Main sightseeing sites

Krāslava

Settlements, hillforts and ancient burial sites identified in the vicinity of the town indicate that the banks of the Daugava in this area were inhabited since prehistoric times. Starting from the 8th century, archaeological evidence characteristic of Latgalians can be identified. In the 14th century, a fortified Livonian Order warehouse 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 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 struck by a devastating fire. On April 16, 1923, Krāslava was granted town rights. Modern Krāslava is a scenic Latvian small town with largely untouched wooden architecture. Find more information on the Krāslava Region Tourism and Information Centre website!

The most significant sightseeing objects in Krāslava:

• Count Plater Palace complex with a park - a state-significant 18th-century architectural monument. The Krāslava TIC and the Krāslava Museum of History and Art operate in the manor complex.
• Karnicki Hill - a scenic spot offering an expressive town panorama and associated with a romantic legend of a great love between Count Plater’s daughter Emilia and Polish officer Józef Karnicki.
• St. Ludvig Roman Catholic Church of Krāslava - the most striking example of baroque architecture in Latgale. The current church was built from 1755 to 1767.
• Augustus Stone - several stories have been recorded about this stone, mainly related to the alleged activities 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 visitors to enjoy 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 experience nature in its diversity – walking along the expressive terrain, enjoying the vast landscapes of the Daugava valley, viewing natural monuments and discovering the rich flora and fauna. The route is of medium difficulty and is 2.5 km long. The trail starts at the site of the former Adamova hillfort in Krāslava, where a convenient parking lot and a viewing platform have been set up, offering a wide panorama of Krāslava and the Daugava valley. The Adamova hillfort was leveled at the end of the 1960s when a highway was built over it. Visitors can view the Adamova great stone (more than 10 m³), the Adamova cliff, the Svarinski ravine, and reach the “Adamova” camping. Find more information on the Krāslava Region Tourism and Information Centre website!

Adamova cliff

The Adamova cliff with its ancient ravines, as a complex geological and geomorphological formation, is one of the most important nature 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 the floodwaters of the Daugava washed away the river bank. Compared to the aforementioned period, today the cliff is heavily overgrown, with active slope processes still occurring only in some places where the slope angle reaches 50 to 60 degrees. Next to this natural monument lies the “Adamova” camping.

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, an inhabited place existed here, which died out during the plague epidemic. In the 18th century, Belarusians settled here. In the 19th century, a fairly large town had already formed here. In 1895, the construction of the Kaplava Orthodox Brick 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 was later renamed Kaplava, while the old Kaplava became Veckaplava. Modern Veckaplava is a unique settlement with fisherman-farmer homesteads and the Orthodox church as the landscape dominant.

Augustiniški

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

Slutišķi village

A unique Old Believers’ village development with ornately decorated wooden buildings and layout has been 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’ Rural Homestead” has been established in Slutišķi village, where visitors can learn about unique materials of the spiritual and everyday culture of Latgale Old Believers. Find more information on the Daugavpils Tourism and Information Centre website!

Markova educational trail

The length of the trail is just under 2 km, the difficulty level of the route – easy to medium. Visitors to the Markova educational trail can see the Markova hillfort, Markova cemetery, the designed water reservoir level mark of the Daugavpils Hydroelectric Power Plant, the Putāni stream stone, etc. The Markova hillfort is an archaeological monument of national significance. The flat top of the hillfort offers an excellent panorama of the Daugava bends and Slutišķi village. Find more information on the Daugavpils Tourism and Information Centre website!