MAIN SIGHTS

INDRICA CATHOLIC CHURCH

The building of the Indrica Roman Catholic Church of St. John the Baptist is an architectural monument of national importance. It is one of the oldest currently known wooden Catholic churches in Latgale. The Indrica church is closely linked to the history of the Plater family. The church was built in the middle of the 17th century. As Lutheranism spread in Indrica, it was taken over by Protestants. In 1695, Jan Andrzej Plater converted to Catholicism, and in 1698, the church was rebuilt and handed over to the Catholics. The Indrica church has four ornate altars with wood carvings. The church preserves a copy of the so-called painting of Our Lady of the Snows, made in the middle of the 18th century (the original was destroyed in the Izvalta church in 1941). A stone fence from the late 17th century stretches around the church, and a free-standing bell tower built in the middle of the 19th century stands nearby. Find more information on the Krāslava District Tourism Information Centre website!

KRĀSLAVA

The settlements, hillforts, and ancient burial grounds identified in the vicinity of the town indicate that the banks of the Daugava in this area have been inhabited since prehistory. Starting from the 8th century, archaeological evidence characteristic of the Latgalians can be identified. In the 14th century, a fortified warehouse for the Livonian Order was established here, which became a fief manor of the Order in the middle of the 16th century. In 1729, the property was purchased by Count Jan Ludwik Plater. The Plater family purposefully developed Krāslava into the administrative, spiritual, and economic center of Latgale. After the fire of 1826, the town began to decline, but it revived again in 1865 when the Daugavpils-Vitebska railway station was opened nearby. In 1893, Krāslava was once again struck by a devastating fire. On April 16, 1923, Krāslava was granted town rights. Modern Krāslava is a scenic Latvian small town with well-preserved wooden architecture. Find more information on the Krāslava District Tourism Information Centre website!

Most significant sights in Krāslava:

• The castle complex of Counts Plater with a park - a monument of architecture of national importance from the 18th century. Krāslava TIC and Krāslava History and Art Museum operate in the manor complex.
• Karnicki Hill - a scenic spot offering a striking panorama of the town, associated with a romantic legend of a great love between Count Plater’s daughter Emily and Polish officer Joseph Karnicki.
• Krāslava St. Ludvig Roman Catholic Church - the most prominent example of Latgale Baroque architecture. The current church was built between 1755 and 1767.
• August’s Stone - several legends are recorded about this stone, mostly related to the alleged actions of the Polish King Augustus here. However, the significance of the stone is likely different - it is engraved with the coat of arms of the Plater family and the year “1729”. In this year, Jan Ludwik Plater purchased Krāslava.
• Priedaine viewing tower - the tower allows enjoying the panorama of the Daugava bends (Priedaine bend) and Krāslava from a height of 32 m.

ADAMOVA NATURE TRAIL

A well-maintained and marked nature trail that offers the opportunity to explore nature in its diversity – walk along the expressive terrain, enjoy the vast landscapes of the Daugava valley, view natural monuments, and discover the rich flora and fauna. The length of the moderate difficulty route is 2.5 km. The trail starts at the site of the former Adamova hillfort in Krāslava, where a convenient parking lot and a viewing platform are located, offering a wide panorama of Krāslava and the Daugava valley. Adamova hillfort was flattened at the end of the 1960s, with a highway built over it. Visitors can see the Adamova great stone (over 10 m3), Adamova cliff, Svarinski ravine, and reach the “Adamova” campsite. Find more information on the Krāslava District Tourism Information Centre website!

ADAMOVA CLIFF

The Adamova cliff with ancient ravines, as a complex geological and geomorphological formation, is one of the most significant natural areas in the Daugava bends. The main bank cliff, which reaches a height of up to 38 m, was likely formed in the 1930s when Daugava floodwaters eroded the main bank. Compared to that period, the cliff is heavily overgrown today, and active slope processes still occur only in some places where the slope angle reaches 50 to 60 degrees. The “Adamova” campsite is located next to this natural monument.

UŽINGORA SANDSTONE OUTCROP

The Užingora sandstone outcrop is located on the right bank of the Daugava (Zvejnieki bend) between Užinkalns and Užingorska. The dimensions of the Devonian sandstone outcrop depend on the water level in the Daugava. At low water levels, the outcrop reaches a height of up to 2 m.

VECKAPLAVA

Veckaplava is located on the left bank of the Daugava between Kaplava and Lielborne. Already in the 17th century, there was an inhabited settlement here that died out during the plague epidemic. In the 18th century, Belarusians settled here. By the 19th century, a fairly large town had formed here. In 1895, the construction of the Kaplava Orthodox stone church of the Protection of the Most Holy Mother of God was completed. After the Second World War, a new center emerged 2 km from Kaplava, which was initially called Prauliņi but later renamed Kaplava, while the old Kaplava became Veckaplava. Modern Veckaplava is a unique settlement with fisherman-farmer homesteads and an Orthodox church as the dominant feature of the landscape.

