Most significant sights

Krāslava

Settlements, hillforts, and ancient burial sites discovered in the vicinity of the town testify that the banks of the Daugava in this area were inhabited since prehistory. Starting from the 8th century, archaeological evidence characteristic of the Latgalians can be identified. In the 14th century, a fortified Livonian Order warehouse was established here, which in the middle of the 16th century became a fief manor of the Order. In 1729, the property was bought by Count Jans Ludvigs Plāters. The Plāters family purposefully shaped 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 hit by a devastating fire. On April 16, 1923, Krāslava was granted town rights. Modern Krāslava is a scenic Latvian small town with largely intact wooden architecture. For more information, visit the Krāslava District Tourism and Information Centre website!

The most significant sights in Krāslava:

• Count Plater Castle Complex with a park - a state-significant architectural monument of the 18th century. The Krāslava Tourism and Information Centre and the Krāslava History and Art Museum operate in the manor complex.
• Karnicki Hill - a scenic spot offering an expressive panorama of the town, associated with a romantic legend of a great love between Count Plater’s daughter Emilija and Polish officer Josif Karnicki.
• St. Ludvig Roman Catholic Church of Krāslava - the most striking example of Latgale Baroque architecture. The current church was built between 1755 and 1767.
• Augustus’ Stone - several legends are recorded about the stone, mainly related to the alleged activities of King Augustus of Poland here. However, the significance of the stone is likely different - the coat of arms of the Plater family and the year “1729” are engraved on 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 an opportunity to experience nature in its diversity – walk along the expressive terrain, enjoy the wide landscapes of the Daugava valley, view natural monuments, and observe the rich flora and fauna. The length of the route, which has a moderate difficulty level, 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 in the late 1960s to make way for a highway. Visitors can view the Adamova Great Stone (more than 10 m³), the Adamova cliff, the Svarinski ravine, as well as reach the “Adamova” campsite. For more information, visit the Krāslava District Tourism and Information Centre website!

Adamova cliff

The Adamova Cliff with ancient ravines, as a complex geological and geomorphological formation, is one of the most significant nature areas in the Daugava Bends. The main bank cliff, which reaches a height of up to 38 m, was most likely formed in the 1930s when the floodwaters of the Daugava eroded 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 up to 50 to 60 degrees. Adjacent to the natural monument is the “Adamova” campsite.

Užingora sandstone outcrop

The Užingora sandstone outcrop is located on the right bank of the Daugava (Zvejnieki Bend) between Uzinkalns and Uzingorska. The dimensions of the Devonian sandstone outcrop depend on the water level in the Daugava. At low water levels, 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, there was a 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 developed here. In 1895, the construction of the Kaplava Orthodox stone church of the Protection of the Most Holy Mother of God was completed. After World War II, a new center emerged 2 km from Kaplava, initially called Praulini, but later renamed Kaplava, while the old Kaplava was named Veckaplava. Today’s Veckaplava is a unique settlement with fisherman-farmer homesteads and the Orthodox church as a dominant feature of the landscape.

Augustiniški

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

Slutišķi village

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

Markova educational trail

The length of the trail is just under 2 km, and the difficulty level of the route is easy to moderate. Visitors to the Markova educational trail can see the Markova hillfort, the Markova cemetery, the water level marker of the projected Daugavpils Hydroelectric Power Plant reservoir, the Putani stream stone, etc. Markova hillfort is a state-significant archaeological monument. The flat top of the hillfort offers an outstanding panorama of the Daugava Bends and Slutišķi village. For more information, visit the Daugavpils Tourism and Information Centre website!

Slutišķi cliff

A more than 40 m high and steep Daugava main bank cliff with Quaternary outcrops. The cliff offers an outstanding landscape of the Daugava valley. Stairs are installed from the foot of the cliff to the top, and a resting place is set up on the cliff. Slutišķi Cliff and the opposite Ververi Cliff form the natural monument “Daugavas vārti” (Daugava Gates). Here, the Daugava valley narrows to a width of 0.5 … 0.6 km. For more information, visit the Daugavpils Tourism and Information Centre website!

Ververi cliff

An around 40 m high and steep Daugava main bank cliff. Devonian sandstone is exposed at its foot. The cliff has no tourist facilities, yet it offers an outstanding view of the so-called Daugava Gates landscape, formed by the Ververi Cliff and the opposite Slutišķi Cliff. Here, the Daugava valley narrows to a width of 0.5 … 0.6 km. For more information, visit the Daugavpils Tourism and Information Centre website!

Vasargelišķi observation tower

The 21 m high observation tower offers an outstanding view of the Daugava Bends, close to the one depicted on the banknote of the Republic of Latvia – the 10 lats banknote. For more information, visit the Daugavpils Tourism and Information Centre website!

Dinaburg castle ruins

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

Daugavpils

Daugavpils is the second largest city in Latvia. The origins of the city’s history date back to the Middle Ages, when 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, with the escalation of Russia’s relations with France, it was decided to significantly rebuild and expand the Dinaburg Fortress. By the beginning of the war in 1812, the construction work was not yet finished, but even the unfinished fortress played a significant role in defending Russia’s northwestern borders. After the war, the construction and development of the fortress continued. In 1893, by order of the Russian Emperor Alexander III, Dinaburg was renamed Dvinsk. At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, Dvinsk became the largest industrial and cultural center of the northwestern part of Russia. On January 3, 1920, through the joint forces of Latvian, Lithuanian, and Polish troops, the city was liberated and obtained its current name – Daugavpils. For more information, visit the Daugavpils Tourism and Information Centre website!

The most significant sights in Daugavpils:

• Daugavpils Fortress - an architectural and cultural-historical monument of national significance, the last bastion-type fortress in the world. The Russian Empire’s army started building the fortress in 1810 to strengthen the western borders of the Russian Empire in preparation for the war with Napoleon.
• Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Center - 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, the Roman Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Orthodox Cathedral of Holy Martyrs Boris and Gleb, and the Resurrection, Birth of the Mother of God and St. Nicholas Church of the Jaunbūve Old Believers Parish.
• Latgale Zoo - various exotic animals, monkeys, constrictors, crocodiles, turtles, iguanas, scorpions, etc., 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 kind in the Baltics, one of the oldest industrial heritage sites in Latvia.