Kuldiga

The route with the bus from Liepaja to Kuldiga zigzags through the Courland; if I think we are going to the right we go left and vice versa. The roads are narrow and sometimes bad - the asphalt has been beaten away at some spots and there are some bumps and potholes.

Farmers and I assume students help to hay on the land and occasionally I see a barking dog standing in front of an old dilapidated fence. Bleached walls of houses and deserted ruins in small villages that we pass but there is always a large, empty bus station somewhere. Not completely empty, often there is at least one taxi with a sleeping driver in it. 

Koerland became an autonomous area and Duke Jakob even created his own fleet in the 17th century. It is an area full of woods, lakes and small villages where life seems to have standstill for dozens of years. Kuldiga was the capital of the Duke of the area between 1596 and 1616 contains an arsenal of old wooden houses and small narrow streets with cobbled stones. A small house was also built to protect the ruins of the castle, which, as legend says, has served as a place where executions and beheadings took place in the 18th century.

The river would colored red at that time. Now there is a beautiful garden with sculptures. After many struggles, the West of present-day Latvia came under Russian rule in the following century, which would not change till WWI. The Germans occupied the country. At the end of WWII, one of the most bitter battles between the Nazis and the Red Army took place until May 1945 in this area. There is still a German sphere of influence over the town that is often referred to as Goldingen, his former German name.

The station of Kuldiga is located outside the center and is located between a large modern supermarket and a local hardware store. I walk to the center and enjoy this beautiful undiscovered gem far away from the capital. What is striking is the number of pawn-shops here in Latvia - I did not know that they were doing such good business in the Baltic States.

At the information center, which is located in another unique wood copy of architecture, I book a room in the local gym. Contrary to what I thought (as it works in Poland with the schools), it functions as a hostel all year round. It is not far to my sleeping accommodation and I arrange my business with a woman who is seated in the reception room.

I get a room with a bed which is exactly what I want. I flop my bag on the floor and turn around to see the widest waterfall in Europe not far out of town. 

From the bridge I can indeed see how the water sweeps a meter or two down the entire river. Swimmers try to walk to the beginning of the fall via some rocks and stones and later on I see sun worshipers lying on the grass. I myself walk back to the hill where the fort of Kuldiga once stood.

On the banks of the river Ventas Rumba is the ruin of the castle of the Latvian knighthood, built in the 13th century. Unfortunately, it was shot in ruins during the Great Northern War. Now there is a museum and images and sculptures have been placed in the surrounding garden.

What intrigues me the most is the architecture in this city. And not only me because I read that several films have been recorded here. I occasionally feel like I'm in a western with all those wooden houses here.