Ventspils tourism newspaper summer 2022

SPRING | SUMMER 2022

ENJOY SUMMER IN

VENTSPILS! visitventspils.com

A FAMILY AND LEISURE FRIENDLY CITY

ventspils.lv

NEW! “VIZIUM” SCIENCE CENTRE

EVENTS IN VENTSPILS May 14 May 20 May 29

Pārventa Celebration Friday Evening Walk Children Day

June 3 - 5

Close of the Season Festival in the “Jūras vārti” Theatre House Blue Flag Lifting Celebration at Ventspils Beach Olympic Champion D. Kula International Spear Cup “Ventspils šķēpi 2022” Opening of the “VIZIUM” Science Centre Līgo Night performance and the Jāņu Night open air party in Reņķa Garden

June 4 June 4 June 18 June 23 July 2 July 9 July 15 - 17 July 22 - 24 July 24

June 20 is the opening date of the “VIZIUM” Science Centre (1), which will let families with children, school students and young people spend some wonderful time discovering the fascinating worlds of physics, mathematics, engineering, technology and science.

The Science Centre is going to feature: Over 80 interactive exhibits; 22 different education programs; 6 creative technical workshops; 6 science shows; Premises for events and conferences (up to 75 persons); A lavish café with a summer terrace, offering an exclusive panoramic view of the cityscape; A scenic view platform, which is one of the highest points of the city!

Grand Concert in the memory of Guntis Skrastiņš “Joking Seriously” Sea Festival International motorcyclist gathering “Kurland Bike Meet 2022” International Street Culture and Sport Festival “Ghetto Games 2022” Anniversary concert in the “Latvia” Concert Hall

August 4 - 7 August 6

Ventspils City Celebration 700 + 32 LBS OPEN Ventspils and K.P. Lasmanis 3x3 Basketball Cup August 11 - 14 Days of Ukrainian culture August 13 Latvian Nordic Walking festival August 13 “Prāta Vētra” gig in the Ventspils Reņķa Garden August 26 Friday Evening Walk August 27 The Night of the Ancient Lights at the Staldzene Steep Coastline Follow the cultural activities in Ventspils with the “Latvija” Concert Hall (2), the Ventspils Culture Centre (3) and the “Jūras vārti” Theatre House (4). koncertzalelatvija.lv, @latvijahall; kulturascentrs.ventspils.lv, jurasvarti.lv, @jurasvarti. @ventspilskulturascentrs;

visitventspils.com

The 365 m2 large flooring in the lobby of the Science Centre is decorated to reproduce the world map, made of over 600 000 Murano glass tile pieces.

2 Rūpniecības Street, Ventspils vizium.lv

Ventspils Beach Waterpark (6) is one of the most fancied leisure sites in the city, offering open-air pastime with a range of water activities to enjoy. There are three different swimming pools and two waterslide towers here, along with a children’s pool with special attractions for the youngest visitors.

19 Medņu Street, Ventspils +371 26429684 pludmalesakvaparks.lv

The Water Adventure Park (7) is a place to enjoy warm pools, grand waves, jacuzzi baths, a mountain river, waterslides and a SPA area with different saunas and a salt room.

Ventspils Blue Flag Beach (5) is a serene place for peaceful relaxation, with the sunbathing season beginning earlier than anywhere else. Access to the sea is provided by 10 planked footways at different locations.

Footway No. 5 runs along the Beach Volleyball Stadium (39). There is an environmental object on top of a dune – the Contour Mark of Latvia (38).

At the end of the Saulrieta street, there is the footway No. 10, which runs along the Grey Dune Area (40) all the way to the beach.

Feel free to take your pets on a walk here.

5 Lauku Street, Ventspils +371 25636777 udensparks.lv

The rock climbing wall (8) and skate park (9) of the “Centrs” Sports House are especially suitable for those keen on extreme sports.

Ventspils Olympic Centre +371 63622587 ocventspils.lv

Visitors at Jūrmalas Park (12) can see the biggest collection of anchors in the Baltic States and assay their strength on the “Jungle Trail” (13), where one has to climb and scale wooden tracks and other obstacles. Children are especially fond of this attraction.

Loču Street / Parka Street, Ventspils

Children of any age are going to love the fun time at the colourful playgrounds of the Children’s Town (10) and the “Fantāzija” Children’s Park (11). Free events are held at both sites on Sundays. There is a total of 39 safe and attractive playgrounds for children of different age scattered across the city of Ventspils.

DISCOVER SPACE

The Planetarium of the Ventspils Creative House (15) offers a variety of star shows and movies on 360-degree screens. The high-quality telescope at the Observatory offers fantastic views of the Sun, nebulae and binary stars.

