A place fraught with many legends and ghost stories about the old burial mound at the church of Mazirbe, an ancient tomb covered by stones– the only known grave of warewolves in Latvia.

The Kubalu school was opened in 1843, and for 28 years it was the only school for the children of peasants at the Dundaga Estate.  This is the oldest log schoolhouse in Latvia, with old benches, blackboards, ink and pens inside.  There are examples of texts written by schoolchildren in the 19^th century.  There can be a few lessons that are learned at such an old school.  In the attic is an exhibition featuring the teacher and writer E. Dinsbergs, and they speak to the experiences of the long life of that man.  A restored ancillary building offers an exhibition about the history of the school, along with a collection of ethnographic objects.  Trails on the estate mark out the way in which the land was once used.  Visitors are welcome to examine the landscape and rest a bit, as well.

The bridge across the Irbe river so that bicyclists and pedestrians can cross the bridge where the former tram tracks were located.

This small log cabin is in a quiet place by the forest at Dūmele in the Dundaga Administrative District.  It is on the edge of the Slītere National Park and 7 km from the sea.  The cabin offers four rooms, a living room, a kitchen and a sauna.  Sauna services, SPA procedures, classical massage, a special Dūmele plant massage, and other services are available.  You can go fishing and then smoke your catch.  We lease out boats and bikes.  You will be able to pick berries and mushrooms in peace and quiet, thus relaxing both in mental and in physical terms.

This village is at the place where the Irbe (Dižirve, Īra) River flows into the sea, and it is on both shores of the river (sea side and land side).  The name of Irbe was recorded for the first time in a 1310 border agreement between the bishop of Kurzeme and the Rīga Dome Capitol.  The name of Lielirbe (Irvemūnde) was recorded for the first time in a document from an arbitration court in 1387.  At the end of the 19th century, the small port at Lielirbe was an active centre for the sale and transport of timber materials.  In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the largest number of sailing ships among villages on the western shore of Kurzeme was built there.  In 1939, the village had some 300 residents, more than 70 houses and a Baptist church which is now at the Ventspils Open Air Museum.  A narrow-gauge railroad passed through the village, which had a post and telegraph office, two grocery stores, an elementary school, a choir and a brass band.  Lielirbe was one of the largest villages to disappear after World War II.  Cultural historian Valda Marija Šuvcāne (1923-2007) was born in Lielirbe, and her daughter, Baiba Šuvcāne, is continuing her mother's work by writing important papers about life along the Livonian coastline.  By 2019, a bridge is to be reinstalled across the Irbe River.

This is about 30 km long territory between the Baltic Sea and the Kolka-Ventspils road. It begins at the mouth of the Irbe River and ends at Ovišrags. The territory was mostly established so as to protect dry coniferous forests, grey dunes, damp areas among the dunes, other landscape features and plants and animals in the area. Distinctive landform - kangari and vigas - and grey dunes are Europe-wide significant habitat. Tourists love the sandy and quiet beaches of the area, as well as the Miķeļbāka and Ovīši lighthouses (it is possible to visit Oviši lighthouse and museum in it) and the Lutheran Church at Miķeltornis. There are also certain leftover elements of the Soviet military system, former narrow gauge railway (railway embankment, former train stations marked by memorial stones etc.) which unfortunately are not used as tourism resources.

Was mentioned in 1387, where it was called Domesnes.  That was the name until the early 20th century.  A ledger at the Irbe-Ģipka church states that there were four farms in Kolka in 1770 -- Krogi, Ūši, Vecvagari and Kabriki.  In 1844, a school for vergers was established, and Nika Polmanis worked there as a teacher.  Kolka's first school was built in 1881, and Livonian Kārlis Bernšteins (1881-1951) worked there for nearly half a century as a teacher.  The Dundaga riots that began in 1859 were led by Livonian Nika Šūbergs (1833-1884), the son of the owner of the Sārnasti farm.  At the end of the 19th century, there were 392 residents in Kolka, and in 1935, 145 of the 343 residents were Livonians.  During the mid-1980s, 13 Livonians spoke their language freely.  Kolka is the only coastal Livonian village that continued to develop during the frontier regime of the Soviet Union, because it was the centre of a fishing kolkhoz.  The number of residents increased rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s because new homes, a school, a people's centre, a kindergarten and several fish processing factories were built there.  Today Kolka has 700 residents and is the largest village along the Livonian coastline.  The "Līcis-93" fish processing factory is there, and local fishermen and smokers of fish work in the village.  The Kūolka Livonian Centre and the Livonian ensemble Laula operate there, as well.  The Ūši farm offers tastings of Livonian foods.

