MOST SIGNIFICANT SIGHTS

INDRICA CATHOLIC CHURCH

The building of the Indrica St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church 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. With the spread of Lutheranism 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. There are four ornate altars with wood carvings in the Indrica church. A copy of the so-called Snow Mother of God painting, made in the middle of the 18th century, has been preserved in the church (the original perished in the Izvalta church in 1941). A stone wall from the end of the 17th century stretches around the church, and a free-standing bell tower built in the middle of the 19th century is located next to it. Find more information on the Krāslava Municipality Tourism Information Centre website!

KRĀSLAVA

The settlements, hillforts and ancient burial sites identified in the vicinity of the town indicate that the banks of the Daugava in this area have been inhabited since prehistoric times. Starting from the 8th century, archaeological evidence characteristic of Latgalians is identifiable. In the 14th century, a fortified storehouse of 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 Jans Ludvigs Plāters. 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 revived again in 1865, when the Daugavpils-Vitebsk railway station was opened nearby. In 1893, Krāslava was once again struck by a devastating fire. On April 16, 1923, the town of Krāslava was granted town status. Modern Krāslava is a scenic small Latvian town with largely untouched wooden architecture. Find more information on the Krāslava Municipality Tourism Information Centre website!

The most significant sights in Krāslava:

• The Count Plater Castle complex with a park - an architectural monument of national importance from the 18th century. Krāslava TIC and the Krāslava History and Art Museum operate in the manor complex.
• Karnickis Hill - a scenic place offering an expressive panorama of the town, associated with a romantic legend of a great love between Count Plater’s daughter Emilija and the Polish officer Joseph Karnicki.
• Krāslava St. Ludvig Roman Catholic Church - the most vivid example of Latgalian Baroque architecture. The current church was built from 1755 to 1767.
• August’s Stone - several stories have been recorded about the stone, mainly related to the alleged actions of the King of Poland Augustus here. However, the significance of the stone is most likely different - the coat of arms of the Plater family and the year “1729” are carved in it. In this year, Jans Ludvigs Plāters purchased Krāslava.
• Priedaine Observation Tower - the tower allows enjoying the panorama of the Daugava Bend (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 – walking along the expressive terrain, enjoying the wide landscapes of the Daugava valley, viewing natural monuments, and seeing the rich flora and fauna. The length of the medium-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 an observation platform are set up, offering a wide panorama of Krāslava and the Daugava valley. The Adamova hillfort was leveled at the end of the 1960s to build a highway over it. Visitors can view the Adamova Great Stone (more than 10 m³), the Adamova cliff, the Svarinski ravine, as well as reach the “Adamova” camping. Find more information on the Krāslava Municipality 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 cliff of the main bank, reaching a height of up to 38 m, was most likely formed in the 1930s as the floodwaters of the Daugava washed away the main bank. Compared to the mentioned period, today the cliff is heavily overgrown, with active slope processes still occurring only in some places where the slope angle of the cliff reaches even 50 … 60 degrees. Next to the natural monument is the “Adamova” camping.

UŽINGORA SANDSTONE OUTCROP

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

VECKAPLAVA

Veckaplava is located on the left bank of the Daugava between Kaplava and Lielborne. Already in the 17th century, a populated place existed here, which died out in the plague epidemic. In the 18th century, Belarusians settled here. In the 19th century, a large town had already 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, initially called Prauliņi, but later renamed Kaplava, while the old Kaplava became Veckaplava. Modern Veckaplava is a unique settlement with fisherman-peasant 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

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

MARKOVA EDUCATIONAL TRAIL

The length of the trail is less than 2 km, the difficulty level of the route is easy to medium. Visitors to the Markova educational trail can see the Markova hillfort, the Markova cemetery, the level mark of the projected Daugavpils HES reservoir, the Putāni stream stone, etc. The Markova hillfort is an archaeological monument of national importance. An excellent panorama of the Daugava Bends and Slutiški village opens from the plateau of the hillfort. Find more information on the Daugavpils Tourism Information Centre website!