11 Maiznieku Street, Ventspils +371 63622805 jaunradesnams.lv

Within a short trip from the city centre, there is the Reņķa Garden (14), with its exciting environmental objects for children. These include fairy tale characters, pet sculptures and playground attractions shaped as bugs.

Sporta Street / Kuldīgas Street, Ventspils

Children’s Village Lielais Avenue/J. Poruka Street, Ventspils “Fantāzija” Children’s Park 64 Talsu Street, Ventspils

The Livonian Order Castle (17) is one of the oldest medieval fortresses in Latvia. It features the oldest chapel in Kurzeme and permanent displays revealing the history of the city, the castle, the harbour and the entire region. The castle often becomes a venue for historical and artistic exhibitions.

EXHIBITIONS

Ventspils Seaside Open – Air Museum (16) welcomes its visitors with insights into the life of Latvian and Livonian fishermen, including the latest last year’s addition – the Boathouse. Apart from 21 fishing boat, it houses numerous fishing-related exhibits, which illustrate the entire course of development of fishery in the Northern Kurzeme.

2 Riņķa Street, Ventspils +371 636224467 muzejs.ventspils.lv

Until June 19 Exhibition New Exhibits of the Museum 2019–2021 Until July 3 Jānis Murovskis’s Personal Exhibitions in the castle galleries June 22 – July 17 Exhibition of the private collection Lats in Things – accessories and items made of Lat coins (Lat used to be the national currency of Latvia before 2014).

June 29 – July 17 Exhibition 100th Anniversary of the Bank of Latvia Until August 31 Ventspils Museum exhibition Vasarnīcu Street – a story of buildings, lifestyle, families, people and their destinies in Ventspils at the turn of the XX century 17 Jāņa Street, Ventspils +371 63626288 muzejs.ventspils.lv

MUSEUM EVENTS May 14 Museum Night June 11 Medieval Readings July 8 Sea Festival “Flowery Meadows

July 9

All Around” Sea Festival

August 4 - August 7 City Festival House of Crafts (18), 3 Skolas Street, Ventspils +371 63620174 muzejs.ventspils.lv Herberts Dorbe Museum (19), 1 Ērgļu Street, Ventspils +371 63625004 muzejs.ventspils.lv

NEW!

DABAS BAGĀTĪBASLANDSCAPED STALDZENES BLUFF

At the start of summer, the Ventspils Deer Garden (20) near the Būšnieku Lake is expected to open its gates one again. Visitors will be able to see red deer in their natural habitat and experience a once-in-a-lifetime adventure – a safari ride where one can feed animals by hand.

SUP board, pedal boat and bicycle rentals.

Trampoline Park.

240 Talsu Street, Ventspils

+371 26126126

The Staldzenes Bluff Beach (23) is the right place to enjoy nature’s pristine beauty, both from the newly built viewpoint and from the illuminated planked footway sloping gradually towards the sea.

A NEW ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECT ON THE OSTAS STREET PROMENADE – THE “HUMAN FORCE” PROPELLER The renewed Buoy collection (21) on the Ostas Street Promenade is supplemented with a sightseeing platform, which houses a new environmental object, recovered from the depths of the sea – the “Human Force” propeller (22).

The surrounding cityscape also includes ancient Port workshops, pilot ship “Rota” and the environmental object “Lighthouse of Love”, especially appreciated by the newly-wed.

OPENING OF THE VENTSPILS DEER GARDEN

A renewed Military Heritage Site – the Fire adjustment tower of the 46th coastal defence battery (24) Visitors of the tower will have a chance to look inside the military heritage site, discover its history and enjoy spectacular views of the Grey Dune and the Baltic Sea from the viewing platform.

2 Saulrieta Street, Ventspils Atvērts: 9.00–20.00

Those longing for a romantic walk especially appreciate the Southern Pier Promenade (25) up to the lighthouse, with sights such as the 4-metre high sculpture “Gow - Sailor” and a huge chair of chains along the way. For more experience, one can climb the observation or board the “Azova” and “Grots” fishing vessels to feel what it is like to be a fisherman.

Town Square (26) is the heart of the Old Ventspils and home to the Evangelical Evangelical Lutheran Church of Nikolay.

The Old Town Market Square (27) is where fresh groceries from the local farmsteads are available every day. Other sights here include the exposition of weights, volumes and measures and the Carillon Clock, which rings a well-known melody every hour.

