The Durbe manor house

Tukums is a town in Latvia, some 70 kilometres to the west of Riga. It's also the birthplace of Samanta Tina, a semi-famous Latvian singer.

Understand

Tukums is the town of roses. Small town, old town, cobbled streets, artists, museums, creative workshops, roses, fountain, Katrina of Tukums, castles.

• 1 Tourist Information Center, Pils iela 3, ☏ +371 63124451, fax: +371 63124451, tic@tukums.lv. Summer season: M-F 09:00—18:00, Sa 09:00—15:00, Su 10:00—14:00. Off season: M-F 09:00—18:00. 

Get in

1188.lv provides up-to-date bus and train schedules, route planner and prices.

By train

Trains depart from Riga to Tukums about every hour and a half.

There are two stations in Tukums, called 1 Tukums 1 (the more central one) and 2 Tukums 2 (in the far west of the town). Both can be used for onward travel by bus, depending on the bus' route – some buses do not go into the centre.

By bus

There are hourly buses to Tukums, you can take buses from Riga going to Tukums, Talsi, Kuldiga or Ventspils and get off in Tukums.

There are two bus stops in Tukums, the 3 Tukuma AO Bus Station (next to Tukums 1) and the 4 Tukuma lauktehnika bus stop (close to Tukums 2). Check ahead, which one you have to start from, when travelling onwards.

By car

The town is a one-hour drive from Riga.

Get around

Mostly walk-able, except for the manor in the east.

See

Architecture

• 1 Brīvības (Freedom) Square and Fountain (Brīvības laukums un strūklaka). Until 1935 this was market square (updated Jun 2018)
• 2 Castle Tower of Tukums (Pils tornis), Brivibas square 19a, ☏ +371 63124348. May-Sep Tu-Sa 10:00-17:00 Su 11:00-16:00, Sep-Apr M-Sa 10:00-16:00. 
• 3 Railroad Station Tukums I (Tukums I Station), Dzelzceļa iela 3, ☏ +371 63 116 249. (updated Jun 2018)
• 4 Police Building (Policijas ēka). (updated Jun 2018)

Museums

• 5 Tukums Museum (Tukuma muzejs), Harmonijas iela 7, ☏ +371 63123652, +371 63182390. Tu-Sa 10:00-17:00, Su 11:00-16:00.  
• 6 Gallery Durvis (Door) (Galerija Durvis), Brīvības laukums 21, ☏ +371 63 124 312, galerijadurvis@tukumamuzejs.lv. (updated Jun 2018)
• 7 Social Community Centre (Tukuma kultūras nams), Lielā iela 1, ☏ +371 63 124 125. (updated Jun 2018)
• 8 Museum of Latvian Roads (Latvijas Ceļu muzejs), Šlokenbekas Manor, Milzkalne (inside the Šlokenbekas Manor), ☏ +371 63182354, muzejs@lvceli.lv. May–Oct Tu–F 09–18:00 Sa-Su 10–17:00, Nov-Apr M–F 09–16:00. You can even rent an old minibus here, for €60 per hour. (updated Oct 2017)
• 9 Jaunmokas Castle / Palace (Jaunmokas Manor / Jaunmoku pils), Jaunmokas, Tumes pagasts, ☏ +371 63107125, +371 26187442, +371 63124572 (museum), info@jaunmokupils.lv. M-Su 10:00-18:00 (museum). Forestry museum, guide, castle interior, the room of columns, lodging, horse-drawn carriage rides, the centre of Latvian ornament, herbal teas.  

Churches

• 10 St. Stephen Roman Catholic Church (Tukuma Svētā Stefana Romas katoļu baznīca), Harmonijas 1a, ☏ +371 28873134, ingmars.zvirgzdins@gmail.com. 
• 11 St. Nicholas Russian Ortodox Church (Sv. Nikolaja pareizticīgo baznīca), Pils iela 13B, ☏ +371 63 125 329. (updated Jun 2018)
• 12 Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (Svētās Trīsvienības luterāņu baznīca), Brīvības laukums 1, ☏ +371 20 221 951. (updated Jun 2018)

History

• 13 Historical Centre and Old Town of Tukums (Tukuma vēsturiskais centrs un vecpilsēta). (updated Jun 2018)
• 14 Former Behr's villa (Bijusī Bēru villa). (updated Jun 2018)
• 15 Kiosk Sēnīte (Kiosks Sēnīte). A former fuel station. (updated Jun 2018)

