Daugava's Road - Itinerary

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Daugava's Road

Day 1 Riga - Salaspils

Tourist attractions

  • The Daugavgriva fortress  - It is a former Soviet army facility with abandoned buildings and a monument to sailors who served in submarines.
  • The Katlakalns Lutheran Church  -  There are records to show that there has been a church at this location since the 17th century, and the current one was built between 1792 and 1794 by the chief construction specialist of the city of Rīga, Christopher Haberland.
  • The Daugava Museum - The collection presents Daugava as an important water route, with the apparel of Baltic and Liv tribes, everyday objects, etc.  
  • The Salaspils memorial  - A Nazi concentration camp was at this location during World War II, and there is information to suggest that more than 50,000 residents of occupied Europe were murdered here.  This is one of the largest ensembles of its type, taking up 25 hectares of land.
Accommodation Taverns
 
Distance driving 35 km

Make sure to find out in advance when the Daugavgrīva fortress is open to visitors.


Day 2 Daugmale - Ikskile

Tourist attractions

  • A memorial to the Livs of the Daugava region and their leader, Ako  - Not far from the Rīga ring road on the Right Bank of the Daugava is a monument designed by the sculptor Ģirts Burvis in 1994, which is dedicated to the Livs of the Daugava region and their Mārtiņsala leader, Ako,  who led a battle against the Holy Crusades.
  • The Daugmale castle hill  -  This is an ancient and important place for trade and craftsmanship on the left shore of the Rīga hydroelectric power plant reservoir.
  • The ruins of the Ikskile church - The ruins are part of the oldest stone building in Latvia.  Work on the church began in 1184, but it was rebuilt and sacked several times, most recently in 1916.
  • Death Island  - During World War I, there were massive battles between Latvian Riflemen and a much larger German army on Death Island. In honour of this, the architect Eižens Laube designed a monument to fallen Latvian riflemen on the northern shore of Death Island.
Accommodation Taverns
Distance driving 30 km

You will have to rent a boat in Ikskile to visit Death Island. The trip will take at least a few hours.


Day 3 Ogre - Kegums - Lielvarde - Jaunjelgava

Tourist attractions

  • Ogre - Materials of archaeological excavations show that the Ogre river banks were inhabited by the Livs. Ogre as a larger populated area and a major resort developed after the construction of Riga-Daugavpils railway in 1861.
  • The Kegums hydroelectric power plant and the Energy Museum  - This is Latvia’s first major hydroelectric power plant.
  • The Andrejs Pumpurs Museum in Lielvarde  - It features exhibits about the Latvian national epos “Lāčplēsis” and its author, Andrejs Pumpurs (1841-1902).  The museum also features information about the history and ethnography of the Lielvārde Administrative District.
  • The historical centre of Jaunjelgava  -  This is an urban construction monument that was created between the 17th and 19th century, and it is of national importance.
Accommodations Taverns
Distance driving 25 km

You must register in advance to visit the Ķegums hydroelectric power plant and the Energy Museum (bring personal identification with you). The lovely landscape of Jaunjelgava can be viewed from the side of Skrīveri (the right bank of the Daugava River), and you can cross the Daugava in Aizkraukle the next day to visit the centre of Jaunjelgava.


Day 4 Skriveri - Aizkraukle

Tourist attractions

Accommodations Taverns
 
 
 
 
 
 
Distance driving 20 km

Today you have a selection of hiking trains in and around Skrīveri.