AUGUSTINIŠKI

Opposite Veckaplava, on the right bank of the Daugava, there is an architectural monument of local importance - a group of raftsmen-fisherman homesteads in Augustiniški.

SLUTIŠĶI VILLAGE

A unique Old Believers’ village architecture with ornately decorated wooden buildings and layout is preserved in Slutišķi. In the 18th-19th centuries, fleeing persecution in their ethnic homeland, Old Believers settled here. The ethnographic open-air department of the Naujene Local History Museum “Slutišķi Old Believers’ Homestead” has been established in Slutišķi village, where visitors can learn about the unique materials of Latgale Old Believers’ spiritual and daily life culture. Find more information on the Daugavpils Tourism Information Centre website!

MARKOVA COGNITIVE TRAIL

The length of the trail is just under 2 km, the difficulty level of the route is easy to moderate. Visitors to the Markova cognitive trail can see the Markova hillfort, Markova cemetery, the water level mark of the projected Daugavpils Hydroelectric Power Plant reservoir, Putāni stream stone, etc. Markova hillfort is an archaeological monument of national importance. From the top of the hillfort, there is an outstanding panorama of the Daugava bends and Slutišķi village. Find more information on the Daugavpils Tourism Information Centre website!

SLUTIŠĶI CLIFF

A steep main bank cliff of the Daugava, more than 40 m high, with Quaternary outcrops. The cliff offers an excellent view of the Daugava valley landscape. Stairs are installed from the foot to the top of the cliff, and a rest area is set up on the cliff. Slutišķi cliff and the opposite Ververi cliff form the natural monument “Daugava Gates”. Here, the Daugava valley narrows to a width of 0.5 to 0.6 km. Find more information on the Daugavpils Tourism Information Centre website!

VERVERI CLIFF

A steep main bank cliff of the Daugava, around 40 m high. Devonian sandstone is exposed at its foot. The cliff is not developed, but it offers an excellent view of the so-called Daugava Gates landscape, formed by Ververi cliff and the opposite Slutišķi cliff. Here, the Daugava valley narrows to a width of 0.5 to 0.6 km. Find more information on the Daugavpils Tourism Information Centre website!

VASARGELIŠĶI VIEWING TOWER

From the 21 m high viewing tower, there is an outstanding view of the Daugava bends landscape, close to the one depicted on the banknote of the Republic of Latvia – the 10 lats banknote. Find more information on the Daugavpils Tourism Information Centre website!

Dinaburg castle ruins

The stone castle of Dinaburg was built as a border fortress facing Lithuania by the Livonian Order in 1275 on the site of the Naujene hillfort, which had been inhabited since the 8th century. Fragments of the Dinaburg castle ruins are preserved here, and a model of the castle is on display. The scenic surroundings can be viewed by walking the Dinaburg nature trail. Find more information on the Daugavpils Tourism Information Centre website!

DAUGAVPILS

Daugavpils - the second largest city in Latvia. The origins of the city’s history date back to the Middle Ages when the Dinaburg castle was founded in 1275 near a trade route located on the borders of Russian and Polish lands. In the second half of the 18th century, Dinaburg was annexed to Russia. At the beginning of the 19th century, as Russia’s relations with France deteriorated, it was decided to significantly rebuild and expand the Dinaburg fortress. By the start of the war in 1812, the construction work was not yet completed, but even the partially built fortress played an important role in protecting the northwestern borders of Russia. After the war, the construction and development of the fortress continued. In 1893, by order of Russian Emperor Alexander III, Dinaburg was renamed Dvinsk. At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, Dvinsk became the largest industrial and cultural center in the northwestern part of Russia. On January 3, 1920, with the joint efforts of Latvian, Lithuanian, and Polish forces, the city was liberated and received its current name – Daugavpils. Find more information on the Daugavpils Tourism Information Centre website!

Most significant sights in Daugavpils:

• Daugavpils Fortress - a monument of architecture and cultural history of national importance, the last bastion-type fortress in the world. The construction of the fortress began in 1810 by the Russian Imperial Army to strengthen the western borders of the Russian Empire in preparation for the war with Napoleon.
• Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre - a multifunctional contemporary art complex, culture, and education center in the Arsenal building of the Daugavpils Fortress.
• Church Hill - a place where churches of four denominations stand side by side: Martin Luther Cathedral, Roman Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Martyrs Boris and Gleb, and the Resurrection, Birth of the Mother of God, and Saint Nicholas Church of the Jaunbūve Old Believers Parish.
• Latgale Zoo - various exotic animals, monkeys, constrictors, crocodiles, turtles, iguanas, scorpions, and other inhabitants of tropical forests and the Latvian landscape live in the exhibition and laboratory.
• Daugavpils Lead Shot Factory - the oldest ammunition factory in Northern Europe, founded in 1885. The only factory of this type in the Baltics, one of the oldest industrial heritage sites in Latvia.