Kuldīga: a Perfect Place for Romantics

Text by Valdis Čeičs and Solveiga Kaļva

Photos by Solveiga Kaļva, www.solveigakalvaphotography.com

Kuldīga is one of the most romantic towns in Latvia with wonderful cobblestone streets, lovely houses and red-tile roofs. As the Alekšupīte River circles around the old town, many travelers compare Kuldīga to Venice. Kuldīga is a perfect place for going for an inspiring walk, jumping on a “Vespa” scooter to enjoy the wind and the road, or simply having a romantic picnic in a park or on a riverbank. 

The town is famous not only for the magnificent architecture and atmosphere, but also for the widest waterfall in Europe – Ventas Rumba. The most beautiful view of it you can find standing on the red-brick bridge which stretches across the Venta River. The bridge and the whole old town with 18th century architecture are candidates for inclusion in the UNESCO List of World Cultural Heritage. 

Highlights (culture):

Highlights (nature):

You should enjoy Kuldīga slowly, only then the town reveals its true spirit! Numerous restaurants and coffee shops are waiting for you just around the corner. Coffee was introduced in the region already in the 17th century by Jacob, Duke of Courland. The local coffee roastery “Curonia” follows the old traditions and offers a really good cup of coffee, roasted right in Kuldīga. Restaurant ”Goldingen Room” is known for high quality European cuisine, artisan pizza and wonderful interior. If you want to enjoy your meal sitting on the outdoor terrace with a stunning view of the waterfall, you may choose the cafe ”Rezidence Kafe Venta”. Many modern art lovers seek inspiration at Kuldīga Artists’ Residence. A wide range of local and foreign art exhibitions are exhibited at Kuldīga’s Art House. If you are interested in sculptures, you should visit the Castle Park. During summer, every Friday and Saturday evening visitors can enjoy an open air cinema “Goldingen Knight Cinema” located in the park, just bring your own blanket or find a free seat. 

What travelers say about us

EXCELLENT
36 reviews on
Jane Bower
Jane Bower
2024-09-30
My partner and I (69 and 75) are just back from a 17 day self-drive tour put together with the help of Valdis from Baltic Nature Travel. It was an absolutely delightful and fascinating experience. We asked for quirky or unusual accommodation and a mix of hotels and self-catering - great fun. We went at our own pace and chose what to see. Everything was beautifully organised - a couple of small hitches were dealt with straight away on the phone. We are well-travelled but didn't know these stunning countries at all. Our overall impression is CLEAN and GREEN. Thank you, thank you for such a unique and special holiday.
Andrew Golding
Andrew Golding
2024-09-16
First Class Personal Tour of the Baltic Republics organised by Valdis: a bespoke, friendly, intelligent, safe and varied introduction to this wonderful part of the world. Wholly recommended.
David Morris
David Morris
2024-09-10
Excellent booking experience - very easy and all the information we needed. Hire car arrived at the hotel as arranged and the handover was excellent. All the hotels that were booked for us were great and the itinerary was really wide-ranging and interesting. Estonia people were almost always friendly and helpful, and the restaurant food was great. Would definitely recommend Baltic Nature Travel and Estonia as a destination
Karen Green
Karen Green
2024-07-23
Valdis, the owner of Baltic Nature Travel, is a terrific tour organizer. His advance communication and arrangements were unfailingly responsive, prompt and helpful. On the trip, we had different guides as well as drivers in the different cities (Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn.) In each case, they were well-informed and on time at the meeting point. We never needed to worry or contact the guide (though we were provided with their information.) Every hotel Valdis chose for us was of a very good standard, well-run, clean, exceptionally well located, and with wonderful breakfasts. The restaurants he recommended were also excellent – we learned to just go where he suggested! The tour was an exceptionally good value. In sum, we couldn’t have been more pleased. Our trip was wonderful and we left wanting to see more of the Baltics' beauty. If we do go again, we would unquestionably work with Valdis. In the meantime, we will recommend him to all of our friends.
Lucía Gómez
Lucía Gómez
2024-07-17
Fantastic Self-Guided Hiking Experience! We recently completed a self-guided hike in Gauja National Park, which was wonderful. The trails were serene, and we rarely encountered other hikers. The provided materials and app were excellent and highly accurate. The hotels, luggage transfer, and overall transportation arrangements were flawless. Highly recommend this experience!
Paul Green
Paul Green
2024-07-12
Anna Brish was a fantastic tour guide for understanding Jewish history and culture in Vilnius. She was friendly, deeply knowledgeable, eager to answer our questions and accommodate our specific interests. Anna does other tours and we would take any of them, she’s amazing!
James Cornez
James Cornez
2024-07-11
Myself and my best friend came across this company whilst researching options to travel in Latvia and we are very pleased we did. Valdis was very amenable during the planning process by arranging video calls with both of us so we could better understand what was on offer for us to do. He compiled an 8 day itinerary for us that did not disappoint starting in Riga for 2 days. We paid for an optional 3hr walking tour which was very worthwhile to see the main sites of the city. Janis took us on the tour who is a great guy that gives you plenty of interesting information, ready to answer any questions regarding Latvian history/culture. We chose the self driving option to see as much of Latvia as possible which I would definitely recommend if you want to have more than just a city break. It took us to varied places ranging from the heavily forested and pretty areas of Sigulda (where we did a fun kayaking tour on the Gauja river) and Cesis to the pleasant coastal cities of Liepaja and Ventspills. Overall, definitely the company to approach if you want to authentically explore Latvia!
Esther A
Esther A
2024-06-21
Valdis and his team helped us to organise a guided 16 day trip across Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Helsinki. We had a very enjoyable experience! Coming from Singapore and not knowing Valdis beforehand, we were initially worried about language and logistical challenges. All these were unfounded as Valdis and his guides were not only knowledgeable but also responsive, helpful and flexible. We had some minor hiccups during the trip but Valdis was able to resolve them very promptly. I would highly recommend engaging Valdis for your next trip!
Annette Ihrman
Annette Ihrman
2024-06-16
The tour was very versatile and a good addition to our trip to Riga. We can recommend it!
K G
K G
2024-04-06
I joined Valdis for Gauja national park tour and experience breathtaking views, beautiful cave, Plus the experience to see the inside of luge and skeleton track. It’s an unforgettable experience to see something outside the Riga! Highly recommended!!!

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