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.

Official bathing site on Lake Būšnieki in Ventspils. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

Official bathing site on Lake Ciecere. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

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 45-minute trip round the port of Ventspils: the mouth of the Venta, the old town, the industrial port and the Freeport sea gates. The boat has 150 seats; May–September Wed–Fri at 11, 13, 15 and 17, with an extra 18:00 sailing at weekends. Adults €5, pupils and seniors €2; it sails with at least 5 passengers and may be cancelled in strong wind or fog.

Tours of the Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre (VIRAC) at the former secret Soviet complex in Irbene: a walk around the 32 m RT-32 radio telescope, the RT-8 tower with an exhibition on how the antennas worked in Soviet times, the old RT-16 antenna and an underground tunnel. Season 1 April to 1 November; times and booking on the VIRAC website.

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 professional karting circuit in the forest by Kandava: 1,012 m and 11 turns, rebuilt in 2008 to CIK-FIA standards with a layout by Hermann Tilke. It hosts Latvian and Baltic championship rounds, and hobby drivers can rent karts with lap timing.

A campsite on the Gulf of Riga between Roja and Kolka, where barrel cabins stand right by the beach looking out to sea.

Official bathing site: a beach on the Gulf of Riga. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

Official bathing site: a beach on the Gulf of Riga. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

Official bathing site: a beach on the Baltic Sea. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

The northern tip of the Kurzeme peninsula on the Livonian coast, where the Baltic Sea meets the Gulf of Riga. The two waters collide here, so swimming is dangerous, but watching it from the shore is impressive; in spring and autumn the cape is one of the best bird-watching spots.

Official bathing site: a beach on the Baltic Sea in Liepāja. Awarded a Blue Flag for 2026. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

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.

An 8 km white-sand beach with a Blue Flag every summer since 2001, lifeguards, and access for people with visual and mobility impairments.

Official bathing site on the Venta in Kuldīga. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

Official bathing site: a beach on the Gulf of Riga. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

A leisure centre between Jūrmala and Tukums: 11 runs of varying difficulty (the longest up to 320 m), 9 lifts and a snowboard park. Equipment rental, instructors, a ski service, accommodation, a sauna, a café and a crèche. The sledging hill and cross-country trail are free. Mon 14–23, Tue–Thu 12–23, Fri–Sat 12–24, Sun 10–22.

Four outdoor hard courts next to the Ice Hall, open daily from early morning until late evening. In winter you can play in the athletics hall.

Official bathing site: a beach on the Baltic Sea. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

An art park in the Abava valley near Sabile and a cultural monument of national importance. Its 150 hectares hold walking trails of 1–5 km lined with outdoor artworks and installations; until 2018 it was called the Pedvāle Open-Air Art Museum.

An open-air museum in the Vasarnīcas district of Ventspils on the life of Kurzeme’s coastal farmers and fishermen, with a windmill among its buildings. The more-than-a-century-old narrow-gauge steam train “Mazbānītis” runs through it on a 1.4 km loop and a 3 km line to “Kalns” station. Closed on Mondays.

Official bathing site: a beach on the Baltic Sea. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

Open-air water park by the sea: three heated pools, slides from 8 m and 10 m towers, attractions for little ones, saunas and hot tubs.

Official bathing site: a beach on the Gulf of Riga. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

A summer beach bar and café at the end of Peldu iela: coffee and doughnuts by day, drinks, sunsets and reggae in the evening.

Riga Zoo’s branch in Kurzeme, founded in 1996 and covering more than 130 hectares: large enclosures with 38 wild species and 12 farm breeds — bears, lynx, wolves, elk, eagles and vultures, a herd of kiangs and Latvian blue cows. Allow more than an hour for the trails; cash only.

Official bathing site: a beach on the Gulf of Riga. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

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.

Official bathing site on Lake Saldus. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

Kayak and canoe trips on the Abava from one to five days, boat rental and transport back to your car.

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.

An inactive lighthouse on the Blue Hills escarpment in Slītere National Park, several kilometres inland from the sea. The brick tower is open to visitors and looks out over the forests to the sea; forest trails start nearby.