Day 5 Koknese - Krustpils

Tourist attractions

  • The ruins of the Koknese Castle  - A visitors centre is near the ruins, and there you can carve a Medieval coin or rent a boat to sail down the Daugava.
  • The “Baltaine” creative house - This venue organises seminars, courses and activities related to Latvian holidays and family celebrations.  There are master’s classes about culinary heritage in Latvia, musical instruments that can be played, and demonstrations of various handicrafts, including weaving, knitting, crocheting, etc. 
  • Liktendarzs Garden  - The aim of this fundamental open-air object was to commemorate people in Latvia who suffered because of totalitarian regimes.
  • A monument to the Staburags cliff - It is installed in the place where the reservoir of the Pļaviņas hydroelectric power plant flooded one of Latvia’s most interesting geological monuments.
  • A Viking ship  - To view the Daugava River from a different perspective, visit the Liepkalni bakery, which offers tours in a Viking longboat that is called “Lāčplēsis”.
  • A memorial to Daugava rafters  - The symbolic raft is made of  logs and stones, and around it are informational stands with photographs that tell the story of the heavy work that rafters on the Daugava once did in terms of overcoming the rapids of the river.
  • The Krustpils Castle  - The Jēkabpils Museum of History was installed in the castle in 1994, and it can be toured in the company of a guide or an audio guide.

Accommodation

Taverns
Distance driving 70 km

Today you can visit four to five of the listed destinations. Register in advance for educational programmes at the Creative House. The programmes take an hour or two. Register well in advance for a trip on the Viking ship. The memorial to the Staburags cliff on the opposite shore of the Daugava can be visited on your return trip along the left bank of the river.


Day 6 Jekabpils - Livani - Jersika

Tourist attractions

  • Jekabpils/Krustpils - Krustpils was first recorded in documents in 1237 in relation to the construction of the Kreutzburg castle on the right bank of the Daugava River.  
  • The Latgale Art and Crafts Centre in Livani  - Craftspeople from the region work here, and you watch them at work or try your own hand at what they are doing.
  • The Jersika castle hill  - This location is important in terms of Latvia’s history, because during the 12th and 13th century, this was the administrative and spiritual centre of the Lettigalian tribe.
Accommodations Taverns
Distance driving 40 km

You will spend most of this day touring Jēkabpils and Krustpils.  Contact the landowner if you wish to visit the Jersika castle hill.


Day 7 Daugavpils - Slutiski

Tourist attractions

  • The Daugavpils Fortress  - This is almost the only fortress in Northern Europe that has been preserved since the first half of the 19th century.
  • The Daugavpils Pellet Factory  - This is a unique example of industrial heritage – the only open munition factory in the Baltic States.
  • Baznicu (Church) Hill  - This is the highest point in the southern part of Daugavpils.
  • The Naujene castle hill  - The Naujene castle hill is on the steep bank of the Daugava River, is up to 25 metres high and has two valleys on its sides.
  • The Slutiski village - The Slutiški village is a very ethnographic village with a layout and buildings typical of the Latgale region, complete with decorated windows and facades. The Slutiški Old Believers House features a museum focusing on the cultural environment and traditions of the Old Believers.
Accommodations Taverns
Distance driving 30 km

A tour of the Daugavpils fortress will take at least a couple of hours. The bullet factory can only by toured in the company of a guide, and the tour takes an hour to hour-and-a-half.


Day 8 Slutiski - Piedruja

Tourist attractions

  • The potter Valdis Paulins - The potter is happy to welcome guests, offer them tours and demonstrations, and allow visitors to help in producing ceramics.
  • The castle of the Plater dynasty  - There are several buildings from the estate that survive to the present day and were built by the Plater dynasty of noblemen.
  • The Klajumi horse farm  - The far features twelve friendly horses from Latvia, Lithuania and Belarus, as well as three eager dogs of various species, along with rabbits, chickens, cows and cats.
  • Piedruja - The largest town in South-Eastern Latvia is on the banks of the Daugava River, which is the border between Latvia and Belarus at this location.
Accommodations Taverns
Distance driving 45 km

Register in advance to visit the kiln of Mr Pauliņš, who is a potter. The Klajumi horse farm offers a chance to ride horses, visit the Mosquito rail and spend the night. This location is in Latvia’s border zone, so you must always have personal identification (an ID card or passport) when you are there.