A beautiful ancient city located on the Daugava River, appeared in the thirteenth century as the castle of the master of the Livonian Order. Over the centuries, it was subjected to sieges and destruction, rebuilt again, names changed. The only thing that remained unchanged was the wondrous beauty of nature and the desire of the population to live and develop despite all the hardships.
Daugavpils fortress
Arriving in Daugavpils, you should definitely see the sights of the city. The calling card of this place is the Daugavpils Fortress, also called the Dinaburg Fortress. Its construction began in 1812, when these lands were under the protectorate of the Russian Empire. Therefore, the fortress is an example of the Russian fortification in the Empire style.
Time almost left no mark on eight bastions of the shaft, gates and bridge fortifications. This is one of the unchanged fortresses.
Murmuiz Castle
If you have visited Daugavpils, a map of attractions will help you. On it you will surely find such an old building as Murmuiz Castle. It is mentioned in the annals of the sixteenth century. However, it is assumed that it was built by one of the Livonian knights much earlier.
For hundreds of years, the castle passed from hand to hand, one of its owners was the Chancellor of Sweden. The building was constantly being rebuilt and rebuilt, so only the old tower, which was nicknamed the "Tower Cage", has remained unchanged until now.
Daugavpils (Latvia): Attractions
Residents of Daugavpils are highly cultured and educated people, and this statement is true in relation not only to contemporaries. Evidence of this can serve as the four shrines that have been preserved so far, of different faiths, located on the famous Temple or, as it is also called, Church Hill. The Orthodox Cathedral of Boris and Gleb was built at the very beginning of the twentieth century and is the most spacious in Latvia, the style of its architecture is neo-Russian.
At the same time, the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary was erected for parishioners of the Roman Catholic religion. A little earlier, the church of Martin Luther was built. What else can be seen on the hill? There is an Orthodox church of the Old Believers - the Church of the Resurrection, the Nativity of the Virgin and St. Nicholas. In addition to religious buildings on the Temple Hill, in Daugavpils you can get acquainted with the architecture, the history of the emergence of the Alexander Nevsky Church, St. Peter's Church, the synagogue and others.
Zoo
The favorite vacation spot of residents and guests of the city, especially at a young age, is the Latgale Zoo. Yielding to menageries of large cities in area, it nonetheless surpasses many of them in the extraordinary conditions of keeping animals and the diversity of representatives of flora and fauna. The zoo's design itself delights visitors, which resembles a jungle, where you can meet macaques, pythons, caimans, marsupial sugar possums, a lot of birds and fish.
Near St. Peter's Church, tourists can enjoy the Sculpture Garden. Among hundreds of various flower beds that form a living carpet of flowers, amazing figures are located - the work of the best Latvian artists.
Lakes and Eglukalns Hill
Wondrous corners of nature are highly recommended for review: Small Stropskoye Lake, connected by a channel with Big Stropskoye Lake. Picturesque ponds, captivating the eyes with incomparable landscapes, are very attractive not only to tourists, but also to fishing enthusiasts: there are many diverse fish in them.
Those wishing to admire the beauty of the nature of Daugavpils from a height should go to the Eglukalns hill, which is eleven kilometers from the city. Here, twelve years ago, an observation tower was built, from where a marvelous panorama of the area opens.
Vienibas Square
In the center of the city is the Vienibas Square, which is translated into Russian as "Square of Unity". Amazing events often take place on it: bright parades, noisy fairs, interesting concerts. A special charm of the square is given by rumors of underground passages that have been preserved since the early Middle Ages, when a fortress stood on this site.
Daugavpils, the sights of which we consider in the article, is a city that hospitably welcomes fans of various festivals. They take place here three times a year. These are festivals of choral and sacred music, traditional masks, as well as jazz music.
Sculpture "Cat" and the House of Unity
If a traveler wants to plunge into the atmosphere of Latvia, this small Baltic country, to understand its mentality, then he must certainly wander along Rigas street. It is unique in that it is completely pedestrian, any traffic is prohibited. And at the same time, it is not crowded with retail outlets, cafes or restaurants. A sculpture “Cat” is located near one of the houses, which causes special emotion among the children, which is eloquently evidenced by a fairly wiped muzzle from granite. Rigas has a quiet, cozy, dignified atmosphere, here time slows down, as it were, and you can admire the amazing architecture of low buildings in the eclectic style. This is a street of the past and present. On it is the House of Unity. This is a kind of compact center for the cultural, financial, social life of the city. At the same time, it is a monument of strict and monumental architecture of the thirties of the last century.
Museum of Local Lore and Art
In 1938 the Daugavpil museum of local lore and art was founded. The building itself is a beautiful monument of art nouveau architecture. The museum has exhibits dedicated to the history, nature, culture of this corner of Latvia.
Citizens are proud of their famous compatriots -
artists Mark Rothko and Leonid Baulin, whose work is dedicated to two separate rooms. In addition, tourists will be curious to visit the museum "Jews in Daugavpils and Latgale", which is located in the current synagogue. Interest is not only in matters relating to the cultural and religious traditions of Jews. Its expositions tell about the life of the whole city, of which representatives of the ancient people were an integral part.
The Bat and the Turtle
What else is interesting to Daugavpils? Sights, photos of which are presented in the article, attract tourists. After all, here they are very beautiful. Citizens carefully preserve the old memorials and at the same time bring something new and unusual to the interior of the streets. For example, the sculpture "Bat" is very interesting. On the lamppost of one of the streets there is an iron figure of a bat, which weighs only five hundred grams, and a little more than sixty centimeters wide. This product is an original design decision and organically fits into the architecture of the street. In a short time, the bat has become a landmark, often photographed near it. Another new curiosity of the city is the sculpture “Turtle”. Made of African light granite, it not only serves as a decoration, but also reminds that Latvia has the largest range of bog turtles in Europe.
Monument to Pavel Dubrovin
Residents of Daugavpils know how to love and value people who have done a lot for the development of the city. An example of this is the monument to Pavel Dubrovin. As the mayor of Dinaburg (that is exactly what Daugavpils was called in the nineteenth century), he put a lot of effort into its prosperity. And he did a lot at his own expense. In particular, he bought and drained an impressive plot of land on which an excellent park was laid out.
It is in this square, which Dubrovin donated to the people free of charge, and the monument is located. It is made in a non-standard, original manner, depicting the mayor walking with his bulldog.
Opinion of tourists
Do people who visit Daugavpils like sights? Reviews of tourists are a vivid confirmation of the fact that the local beauty they like. Local buildings and structures are very interesting. Those who came to Daugavpils are especially attracted to the main attractions, namely the Daugavpils fortress and Murmuiz castle.
Some interesting places
Tourists definitely need to visit local cafes, for example, the cozy Vesma restaurant located on Rigas Street. In addition to excellent service and a wide selection of various gourmet dishes, you can admire the cat sculpture from the window. The restaurant is also famous for its European restaurant Gubernators, Chinese cuisine HappyPanda, Italian CiliPica and Restaurant PLAZA, Polish cuisine DvinskaSeta. And most importantly, be sure to visit the Sia Park Hotel Latgola Restaurant. It serves Latvian cuisine.
Conclusion
Now you can safely go to Daugavpils. Sights, interesting facts about the history of the city, the beauty of nature - what else does a tourist need for an unforgettable vacation? All this is present in this corner of Latvia, which means that you will not be disappointed!