From Dundaga on the Baltic Sea coat at the top of the district to Sabile on the banks of the picturesque Abava River, it's time for an adventure!
You can spend a whole day exploring the Dundaga side, looking for both natural and man-made objects. If you plan to explore the middle part from Talsi towards the sea, you can discover the pagan cult sites of the ancient Curonians and historical sites surrounded by forests. And for those who are attracted by the Abava valley, let the wind blow towards Sabile, where the waters flow and grapes blush in the open sky. From the bigger highways to the smaller country roads, enjoy the charm of Kurzeme villages. On the move?
What to see in Dundaga and Northern Kurzeme?
Sumbrciems-Valpene
Closer to the north of the Talsi region, towards Cape Kolka, is the large village of Dundaga, but you'll have to wait to visit it, as it's worth stopping off at Liepniekvalks Caves before visiting the Dundadzis themselves. The caves can now be seen from the outside, where you can appreciate the 5 metre high and 20 metre wide sandstone outcrop with your own eyes.
Liepniekvalka Caves is one of the longest natural cave labyrinths in Latvia (up to 70 metres), with several pillars and sandstone columns formed by underground springs. Time has taken its toll and the cave labyrinth has been covered with sand, but this does not prevent you from appreciating its beauty from the outside.
It is worth going further to the village of Valpene to feel the presence of the poet Imants Ziedonis. Here, the artist Vilnis Titāns has realised the poet's idea of a high pile of boulders - the mighty Valpenes pyramid is stacked 9 metres high, while its circumference has expanded to 38 metres. The unusual monument is a tribute to Krišjānis Barons, who lived in the Valpenes manor house. The pyramid is even more special because the names of the houses in the village of Valpenes are carved into the stones, preserving them in eternal memory, even if many of them no longer exist in nature.
Dundaga-Schlieter
Let's move on to Dundaga! This village in the North Kurzeme Highlands boasts a long history, so a visit to Dundaga Castle is a must. Not only to learn about the history of Dundaga, the construction of the castle and its former owners. The castle has a permanent exhibition "Crocodile's Nest", which is dedicated to Dundaga's own Arvīds Blūmentāls - the Australian crocodile hunter who was the prototype of the main character in the film "Crocodile Dundee". If we're going to mention crocodiles, the concrete crocodile is a must-see after a visit to the castle. The two-tonne sculpture is a tribute to the boy Blumenthal, as well as to the strong men of Dundaga.
If time permits and you want to stretch your legs, the Hill Garden, right next to Dundaga Castle, is also worth a stroll. Cross the bridge over Pils Street and you will find the castle park along the stage. During a leisurely stroll, you can see Dundaga Castle from a different angle, enjoying the historical landscape. After the walk, you can satisfy your hunger at the recently opened family restaurant "Dundaga Residence" to keep you going.
The road leads us to Šlītere, where the proximity of the sea can be felt in the air as the hilly landscape of Kurzeme slides past the car windows. Just off the main road to Šlītere is the Blue Mountains lookout tower (to which the Šlītere nature trail leads). From the tower you can enjoy a breathtaking view across the forest to the Baltic Sea, which is about 5 kilometres away. Little nature explorers will love the nearby Insect Trail - with information and games along the 200-metre-long trail, you will learn a lot about how insects and plants work together, the special insects of Slītere National Park, and see a real insect hotel in real life. All this can be combined with a visit to the Slītere Lighthouse.
While continuing to enjoy the natural grandeur of North Kurzeme, the Pēterezers Nature Trail should also be included as a stop on your discovery of the region. Nowhere else in the world can you find such a unique natural formation - a system of dunes and inter-dune depressions called kangars and vigas. The Baltic Sea was formed here 6000 years ago, but today nature is a rich diversity of rare plant and animal species. The 3.4-kilometre-long trail also crosses a former narrow-gauge railway - the Little Railway ran here until 1962, connecting Dundaga and other coastal villages with Ventspils and Talsi.
Just next to the Pēterezers Nature Trail is another beautiful natural monument - Zārtapu Waterfall. This gem is not easy to find, but one of the indicators is a wide, well-trodden path by the highway. Be sure to bring an online map!
Through Mazirbe to Dūmele and Kalķi
An explorer of Latvia would certainly not have spent time in nature without visiting at least one of the great stones.One of them is located in Dūmele - here you will have to take a small detour in the direction of Melnsils (near the guest house "Ziedkalni"), but nature tourists mark it as an object worth seeing.Why? The Dūmele boulder is very expensive - 2 metres high and 6.6 metres long.You can climb it, feel the grandeur of the stone, admire the marshy landscape and take some beautiful photos to upload to social media.
The road from Dūmele through Vīdale leads to Kaļķi, with the Kaļķupe valley nearby and one of the greatest castle mounds in the area, Puiškalns, on its summit.The name is surrounded by two legends: the first says that there was a stone on the hill that resembled a man, the second says that in ancient times, when Latvians fought the Germans, the last surviving boys gathered on the hill and held out against the German troops.Anyone can stop here, breathe in the past and imagine the activity that took place on the banks of the Kalķupe River hundreds of years ago.
Photo credit - Pixabay.com
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