Manors

• 16 Durbe Manor (Durbes pils), Mazā Parka iela 7 (2 km east of the centre), ☏ +371 63123694, +371 63122633. Tu-Sa 10:00-17:00, Su 11:00-16:00.  
• 17 Šlokenbekas Manor (Šlokenbekas muiža), Milzkalne (4 km towards Riga to the right), ☏ +371 63144319, +371 29904147, info@slokenbeka.lv. M-Sa 08:00-17:00. The Šlokenbeka Manor was first mentioned in 1484, when its construction was assumed to have begun. The purpose of the manor was to protect the nearby Tukums from invaders. During the centuries, it was owned by several dynasties, like the Butlars and Scenkings, the Putkammers and Grothauses, as well as the Medems and Rekes. In 1997, the Šlokenbeka Manor was handed over to the Ministry for Transportation, which has now arranged the Museum of Latvian Roads here.  

Also, check out the nearby attractions of the Riga region, like Cinevilla.

Do

• Football: FK Tukums 2000 play soccer in Virslīga, the top tier. Their home ground Pilsētas Stadium (capacity 5100) is just off A10, 3 km southwest of town centre. The playing season is April-Nov.
• 1 Harmonija (Sport Facilities), Jana iela 3a, ☏ +371 63125775. Fitness. 
• Rose Festival (Rožu svētki). July. Held in July each year, this festival features a varied program of events. 

Eat

• 1 Pavards Café. Regular cafeteria style restaurant. Cheap and solid. Dish of the day €3. (updated Oct 2017)
• 2 Elizabete, Elizabetes iela 12, ☏ +371 63124247. 
• 3 Kare, Pasta iela 25, ☏ +371 63181034. 
• 4 Miķelītis, Lielā iela 7, ☏ +371 63 123 634. (updated Jun 2018)
• Cope, Engure, Ridelu Dzirnavas, ☏ +371 63161373. 

• Lindaga, Dimanti, Ragaciems, ☏ +371 63163544. 
• Slokenbeka, Milzkalne, ☏ +371 63144394. 

Sleep

Hotels and guest houses

• 1 Hotel Tukums, Pils iela 9, ☏ +371 27 761 400, hoteltukums@gmail.com. Enjoy a nice meal or brew in the resto bar, or a game of bowling, or a warm seat by the fireplace in the hall during your stay. 
• 2 Tukums Ice Hall and Hotel (Tukuma ledus halle un viesnīca), Stadiona iela 3, ☏ +371 26 635 775, hotel@tlh.lv. Check-in: after 14:00, check-out: before 12:00. 
• 3 Guest house "Ķipītis", Noras iela 12, ☏ +371 26 406 209. 
• 4 Hotel Stelles, Talsu Iela 74, ☏ +371 29 389 197, kaspars@isam.lv. (updated Jun 2018)
• 5 Slokenbeka - Hotel, Slokenbeka, Smarde (4 km towards Riga to the right), ☏ +371 25155225, +371 63144319, hotel@slokenbeka.lv. 20 beds; 10 rooms. Their website states that they offer an "Economy" option – the English website still quotes the 2014 price of €10 for this option, but it is actually €15 now. Single from €15. 
• Jaunmoku Pils (75th km Riga-Ventspils highway), ☏ +371 26 187 442, fax: +371 63124572. 35 beds; 15 rooms. 

Bed and breakfast accommodation

• Bramani, Jaunpils, ☏ +371 63162461. 10 beds, 4 rooms. 
• Lejnieki, Seme, ☏ +371 63100314. 12 beds, 6 rooms. 
• Ridelu Mill, Engure, ☏ +371 63161373. 8 beds, 4 rooms. 
• Sveikuli, Tume, ☏ +371 29232026. 10 beds, 4 rooms. 

Camping

• Abragciems, Abragciems, ☏ +371 63161668. 19 houses, 50 beds, unlimited tent places, 18 caravan places 
• Apsuciems, Apsuciems, ☏ +371 63143186. 30 houses, 85 beds, 10 tent places 
• Ronisi, Klapkalnciems, ☏ +371 63143145. 99 houses, 300 beds, unlimited tent places 
• Vecupe, Engure, ☏ +371 63161740. 110 beds, 100 tent places, 3 caravan places 

Go next

• Jūrmala – A popular holiday and sea resort town with wooden houses just west of Riga, which claims to have the longest beach in Northern Europe.
• The Great Ķemeri Moorland – Ķemeri is the third largest national park in Latvia, and popular for its extensive moorland, moorland lakes, a wooden footbridge, viewing tower, bird-watching, moss, cranberries, fierce plants.
• Riga region – The region has many interesting attractions just nearby of Tukums.