekday hours: 09:00–21:00.

Yoga studio in Ventspils: Iyengar yoga.

A workshop near Kuldīga where pots are made without a wheel, using the coil technique typical of the Bronze Age, and smoke-fired in an open kiln. Masterclasses for children too, and you can join a kiln opening; booking required.

A family pottery in Paplaka where adults and children alike work at a classic potter’s wheel and can paint tableware. Sessions last 1–2 hours; book your visit ahead.

Ventspils concert hall, opened in 2019: 578 seats in the Large Hall and a concert organ by Klais. The building also houses a music secondary school.

Swimming pool and spa in Kuldīga. Pool with a sauna, jacuzzi and salt room.

Gym in Kuldīga for strength and cardio training. Open daily 07:00–22:00.

Combat sports club in Liepāja: kickboxing, boxing.

Five indoor and four outdoor hard courts, plus six beach tennis and volleyball courts. Coaches are available and a tennis sports school works with the hall.

A bar and art space with a warm, retro-style interior, hosting live music and work by local artists.

A restaurant in a restored courtyard in Liepāja’s historic canal district by the promenade, listed in the MICHELIN Guide. Tartares, carpaccios, sharing plates and mains, with local beers and cocktails; terrace in summer. Tue–Sat, closed Sundays and Mondays.

Gym in Liepāja for strength and cardio training. Yoga classes too. Wellness services are available too.

A nightclub with a dance floor right in the centre of Liepāja, by Rožu laukums (Rose Square).

Gym in Ventspils for strength and cardio training.

Gym in Ventspils for strength and cardio training.

Part of the OLYMP Sports chain: a gym in Liepāja for strength and cardio training. Weekday hours: 08:00–21:00.

A two-storey restaurant in a restored old house in Old Liepāja; local legend says a postman called Arvīds once lived here, and his stories are told in the menu. European cooking with a Kurzeme twist, such as smoked cod with potatoes in an earthenware dish. Business lunches on weekdays 11–16; open 11–23.

Gym in Liepāja for strength and cardio training. Weekday hours: 09:00–21:30.

A weaving workshop in the Alsunga Museum in the Suiti region, where you see how Suiti folk costumes and their accessories are made, learn about local weaving traditions and try the craft yourself with experienced weavers. Booking required.

Gym in Liepāja for strength and cardio training. Open daily 06:00–24:00.

Swimming pool in Saldus.

Gym in Saldus for strength and cardio training. Open daily 08:00–23:00.

A children’s entertainment centre in Liepāja with trampolines, open and tube slides, and a separate zone for the youngest with igloo blocks and a ball pool. Open weekday afternoons and from the morning at weekends.

An indoor play park of about 730 m² for children aged 2 to 12: a two-storey obstacle course, slides and a ball pool, trampolines, a spider wall, a carousel and air hockey, plus two party rooms and a mother-and-baby room.

A tavern in a single-storey wooden house in central Ventspils, furnished with old household and craft objects. Latvian food — lamb soup, oven-baked pork knuckle, pork chops, layered rye-bread dessert — and Kurzeme ciders. Check opening hours before you go.

CrossFit and functional training box in Liepāja. Weekday hours: 07:30–22:00.

A candle workshop in Liepāja’s old town where you make your own candles or aroma diffusers using various techniques. Sessions for groups, families and schools, plus open themed sessions; by prior booking only.

Gym in Ventspils for strength and cardio training.

Gym in Liepāja for strength and cardio training.

Gym in Tukums for strength and cardio training. Wellness services are available too. Open daily 07:00–22:00.

A spa hotel and campsite on the shore of Lake Usma: a counter-current and cascade pool, three saunas, a hot tub and fun showers, with breakfast and spa access included for overnight guests. In summer you can stay in floating houses on the water; conference hall for up to 60.

The House of Crafts in Ventspils Old Town, with a weaving workshop, a pottery and a photo studio; it hosts art and craft exhibitions and has a gift shop.

Combat sports club in Ventspils: kickboxing, boxing, self-defence.

Sports centre in Ventspils with a gym and a swimming pool. Wellness services are available too.

A spa hotel in Apšuciems, Engure parish, close to the sea. Its 70 rooms sleep 160, the conference hall holds up to 160 people, and there is a separate banquet hall for celebrations.

Yoga and Pilates studio in Liepāja. Wellness services are available too.

A gastropub and cocktail bar on Kuģinieku iela in Liepāja.

Ventspils science centre by the lifting bridge on the harbour side, opened in 2022: more than 80 interactive exhibits in seven galleries — an earthquake simulator, a time machine, virtual roller coasters — and a separate gallery for the youngest. Workshops and science shows cost extra.