This circular trail features a unique landscape of parallel rampart-type sand dunes and grassy swamps among the dunes. The 3.5 km trail leads through a landscape that is unique in Europe and emerged some 6,000 years ago as the sea was receding. This landscape offers evidence of the geological history of the Baltic Sea. There is a high-type swamp (the Pēterzers swamp), along with remnants of an old narrow-gauge railway. Wooden pathways have been installed along the swamp and the surrounding wetlands. 

Koka skatu tornis atrodas blakus Kolkasraga priežu takai. No tā redzama ar priedītēm aizaugusi „stiga” – t.s. Šautuve, kuru padomju laikā izmantoja šaušanas apmācībām. No torņa skatu platformas labi saskatāma Kolkas bāka, kas atrodas 5 km attālumā no Kolkasraga.

This is one of the largest castles in Kurzeme, and it has survived to this very day without much damage.  Construction on it began in the mid-13^th century by the Rīga Dome.  In 1434, the bishop of Kurzeme bought the Dundaga Estate, and from the 16^th to the 20^th century, it was owned by the noble Maidel and Osten-Zacken dynasties.  The Dundaga Castle has burned down twice and been rebuilt many times, most recently after the fire that was set during the 1905 Revolution.  The stone images of a knight and a bishop on the left and right side of the door are interesting.  The hotel, second-floor hall and terrace that is popular for weddings have all been restored in recent years.  There are many legends about the castle, including an elf wedding and the Green Girl.  Today the castle houses the Dundaga School of Music and Art, a hotel with halls for celebrations, the Dundaga Tourism Information Centre and various exhibitions.  Guides are available for tours, and groups of tourists can order tastings of local foods.

The Ance Estate was built for Ulrich Johann von Behr by his father as a gift.  The estate was once surrounded by an ornate French garden.  Beginning in 1766, the building was rebuilt and ornately decorated.  Around 1810, French soldiers occupied the mansion and caused much damage to it.  For that reason, the second floor was torn down a bit later, and extensive renovations were conducted to adapt the estate into apartments for the manager and his civil servants.  In 1920, the estate was taken over by the state.  

The lady of the house will teach visitors to bake carrot buns and talk about the history of the pastry. The workshop of a craftsmanship group offers a look at the work of craftsmen and a chance to try the crafts yourself.

The Slītere National Park (established in 2000) is known, with good reason, as an open-air museum which shows the historical development of the Baltic Sea. Nowadays evidence of geological events is seen in the Blue Hills of Slītere, which stand 20 to 30 metres high above what was the shore of the Baltic lake of ice 10,000 years ago. The Stiebri hills were former 8,000 or 9,000 years ago, while the Littorina Sea formed Europe’s largest set of dune ramparts and damp hollows between those ramparts. This occurred between 4,000 and 7,000 years ago. The gentle climate of Northern Kurzeme is the reason why so many rare plants are found in the park – some 860 in all including Common Yew (Taxus baccata) and Baltic Ivy (Hedera helix var. baltica). Of certain value in the preservation of these treasures was the Soviet military machine, which has left behind army bases and other military objects in the area. The presence of the military meant that the area of what is now the Slītere National Park remained largely undisturbed for 50 years. The park includes one of the most popular tourist destinations in Latvia – the Cape of Kolka, which is visited by more than 50,000 travellers each year. During the spring migration of birds, more than 60,000 birds cross the cape each hour. Along the shore of the Baltic Sea is the so-called Livonian coast, which stretches from Kolka to Sīkrags and Ovīši. Fishing villages and other cultural objects established by the world’s smallest ethnic minority, the Livonians, can be found here. Tourists will enjoy interesting four nature trails, bicycling routes, viewing tower, etc. The visitors centre is located at the Slītere lighthouse. Administration of National park is organising environmental education events on regular basis open to everyone.

