Kuldīga: UNESCO Old Town, culture and the Venta

Kuldīga combines an exceptionally well-preserved traditional townscape with a landscape shaped by the Venta and the Alekšupīte. The urban settlement developed from a small medieval hamlet into an important administrative centre of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia. Today, the Old Town is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. When planning your trip, you can therefore consider both the historic centre and the river landscape as distinct themes.

Old Town and river landscape

The confluence of the Venta and the smaller Alekšupīte stream shapes Kuldīga’s landscape. In the historic centre, the Alekšupīte flows directly alongside the walls of many buildings. Water and buildings thus sit side by side in the townscape. The architecture can also be recognised through specific details: the historic centre preserves narrow streets, single-storey houses with centrally positioned chimneys, and red-tiled roofs. Together, these features give the urban space its characteristic architectural scale.

Another landmark in the landscape is the Venta Rapid, the widest waterfall in Europe. It is about 100 to 110 metres wide and 1.8 to 2 metres high. These measurements describe two different aspects of its form: its exceptional width and its comparatively modest height. The rapid thus offers a different perspective on Kuldīga from the narrow streets and buildings of the historic centre.

The history of the town and Kuldīga Castle

Kuldīga’s development from a medieval hamlet into an administrative centre provides the broader historical context for the castle. It was built between 1242 and 1245 on the left bank of the Venta as the Livonian Order’s main fortress during the subjugation of the Curonian territories in Courland. Archaeological remains from the castle period survive at the site, including a room on the first floor of the inner castle. An augmented reality installation overlays a theoretical reconstruction onto the present-day site in real time. The castle’s construction history, surviving archaeological traces and explicitly theoretical reconstruction therefore offer distinct ways of exploring the site.

Exhibitions and distinctive interiors

At Villa Bangertu, the Kuldīga District Museum presents a permanent exhibition about the home of a wealthy Kuldīga resident in the early 20th century. The villa also hosts temporary art and history exhibitions. The two offerings have different focuses: the permanent exhibition looks at a historical domestic setting, while the wider exhibition programme alternates between art and history.

In the Old Town, Visumnīca combines light, sound and illusion to create an immersive space. Visits take place in private sessions lasting 15 to 20 minutes each; the format accommodates up to six people. This makes the experience different from the exhibitions at Villa Bangertu: here, sensory impressions and illusion take centre stage, while the villa focuses on domestic and exhibition themes.

Walking routes and time by the water

Kuldīga has well-maintained walking routes on both banks of the Venta. Trail conditions may vary seasonally. Mārtiņsala is the town’s only official bathing area. Its facilities include beach volleyball courts, playgrounds, picnic and campfire areas, changing rooms and toilets. Lifeguard supervision is seasonal.

A signposted health trail with health-promoting exercises also runs around Mārtiņsala. The area is accessible to people with reduced mobility and parents with strollers. The riverside routes and the health trail offer different ways to spend time outdoors: the routes run along both sides of the Venta, while the health trail is marked out around Mārtiņsala. When planning, you can therefore choose between riverside walks and an area with signposted exercises.

Discover more destinations: Padure, Veldze, Vilgāle, Īvande, Ķimale, Vārme, Renda.

Return to the parent travel overview: Kuldīgas Novads.