Ventspils

Ventspils, a port full of cows

It’s the sixth biggest city in Latvia, nestled at the Baltic Sea. It’s a family-friendly area with big parks, museums, street sculptures and playgrounds. As soon as you step foot on Ventspils, you will see some of its famous cows, which are natural-size glass fibre sculptures. There are dozens of them in the city as they were part of the Cow Parade that has taken place here twice in the recent years.
Find routes and ferry tickets to Ventspils at Let’s Ferry.

Attractions in Ventspils
• Start your tour from the Old Town with buildings from the 17th century and cobbled streets.
• In the same area you can visit the Livonijas ordeņa pils, the Castle of the Livonian order. It’s the oldest castle of Latvia and the city’s landmark. It was built around the end of the 13th century. Since 2001, it hosts the Museum of Ventspils, with exhibits from the city’s history and culture.
• The Piejuras brivdabas muzejs, the Seaside Open-Air Museum is dedicated to the fishing history and evolution of the city. The museum has both indoor and outdoor spaces with more than 24000 exhibits like boat models and anchors.

Activities in Ventspils
• The Bērnu pilsētiņa is the Children’s Town, a playground with more than 40 activities. The entrance is free.
• Visit the Ventspils Pludmales akvaparks, a refreshing water park. There are water slides, sun beds and saunas here for everyone to enjoy.
• The Ūdens piedzīvojumu parks is one more water park in Ventspils. It has indoor pools, a spa and a gym.
• Rent a boat tour on the Venta River for a different way to see the city. You can find boats at the port.
• The beach of Ventspils has been awarded with a Blue Flag. It is a long sandy beach, close to the port. There aren’t any restaurants or coffee shops nearby but there are sculptures, a playground and wooden decks.

Access to Ventspils: You can reach the port by car, plane, ferry or bus. Ventspils’ airport is 6 km from the port. Riga’s airport is 190 km from the port.
Liepāja is 118 away km from the port. The journey Ventspils – Liepāja lasts 1,5 hours by car and 2 hours by bus.
Riga is 190 away km from the port. The journey Ventspils – Riga lasts 2,5 hours by car and 3 hours by bus.
Klaipėda is 220 away km from the port. The journey Ventspils – Klaipėda lasts 3 hours by car.

Only in Ventspils: Jani Day is a national holiday held on the 23 and 24th of June, that dates back to the medieval years. On this holiday, pagan and Christian celebrations take place: the Solstice (Ligo) is a celebration for the sun, the smaller night of the year and of fertility. On the 24th of June it’s Saint John’s Day, which is Jani in the Latvian language. On the night of the 23rd, people travel to nature, light fires and stay up all night.