A wooden church was built here in 1766, and the new brick church was built on the foundations of the old church and consecrated in 1868.  The tall steeple of the church helped ship captains orient themselves during the daytime.  An altar painting by Gunta Liepiņa-Grīva, "Christ and Peter on the Sea," was consecrated in 1993 to replace the former painting, which was lost.  The blue-white-green Livonian flag was consecrated at the Mazirbe manse (now a recollection centre) on November 18, 1923.  Near the manse are several rocks which stand witness to the Black Plague in 1710 and 1711.  The text in Latin said that Livonians on the coastline were conquered by Swedish King Karl IX and the bubonic plague.  The texts on the rocks have eroded away, but records of them were made.  The Mazirbe cemetery has a monument to Old Taisel, a monument to the parents of captain A. Bertholds, and the legendary grave of a werewolf. 

is seen as the newest village along the Livonian coastline.  It was established during the 17th century.  Košrags had 78 residents in 1826.  The first reading school for Livonian children in the Dundaga seashore villages was opened at the Žoki homestead in 1832.  One of the teachers was Nika Polmanis, who was the first Livonian to have completed a professional education.  He also translated the Gospel of Matthew into the Eastern Livonian dialect.  Košrags had a windmill, water mill and boat building facility.  During the spring, job seekers from Saaremaa stopped here.  A port was installed in 1932, and a breakwater to collect sea fertiliser followed in 1938.  During the 1930s, Košrags was regularly visited by Finnish and Estonian linguists to study the folklore of the Livonians.  The Norpiedagi homestead was built by Livonian activist Didriķis Volganskis (1884-1968).  His son, Livonian cultural worker and pastor (in Finland) Edgars Vālgamā (Volganskis, 1912-2003) was born there.  He translated the Andrejs Pumpurs epic "Lāčplēsis" into Finnish.  Košrags today is a cultural monument of national importance.

The church was built in 1835, and its greatest treasure is the organ, which was built by Karl Bittner in 1854.  The manse is being restored.  Boats are available for rental.

was first recorded in documents in 1582.  The shallow water around the village contains many sunken ships.  In 1826, Pitrags had 11 farms and 190 residents.  A saloon was opened in the mid-19th century.  In 1937, the village had 12 old farms and 38 fishing operations (mostly new farms).  There were several fish processing plants in the village.  One of the local residents was the distinguished Livonian language storyteller Marija Šaltjāre (Bertholde, 1860-1930).  She shared more than 200 fairy tales and legends, more than 90 songs and games, etc.  The Pitrags Baptist Prayer House was built in 1902.  It was burned down during World War I, rebuilt in 1925, and renovated in the late 20th century.  The Krogi homestead in the centre of Pitrags has a collection of 27 old types of Livonian coastline fencing.  The owner also offers a chance to help with the smoking of fish and then to taste the resulting product.

К северо-востоку от Мазирбской лютеранской церкви – в полемежду храмом и домом «Пакални» видны два чумных камня. На поверхности бóльшего был высечен (сейчас стерся) текст о ливах, которых одолел король Швеции Карл IX и чума. Сбоку на большой камень опирается второй (самый маленький) чумной камень, который в свое время был установлен у близлежащих домов. Стертый текст рассказывал об армиях, ходивших по Курземе, о голоде и чуме. Третий – Большой чумной камень находится заМазирбским имением священника. Высеченный на нем текст (еще немного просматривается) повествует будущим поколениям о местном священнике (умер во время чумы) и о создании пастората в Сикрагсе. Одновременно камень является памятником шести пасторам обширной окрестной общины. Все три камня повествуют о Большой эпидемии чумы 1710 года, и тексты высечены на них в период с 1711 по 1734 год.

Atrodas iepretim bākai. Saukta arī par Pizes (Miķeļtorņa lībiskais nosaukums) baznīcu. To uzcēla 1893. g. Padomju laikā ēkā bija izvietots pionieru nometnes klubs. Tagad tā atkal kalpo savam pamatmērķim.