After the two Cow Parades that took place in Ventspils, the city has obtained another iconic symbol – the 28 cow sculptures (28) of various sizes and colours, created

by Latvian and foreign artists. The city also boasts numerous unique flower sculptures, or topiaries, and originally shaped plantings.

Freshness during the hot summer days can be found in parks, gardens, miniparks and near the 10 fountains (29).

SOON IN VENTSPILS! A new Community Centre (34) is bound to be open in Gāliņciems soon. It is going to offer fascinating exhibition and concert cycles, be a home for various hobby clubs, conduce studies into the language and folklore of the inhabitants of Venta riverbanks, the ancient crafts, preservation of natural heritage, literary, writing and cultural research, and serve as a tourist spot in the meantime.

Those fond of long walks and fresh forest and lake air will love the Būšnieku Lake Nature Trail (30).

There is also a viewpoint stretching into the lake itself by means of a planked footway, allowing one to watch birds and enjoy the panorama of the lake at the same time.

Another great way to enjoy the lake is to rent a boat at the local Boat Base (31).

NEW! Airsoft firing range with military equipment; Laser tag.

Adventure Park (32) is an active leisure and sports facility with a broad range of amusements – the “Cat’s Trail” rope track, bumper cars, a trampoline boat and various activities for kids.

141 Saules Street, Ventspils +371 28611333 piedzivojumuparks.lv

DISCOVER VENTSPILS Narrow - gauge railway Steam Locomotive “Mazbānītis” (35) 2 Riņķa Street, Ventspils +371 63624467

Excursion train “Ventspils Train” (36) Junction of the Tirgus and Ostas Streets, Ventspils +371 29262976

Excursion boat “Hercogs Jēkabs” (37) Junction of the Tirgus and Ostas Streets, Ventspils +371 26353344

This year, the “Memorial sculpture dedicated to the former currency “Lats”” (33) is to be placed on the hill of the Livonian Order Castle.

Sculpture is created by the sculptor Gļebs Panteļējevs.

Travel by bike! Bicycle tracks in Ventspils stretch for almost as long as 70 km in total, and these connect the most prominent tourist sites in the city.

Bicycle/TRIX rent visitventspils.com

ALMOST 70 km OF BIKE LANES IN VENTSPILS! 0

200 m

28 11

25

28

28 29

28

28 37 28 36

29 28 18 28 33 17

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26

15

3

28

4 28

28 27

28

21 22

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8

28 5

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6 38 39

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28 28

10

13

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28

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29 2

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35 16

LEGEND

14

28 29 28 28

1

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Sights in Ventspils Tourist Information Centre Hotel Other lodgings • Camping site Food and drink venue • Outdoor cafés Municipality • Post office Hospital • Clinic Bus terminal • Parking lot

40 24

Fuel station Quick charge station Monument • Pay toilet Open-air stage • Viewpoint Museum, exhibition hall • Cinema 28

Dog run

29

Ski hill

34

32

Bicycle lanes 19

EuroVelo 10 and 13

28

VENTSPILS MONEY – VENTI Discover what Ventspils has to offer to tourists at visitventspils.com. Play games about Ventspils and earn Venti, which you can use to get up to 50% discounts at almost 40 different leisure and entertainment sites. Venti is also a great souvenir.

31

23

VENTI CAN BE USED FOR SETTLEMENTS 30

20

VISITVENTSPILS.COM

Ventspils Olympic Centre Hotel +371 63628032 hotelocventspils.lv Ventspils University Hotel +371 20278255

TŪRISMA

Seaside Camping Site +371 63627925 camping.ventspils.lv

INFORMĀCIJAS CENTRS TOURISM INFORMATION CENTRE

VENTSPILS TOURISM INFORMATION CENTRE AND THE BANK OF VENTS 6 Dārzu Street, Ventspils, LV-3601 +371 63622263, +371 29232226 tourism@ventspils.lv visitventspils.com @VisitVentspils BRANCH OF THE BANK OF VENTS Ventspils Olympic Centre Hotel 33 Lielais Avenue, Ventspils +371 63628032 viesnīca@ocventspils.lv hotelocventspils.lv PUBLISHED BY: Ventspils City Council ventspils.lv DRAWN UP BY: Ventspils Tourist Information Centre visitventspils.com

FERRY LINE VENTSPILS – NYNÄSHAMN (SWEDEN) Information and ticket booking at stenaline.lv and through the “Stena Line” call centre in Ventspils 6 Dārzu Street, Ventspils Ferry Terminal +371 63622999 “VENTSPILS REISS” PUBLIC TRANSPORT Ventspils Bus Terminal 5 Kuldīgas Street, Ventspils +371 63622789 ventspilsreiss.lv