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.

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

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 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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 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.

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

A sports and entertainment centre in southern Liepāja with go-karting and other activities, recommended in the city’s tourism guides.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Yoga studio in Ventspils: Iyengar yoga.

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.

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.

Boat rental in Gavieze parish.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Floating cabins on the Saka river in Pāvilosta: six separate cabins, each sleeping up to 4 with a river-view terrace. The sea is within walking distance.

A floating sauna on a forest lake, built from natural and recycled materials: a wood-fired sauna, a living room and a deck where two people can stay overnight. There’s no electricity, just solar lamps; the sauna is heated before you arrive, and whisks and rituals with the resident sauna master are booked in advance.

A campsite in Ventspils on the Baltic coast with 43 well-equipped cabins (172 beds); some cabins can be used in winter too.

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.

Family-run guesthouse with boat rental for the Rinda, Stende, Irbe and Engure rivers.

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

1 outdoor padel court in Vērgale. On the Kurzeme coast between Liepāja and Pāvilosta. On site: gear rental.

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.

Boat rental in Nīca parish.

Cross-country loops of 1.3, 3 and 6.2 km in the Talsi hills (highest point 200 m); the shortest loop is lit. Open daily 9–21, with equipment rental.

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.

A lakeside retreat on the south shore of Lake Valgums, surrounded by forest: a sauna with a hot tub, a hotel, a restaurant with a glass-walled hall and a seminar room. It is also the start of a 2.6 km barefoot trail that ends with a herbal foot bath.

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.

A leisure park on the edge of Ventspils with something to do all year. In summer: the "Kaķa taka" rope course and the kids’ "Lācēns" course, a catapult, trampolines, paintball, a wake park and disc golf; in winter the "Lemberga hūte" ski hill with a snow park. The 580 m toboggan run (up to ~40 km/h) operates year-round when the wind is under 18 m/s.

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.

Canoe and fishing-boat rental on the Venta; a small sauna with a hot tub and a stay for up to four can be booked too.