The “Banquet With Fishermen” event in Roja allows guests to examine the work of fishermen and to enjoy the seafood which they produce. Guests will ride out into the sea in fishing boats and then dine together with the fishermen (fish soup cooked on a campfire, rye bread, butter, smoked fish, beer or kvass, and pastries). The fishermen will teach guests local songs and dances, as well as games related to strength and cleverness. The “Otra Puse” restaurant offers meals.

Latvian cuisine: Fresh fish (“The Morning Catch”), Latvian onion soup, porridge, grit sausage, smoked fish, potato pancakes, rye bread dessert, beer, the “Dzimtenīte” beverage, herbal tea, birch juice, apple cider. 

Special foods: “Made in Roja” – fish from the region, “mackerel in in grass,” “cottage cheese tower with fresh strawberry sauce”.

Guest house in Dundaga town. A cafe-restaurant on the 1st floor, TWIN and 4-bed rooms on the 2nd floor. A room for partying. During the summer, the cafe is also open at the car park at Cape Kolka, offering fish soup and carrot buns.

A park of exotic animals in Dundaga features alpacas, llamas, ostriches, a camel, a blue cow, etc.

Stūrīši is a homestead owned by the Taisel family, offering a collection and a chance to taste Liv foods: fish soup, porridge, sprat sandwiches, pastries, etc.

Visitors can help to smoke fish, including plaice, bream and garfish, taste the resulting food and listen to stories about seashore fishing traditions. The homestead also features some 20 type of shoreline fencing that are typical of the so-called Liv Shore.

Atrodas Dundagas centrā, Talsu un Pils ielas krustojumā. Bistro tipa ēdināšanas uzņēmums, ko iecienījuši vietējie iedzīvotāji un pilsētas viesi.

Kolka Evangelical Lutheran Church. A story has survived of one Danish trader saved in a shipwreck at Kolkasrags who in gratitude built a church in Kolka. The church had changed its location for three times in Kolka. The foundation of the church visible nowadays and built of boulders was laid by Karl Ludwig Ferdinand von der Osten-Zaken, the former owner of the Dundaga estate. It was built instead of the wooden church (or close to it) which was heavily damaged during the Crimean War. The first construction works were started in 1885 by the construction foreman Otto Sievert (Architect: T. Zeiler). In the Soviet time, the church was vandalized and it was used as a warehouse. It is worth to see the modern- style altarpiece
(a donation of the artist Helen Heinrihson) which does not have a counterpart in any other church. Before in its place there was placed a cross.
Kolka Orthodox Church. Data on the Liv turning to orthodoxy are provided by a document found in the tower of the Kolka Orthodox Church (see also below) during restoration works (the nineties of the last century) that was placed there during building of the church in 1885. It says that the Liv turning to orthodoxy or the so-called emperor's faith "has nothing to do with the religious belief but it is a means to get the earthly benefits or pleasures." In 1885, the orthodox congregation purchased land from baron Osten-Zaken. In 1890, a church, priest's house and school building were built on it. All the buildings have survived until now. The church has its own congregation and worships are held once a month. Information is found that Kolka is the only Liv coastal village where in the nineties of the 19th century there was built an orthodox church. The church bell is place "occupied" in 1936. In the Soviet time, the Church was used as a chapel but nowadays it performs its original role.

A country house near Dundaga. A room for celebrations with a firelplace (for 30 people), a sauna with a swimming pool and a tub. Bedrooms with WC and shower. On the lawn there are places for  tents and a campfire. A small island for the moorage of boats in the Dundaga pond. Driving trips by an army car GAZ – 66. 

It is said that after a shipwreck near Cape Kolka, a rescued Danish tradesman financed the building of a church in Kolka in thanks for his rescue.  There are several churches in Kolka which have changed their location.  The stone worship house that can be seen today has foundations that were laid by the former owner of the Dundaga Estate, Karl Ludwig Ferdinant von der Osten-Zaken.  The church was built at or near the site of an old wooden church which suffered much damage during the Crimean War.  The work on the church was begun by builder Oto Zīverts in 1885 on the basis of a design by the architect T. Zeiler.  During the Soviet era, the church was vandalised, and a warehouse was installed there.  It is worth looking at the modernist altar painting by Helēna Heinrihsone.  It is said that there is no similar painting in any other church.  Before the painting was hung, a cross hung at its location.

