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Fortress ruins on the Baltic Sea coast in Karosta, near Liepaja

Kurzeme is the westernmost region of Latvia, along the Baltic Sea.

Regions

Cities

  • Liepāja
  • Ventspils
  • Kuldīga (capital of Duchy of Courland, Venice of Latvia, wooden architecture, red-tile roofs, bridges, cobbled streets.)
  • Saldus
  • Tukums
  • Talsi (a town on nine hills. Old town, cobbled streets, picturesque hills, monument "Kokletajs"(Kokle player), lake, walking trails.)

Other destinations

Understand

During the period of Soviet occupation the coastline was a restricted military area, because it was easy to leave the country on a boat. One could reach Pelēkā kāpa if one didn't leave footprints on the sand. To get around this problem locals wore tin cans under their shoes.

Talk

Get in

Get around

See

Nature

Historical sites

Culture and traditions

Culinary tourism

Leisure activities

Itineraries

  • Kurzeme coastline: RīgaEngureRojaKolkaVentspilsJūrkalnePāvilostaLiepājaNīca. A 400 km route along the Baltic seashore, abundant in natural and cultural heritage, gives an opportunity to learn how locals live and rest at the sea. Apart from many ancient fishermen villages nestled along the seashore, two beautiful cities: Ventspils and Liepāja — are worth visiting.
  • Romantic small towns of Kurzeme: RīgaSaldus – Skrunda – Aizpute – Pāvilosta – Alsunga – Kuldīga – Sabile – KandavaTukumsRīga. One of the most picturesque routes in Kurzeme, as it offers to see the beautiful nature of Kurzeme, manors, castles and churches surrounded by centuries old trees, ancient Aizpute with its romantic wooden buildings, the sweetest town in Latvia – Saldus, the rich in traditions Suiti region in Alsunga, the old capital of Kurzeme – Kuldiga, and the ancient Abava valley rich in landscapes and cultural heritage.
  • The Green Circle of Northern Kurzeme: RīgaTalsi – Dundaga – Pāce – Ance – Ventspils – Ugāle – TukumsRīga. Northern Kurzeme offers natural diversity – listen to bird songs at Lake Kanieris and Engure, watch the blue cows and wild horses, enjoy the sunrise and the sunset and watch the waves of two seas meet at Cape Kolka etc.

Do

Eat

Sklandrauši
  • Sklandrausis (or sklandu rausis) is traditional dish in Latvian cuisine which has a Livonian origin; it's a sweet pie, made of rye dough and filled with potato and carrot paste and seasoned with a caraway. It's widespread in Kurzeme.
  • Many fish dishes
  • biguzis (layered rye bread dessert)
  • bukstiņputra (pearl barley or fine-ground barley with lard and boiled potato)

Drink

Stay safe

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This region travel guide to Kurzeme is an outline and may need more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. If there are Cities and Other destinations listed, they may not all be at usable status or there may not be a valid regional structure and a "Get in" section describing all of the typical ways to get here. Please plunge forward and help it grow!