Things to do in Western Latvia
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Karosta Prison
A detention facility until 1997, today ghostly Karosta Prison offers a variety of tours. Originally built as an infirmary in 1900, the Soviets, Nazis and most recently the Latvians used the place as a military prison. Graffiti left behind by former inmates reveals the horrors incurred doing hard time here.
Supposedly haunted, your tour guide will be happy to try to explain the unexplainable - light bulbs that mysteriously screw out of their sockets, doors that open without assistance and sudden eerie chills that descend upon a heated room. If you're craving some serious punishment, or just want to brag that you've spent the night in Latvian jail, sign up to become a pris…
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Dock No 18
From the castle, it is a two-minute walk to the Venta River. Ostas iela, a riverside promenade proffering interesting views of the bustling industrial port on the opposite riverbank, leads east along the water. Between April and November the Hecogs Jēkabs boat sails around the mouth of the Venta River, a 45-minute trip; it departs six times daily from dock No 18.
The Sea Stone (1998), at the far eastern end of the walkway, is a massive boulder dug out from a depth of 17.5m when the port canal was deepened. It is one of several sculptures to line the scenic promenade. Look out for Feldbergs' Seven Mental Meteorites (1996) and the monument to Krišjānis Valdemārs (2000), fo…
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South Mole
Ventspils' prime attraction is its coastline, which is laced with a sandy, dune-backed beach stretching south from the river mouth, about 2km west of the town centre. You can reach it along Viļņu iela (or Medņu iela), which branches off Vasarnīcu iela, or take bus 10 along Lielais prospekts. Breakwaters poke 1km or so out to sea from the mouth of the river to form Ventspils' Sea Gates, with a narrow entrance that makes it treacherous for shipping if there's any sea running.
A popular pastime is to walk or cycle 1km from the northern end of the beach, along the South Mole walkway, to the lighthouse at the end of the southern breakwater.
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Vecais Kapteinis
Hands down, the best meal we had in Latvia. The innovative dishes, best described as upmarket Latvian fusion, are rich in flavour and nothing short of delicious. Meat, fish and seafood comprise much of the giant menu, but there are a few pasta and vegetarian offerings as well. The ambience is almost as delightful as the cuisine. In a stunning timber-framed building dating to 1773, whitewashed walls, candles and a seafaring theme cultivate a romantic vibe.
Other highlights include a long, global wine list, quiet music and glasses of absinthe served in the traditional fashion and guaranteed to knock your socks off.
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Jūrmala Park
Covers nearly 0.5 sq km of parkland. With woodlands and dunes, this park is perfect for strolling. Grand wooden Art-Nouveau summer homes, constructed by Liepāja's wealthy citizens from the 1870s onward, grace the streets around the park. If your wanders have left you parched, stop by one of the many beer gardens or cafés scattered around the grounds. You can also partake in a game of miniature golf or tennis or check out the skate park.
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Liepāja History & Art Museum
A collection of carved amber ornaments dating back 1500 years is just one of the highlights of a visit to the Liepāja History & Art Museum. Other exhibits include impressive Stone and Bronze Age artefacts unearthed on local archaeological digs, an interesting collection of old jewellery and weapons and vintage memorabilia from both world wars. At the seaside end of the same street is a monument to sailors and fishermen who died at sea.
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Latvia's 1st Rock Café
It goes by a variety of names, including Pablo's Place, but there's no way you'll miss this massive four-storey structure with loads of glassy windows and a pseudo-industrial look. Restaurants, bars, dance floors, billiards and a rooftop beer garden are all housed here. The walls are plastered with old concert posters and the club features live music every night, as well as frequent rave parties.
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Holy Trinity Church
Built between 1742 and 1758, the baroque-style Holy Trinity Church has a dazzling gilded rococo interior. Its centrepiece is its fabulous organ, at one time the world's largest, boasting more than 7000 pipes, 131 registers and four manuals. For a small fee, the church caretaker will escort you up the myriad of creaky wooden steps to the clock tower, where fabulous city views await.
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Pastnieka Māja
This very modern, ultraslick two-level restaurant is housed in a vast mansion. The menu features traditional Latvian favourites, as well as a few very exotic offerings: the 'spicy nuts' are bulls' balls stuffed with a garlic nut sauce served on a bed of warm bean and potato salad. This is also one of the few places that serves Liepāja's local beer, Līvu alus.
