West Latvia Tukums-Engure-Kolka-Ventspils-Talsi Liepaja-Kuldiga-Kandava-Tukums Tourist Attractions
	Touring in Western Latvia

Tour 1: Tukums-Engure-Kolka-Ventspils-Talsi

The picturesque town of Tukums, nestling on the bank of the Slocene river, between the hilly Kurzeme region and the plains of Zemgale, is an ideal starting point for a tour of the North-west of Kurzeme. The town is particularly famous for its castles and its manor, dating from the 13th to the 19th centuries and between them tracing the progress of much of Latvia's turbulent history. Oldest of the three - indeed,the oldest building in town - is the Castle Tower of the Livonian Order, built from 1299 to 1306, at 18 Brivibas Square; a fragment of the castle wall can also be seen. Its glorious past forgotten, for 200 years the castle served as a warehouse and prison defore becoming home to an exhibition dedicated to Tukums' history. On Tukums highest point, Milzkalne, can be seen the 15th-century fortified manor house of the Schlockenbeck Estate, with its museum dedicated to the history of road-building and horse-drawn vehicles. More modern, but a must-see for any visitor, is the classic Durbe Manorhouse, set in across the ravine, as well as its own museum. Only 25 km from Tukums is Jaunpils where, in the centre of the Old Town, you can visit Jaunpils Castle, built in 1301 and only remaining fortified Livonian castle in Latvia. the exhibition hall and museum are full of information on the history of the region, and nearby you can find the town's Lutheran church, built in 1592. The most northerly point of the hilly region of Kurzeme is the Kokla Horn, where a spit 6 km long and a few metres wide separates the Baltic sea from the Gulf of Riga. Between Gipka and Ovisi lies the state-protected territory, the Liv Coast, established in 1991 to safeguard the area that is home to the Livs, a tiny handful of people descended from the original coastal tribe and still speaking of a Finno-Ugric language similar to Estonian. Today the region encompasses 14 fishing villages; Kosrags in particular is worth visiting for its 18th-century buildings. Travelling south-west towards Ventspils will take you to the Slitere Forest, a spectacular area declared a national park in 1921 in order to protect the unique, landscape of the region and its geological history. Returning to Tukums will take you through Talsi, famed as one of Latvia's most beautiful towns. Looking at the stupendous surrounding scenery of the North Kursa uplands - lakes, hills, parks and gardens - it's easy to see why. Talsi was also the centre of many medieval wars involving the Livonian Order, and cultural and historical dedicated to their memory abound in the town.

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