About an hour’s drive from Riga is the historical town of Tukums – once home to ancient Latvian chiefs and later, the knights of the Livonian Order. The town has a small historical centre where you’ll find the St. Trinity Lutheran Church – take a look at the 19th century altarpieces and stained glass, and climb the church tower to view the city from above. At the nearby Tukums History Museum, friendly guides in medieval costume will tell you about local history, from the legends of the Dark Ages to tales of Soviet life.
About 7 km towards Ventspils [1] stands Jaunmoku Castle [2]. At this elegant hunting castle you can visit the Forest Museum or have a picnic in the surrounding gardens.
Continuing along the highway and turning off toward Kuldiga, Sabile [3] lies 15 km ahead. The pride of this small town is Wine Hill [4], which for a long time was the world’s most northern vineyard.
The Pedvāle Open-Air Art Museum [5] is a few kilometres away along an unpaved road. The spacious territory of this unique museum hosts an outdoor exhibition of art: paintings, sculptures and installations. The added value of seeing the works in this space is their interaction with the striking local landscape, birdsong and the rustle of trees.
You will need a car to travel the full route, but Tukums can also be reached by train (www.ldz.lv [6]) or bus (www.autoosta.lv [7]).