To the East of the Ezermuiža-Dūmele road you will find the bed of the ancient Lake Dieviņezers.  It was one of the largest lakes in Kurzeme in the past, being 7.5 km long and 1.6 km wide.  A canal was dug in 1838 (Melnsilupe River today), and the water from the lake was siphoned to the sea so as to create fertile farmland. Residents of Ezermuiža have been involved in forestry work since the age when barons ruled the land.  Dūmele is connected to Košrags by a lonely forest road that is known as the Bottom Road.  A bike route runs down it.  The Ziedkalni weekend house is in Dūmele. The "Ziedkalni" homestead in Dūmele offers spa services, cod fishing and accommodations.

In a document from 1387, the village is named Minor Irva.  Until the mid-20th century, Mazirbe was the largest Livonian village on the coast of Kurzeme.  It was a fishing village and a centre for fishing.  The village had a church, school, pharmacy, forestry company, several stores, a post and telegraph office, train station, barber shop, bakery and photo workshop, as well as a brick kiln.  During the 1930s, a local fishing co-operative built a fish processing plant here.  The Livonian Association was established here in 1923, and the Livonian People's Centre was opened in 1939.  Oppoite the centre is the Stūrīši homestead (the home of the Taizel dynasty), where you can learn about everyday household objects and, by ordering it advance, taste local foods.  The first chairmen of the Livonian Association, Kārlis Stalte and Māritņš Lepste, lived in Mazirbe.  Cultural worker Kārlis Stalte (1870-1978) spent man years as the verger and organist of a church in Mazirbe.  Mārtiņš Lepste was a Livonian language teacher in the 1930s.  The former Maritime School building can be viewed from the outside.  Some 2,000 students attended the school between 1894 and 1914.  During Soviet years, the army had a base here.

One of the largest castles in Kurzeme, this building has been preserved in fairly good shape.  Work on its began in the mid-13th century, and it was commissioned by the heads of the Dome Cathedral in Rīga.  In 1434, the estate was bought by the bishop of Kurzeme.  The Maidel and Osten-Sacken dynasties owned it from the 16th to the 20th century.  The Dundaga Castle burned down twice and has been rebuilt many times.  The last reconstruction was in 1905, after the castle was burned down during the revolution.  Of interest on both sides of the castle’s door are stone carvings of a knight and a bishop.  In recent years, the hotel in the castle has been renovated, as has the second floor hallway and a terrace that is popular for weddings.  There are many legends about the castle, including one about a wedding of elves and another about the Green Lady.  Today the building houses the Dundaga School of Music and Art, a hotel, party rooms, the Dundaga Tourism Information Centre and various exhibitions.  It is worth finding a guide to tour the castle.  Groups of tourists can also order tastings of local foods.

The Miķeļbāka lighthouse was built in 1957 and is the highest one in Latvia.  Standing 58 m tall, it can only be viewed from the outside.

Хозяин создал специальный комплекс курсов и процедур, которые посвящены здоровому образу жизни. Обучение для групп, массажи, лекции, практические занятия и т.п.

This is one of the most important destinations in Northern Kurzeme, offering a wealth of information about the history of the region and the shoreline, its cultural and historical values, the building of sailing ships, fishing traditions, local residents and their work and achievements.  The museum was opened in 1968, and right now it has permanent exhibitions about Krišjānis Valdemārs, the Roja maritime school and the building of sailing ships in the 19th century.  There is also information about the history of fish processing from the 19th century to the present day, the Liv Shore, and the Soviet contributions toward the development of the coastline.  The museum features three women from Kurzeme from different historical periods – Mildiņa, who is a simple fisherman’s wife, Mrs Pauliņš from the era of sailing ship building, and Anna Petrovna from the Soviet era.  The three women offer attractive information about objects that are not exhibited at the museum, also displaying the naughty sense of humour that people in Kurzeme have. (Source: Roja TIC)