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.

Official bathing site: a beach on the Baltic Sea. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

Europe’s widest waterfall, in the middle of Kuldīga: 249 m across, up to 275 m in spring floods, and 1.8–2.2 m high depending on the water level. Right beside it are the 19th-century brick bridge over the Venta and Kuldīga’s old town.

Official bathing site: a beach on the Baltic Sea in Ventspils. Awarded a Blue Flag for 2026. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

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.

Boat rental for trips on the Abava.

Official bathing site: a beach on the Gulf of Riga. Awarded a Blue Flag for 2026. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

Quad-bike rental in Talsi municipality: two CFMOTO CFORCE 625 Touring 4×4 ATVs for guided or self-planned forest rides, or to hire with a trailer. Up to two people per vehicle; a B or B1 driving licence is required. €60 for the first hour, €35 for each extra hour.

Boat rental at Lielirbe on the Irbe river.

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.

Official bathing site on the Beberliņi quarry in Liepāja. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

A free children’s town in Ostgals by Lielais prospekts, full of play equipment; on Sundays at 11:00 there are songs, dances and games with storybook characters. Open daily from 7:00 to 22:00 (to 20:00 in winter).

Four seaside holiday homes in South Kurzeme, about 40 km from the Lithuanian border, open all year round.

E-bike hire in the south of Liepāja on Ganību iela, including e-bikes with a child seat or a sidecar. Bikes can be delivered and collected for an extra fee; rentals run daily 09:00–22:00 by prior arrangement, from €6 an hour.

Gandrs’ bike and outdoor-gear rental point in central Liepāja: touring, electric and mountain bikes for the city’s 55-plus kilometres of cycle paths, with lower daily rates for longer hires. Hiking gear booked online — tents, sleeping bags, backpacks and camping furniture — can be collected here too.

An equestrian club in Kuldīga: guided rides with an instructor along the Venta to the Veckuldīga castle mound, riding lessons for every level at your own pace, cart rides in summer and sleigh rides in winter. Horses are also available for photo shoots.

Boat rental in Renda, Kuldīga municipality.

An LVM boat base: boat rental and fishing on Lake Kaņieris in Ķemeri National Park.

Campsite on the east shore of Lake Usma with boat and catamaran rental.

Barrel cabins looking out over Lake Sasmaka by Valdemārpils, about 140 km from Riga, with a sauna on site.

Campsite in Tārgale parish with boat rental.

Campsite on Lake Lielais Nabas with boat and pedal-boat rental.

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.

Boat rental in Gavieze parish.

A new themed walk through Kuldīga’s UNESCO World Heritage old town that takes you to unusual places, including inside a historic chimney. Suitable for school groups and adults; €10 per person; runs from October 2026 to December 2027; book by phone or email.

Boat rental in Saldus municipality.

Bike rental, repairs and parts on Raiņa iela in Liepāja. Bikes can be hired by the hour, for a few hours, a day or longer: from €1.50 an hour up to €8 a day, with each extra day €5.

Outdoor tennis courts in Liepāja’s seaside park, where the Liepāja tennis sports school trains.

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.

Official bathing site on Māra’s Pond in Kuldīga. A new official bathing site from 2026. The Health Inspectorate tests the water regularly during the bathing season.

Leisure spot on the shore of Lake Tāši with boat rental.

A mini zoo about 2 km from Ventspils towards Kuldīga: goats, geese and chickens, camels, alpacas, emus, ponies, exotic birds, lizards and tarantulas. Open daily (to 20:00 in summer, 18:00 in winter); the owners ask you to book ahead.

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.

Four outdoor padel courts in Karosta. Gear rental, tournaments and a place to relax between games.

2 outdoor padel courts in Pāvilosta. On Dzintaru iela, close to the sea. On site: gear rental.

A campsite by the yacht piers in Pāvilosta: tent and caravan pitches with water and waste connections for motorhomes, plus four sea-view rooms in the main building. Sauna, laundry, guest kitchen, boat hire and a sports ground.