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Okupāciju režīmos (Occupation Museum)
This museum traces the history of Soviet and Nazi occupations in Latvia, with an emphasis on Liepāja. A visit here is a moving, albeit disturbing experience: captions are in Latvian, but words aren't needed to explain the powerful images of the 1939-40 deportations to Siberia, the genocide committed against Latvian Jews and the independence struggle in 1991.
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Pētertirgus (Peter's Market)
Vendors have touted their wares at the outdoor market on Kuršu laukums since the mid-17th century. The market expanded in 1910, when a pavilion was constructed adjacent to the square. Today you'll find stalls inside and out this bustling complex, selling everything from furniture, pirated CDs, DVDs and local crafts to fruit, vegetables and slabs of meat.
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St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church
There is little to see or do in Old Town except wander its streets and absorb the 18th-century architecture. Pils iela is the main street, cutting across Old Town in an east-west direction. Peering across Brīvibas iela is the neo-Byzantine St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, built in 1901 and crowned with five onion domes.
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Livonian Order Castle
Ventspils' 13th-century Livonian Order Castle hosts a cutting-edge interactive museum on castle history, with digital displays and two panoramic telescopes for visitors to enjoy an eagle's-eye view of the port and city. The museum also showcases fine pieces of amber discovered on archaeological digs in the region.
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Big 7
This giant complex offers a little bit of everything. Divided into multiple sections for dancing, drinking, eating and chilling, it also offers stripteases, pool and slot machines. Head upstairs to King 7 if you want to zone out on couches and pillows or fill your lungs with hookah smoke (fee per hookah).
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Senču Sēta
Located on a quiet side street, this fisherman's cottage has a modern red and green theme inside and an outdoor flower-filled beer garden strewn with fishing nets. The big menu offers lots of salads, vegetarian options, hearty Latvian meals and light snacks. It's also a popular drinking spot.
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Grilbārs Bruno
Exposed brick walls and sturdy wooden tables dominate at this cosy cellar bar inside the Amrita hotel. Enjoy a game of chess, darts or novuss - a Latvian creation that's part shuffleboard, part billiards - with a glass of the nation's favourite beer, Užavas, served on draught.
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Pūt, Vējini
In summer open-air concerts are held at Pūt, Vējini, an outside theatre in Jūrmala Park Upcoming concerts, cinema and theatre productions are listed in Liepāja This Week, a weekly eight-page entertainment magazine; pick up a free copy at the tourist office.
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Bowling Centre
If you're travelling with the kids, head to the Bowling Centre. The giant recreation complex houses eight bowling lanes, air hockey and pool tables, a children's play area and a bar and restaurant. Adults will likely dig the complex too, especially if it's freezing outside.
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Seaside Open-Air Museum
Towards the south of Ventspils beach is the Seaside Open-Air Museum, with a collection of fishing craft, anchors and other seafaring items. On weekends between May and October you can ride around the museum's extensive grounds on a narrow-gauge railway dating to 1916.
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Bugins
With a log-cabin interior jam-packed with rustic knick-knacks and a large patio, Bugins is as hip as you'll get in provincial Latvia. A feast of shashliks, soups, salads and omelettes fill its vast menu, which also has options for kids.
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St Nicholas Evangelical Lutheran Church
Walking west from St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, along Pils iela, you can detour south down Tirgus iela to Rātslaukums, a pretty cobbled square overlooked by St Nicholas Evangelical Lutheran Church, built in 1835.
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Landora
Decorated with fishing nets and junk from the sea, Landora is a small but hip joint. The outdoor beer garden is a great place to linger over a quiet late-afternoon cocktail. Live bands rock the place on Saturdays from 23:00.
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Pie Krustmātes Agates
Pie Krustmā Pie Krustmātes Agates is a real gem. This canteen-style spot dishes up mains at a budget price in a lovely rustic setting, decorated with cartwheels, dried flowers, pumpkins and the like.
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Kurzeme
A modern café with glass tables, sparkling furnishings and mirrored windows, Kurzeme doubles as a nightclub where local DJs spin hip-hop and House music. There is karaoke Wednesday through Saturday nights.
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St Anne's Basilica
St Anne's Basilica is a red-brick, neo-Gothic edifice constructed in 1587. Its highlights include a sky-high steeple and an impressive baroque altar painting that is 5.8m high and 9.7m wide.
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