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

Rob and Natalie
Rob and Natalie
2025-10-08
Baltic Nature Travel (BNT) did an outstanding job organizing our 17 day self-driving tour through Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania in Sept. 2025. Every detail was carefully planned and implemented - transportation from & to the airport and ferry; rental car delivered to our hotel; personal guides in the capital cities. The hotels were in excellent locations and often family owned, with great breakfasts included. The trip was designed so that we spent two nights at several places, which made pace of our trip just right. Two hotel had saunas and pools - a good respite. Our trip included urban and rural experiences, lots of opportunity for walking and exploring. As American visitors, we appreciated the reception we received from local residents and the fluent English spoken by most. BNT has our very highest recommendation.
Micha Wierdsma
Micha Wierdsma
2025-09-28
We had booked the Best of Ķemeri National Park tour. We had an amazing day together with Rolands. He picked us up right on schedule, and in the car his enthusiasm for the tour was immediately apparent! He told us all about the day, about what we could expect. The tour exceeded all our expectations, it was truly beautiful. Rolands was very informative, told us all about the area, the history, the nature. Not only did we enjoy the hiking and breathing in the fresh air, we also learned some very interesting things! Rolands was very friendly and talkative and we could ask all the questions we want, even about the Latvian language and traditions. He was also very helpfull, when my wife had trouble with some paths, he helped her. Even when she stubbed her toe, it didn't take any joy out of the day.
Julie Grewe
Julie Grewe
2025-09-22
Our family had the privilege of working with Valdis and his company Baltic Nature Travel, both as our travel planner and guide for what became the most significant, symbolic, and memorable trip of our lives - a family heritage discovery journey through Latvia. Valdis brought Latvia to life for our family in a way we will never forget. From the very beginning, he thoughtfully prepared an itinerary that balanced cultural highlights with deeply personal experiences. He went out of his way to make phone calls and track down historical places in the countryside - sites that were far off the beaten path - so we could walk the same roads our ancestors once did. Because of his dedication, we were able to visit the towns our relatives grew up in, stand in the schools they attended, and step into the very churches where they were married. These moments were profoundly moving and would not have been possible without his diligence and care. Beyond the heritage aspect, Valdis ensured that every detail of our journey was seamless. He made restaurant reservations, arranged impeccable hotel accommodations, comfortable transport, and found us the most wonderful driver, Aldis, whose skill, kindness, and courtesy elevated the entire experience. Both Valdis and Aldis were not only professional, conscientious and gracious at every turn, but they quickly became trusted companions - friends we now consider part of our extended family. We could not recommend Valdis and Baltic Nature Travel more highly. From the first time we were in contact, until our trip was over, Valdis truly took care of us. For anyone seeking assistance or guidance in their travels to Latvia or across the Baltic States, I would choose Valdis a hundred times over. His passion, knowledge and personal touch transformed our trip into something truly unforgettable. -Julie Birznieks
Joan Burns
Joan Burns
2025-09-15
Our road trip through Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania was outstanding! Baltic Nature Travel made it easy by suggesting the itinerary, choosing accommodations and arranging car rental. They provide great advice on things to do, places to eat and they were happy to make special arrangements to personalize our experience. A first-rate company!
Hodo the Frobbit
Hodo the Frobbit
2025-09-12
We had the most amazing trip hiking through the Gauja national park. Valdis at Baltic Nature Travel was absolutely brilliant. He made planning the holiday incredibly easy, and was always on hand to answer any questions we had. If I could rate the experience ten stars, I would.
Jessica Dickstein
Jessica Dickstein
2025-09-01
I would highly recommend Valdis and Baltic Nature Travel for a trip to Estonia and Helsinki. I worked with Valdis over a few weeks to plan a custom trip for my family - including a toddler and our parents. He was very easy to communicate with and helped me plan the perfect trip for 12 days - the quality of the guides was fantastic and the itinerary was well planned for self drive. We absolutely loved Estonia and everything we were able to see and on our grand adventure!
ellen drost
ellen drost
2025-08-30
Odense Carolinekilde Rotary klub is very satisfied with our experience in Riga and Jurmala. Everything was well organized. Good restaurants. Our guide Rita was very skilles with great knowledge and serviceminded. She spoke very understandable English. We really liked her personality. We give your company the bedst recommendations.
Bobothetroll
Bobothetroll
2025-07-18
Excellent company. If you want to tour the baltics, I recommend their self drive tours
Velta Worley
Velta Worley
2025-07-17
Valdis was a great tour guide and very knowledgeable about history. And there is centuries of history in Latvia so there is a vast amount of information that he has to know. I really recommend utilizing the services of Baltic Nature Travel. An added plus is that Valdis can conduct tours in several languages. It was helpful that he is fluent in English. Thank you Valdis for an amazing week in Riga and surrounding areas!
Krzysztof Narkiewicz
Krzysztof Narkiewicz
2025-06-30
Excellent Experience – Highly Recommend We were a group of 15 people traveling from Gdansk (Poland) to Lithuania for a combination of a short visit to Vilnius and a four-day canoe trip. The agency did a fantastic job from start to finish. They gathered detailed information beforehand (including a teleconference), prepared an excellent offer that took all our wishes into account, and organized transportation with a comfortable minibus from our location to Lithuania. The tour itself went exceptionally well: we had a very good bus and a professional driver, excellent lodging throughout Lithuania, an outstanding guide, and great paddling opportunities. Valdis, the company owner, stayed in touch the entire time, was responsive, and handled last-minute minor changes without any problems. Overall, it was an excellent experience, and I highly recommend this company to anyone considering a trip to Lithuania.

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