Things to do in Ventspils
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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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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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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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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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Livonija
Downstairs there's a funky green bar and nightclub. Upstairs you'll find the restaurant with an extensive menu of meat-based entrées served with various sauces.
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Open-Air Concert Hall
A little further south of the Seaside Open-Air Museum, there's an open-air concert hall. Buses 6 and 11 run here regularly from Lielais prospekts.
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Water Amusement Park
Ventspils' beach is overlooked by a water amusement park, a vast complex in Seaside Park (Piejūras parks).
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Skate Park
Boarders, bladers and BMX bikers can leap around in the region's only skate park, kitted out with 18 jumps.
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Olympic Centre
Ice skaters can twirl around the city's ice-skating rink inside the modern Olympic Centre.
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