Daugavpils

Daugavpils has lots to see. The Daugavpils Tourism Information Center can provide specific information and help you coordinate your visit.

Daugavpils novada tÅ«risma informācijas centrs, RÄ«gas 22a, Tel.: +371 65422818, Fax: +371 65422818, E-mail: [email protected].

19th century architecture

in the center between the Daugava River and the railway station.

The unique Daugavpils fortress biggest in Europe, which has withstood many many wars and remains virtually unchanged since its construction in the 19th century.

The historical center of the city consisted of 80 cultural-historical objects presents itself a specific monument of urban construction. One may be amazed by variety of architecture styles of the buildings, the red clay bricked facades of peculiar form recognized as Latgale baroque.

The church ensemble Jaunbūve, the Church Hill included churches of four confessions, contributes a lot to very special panorama of the city of Daugavpils.

Daugavpils may also be proud of its sport complex. Ice Hall and the open-air swimming pool, one of the biggest open-air swimming pools in the Baltic countries, are the real pride of the city.

Daugavpils is more endowed with water space than other cities of Latvia. There are 15 lakes, 8 rivers and numerous brooks its territory. In spite of this the climate is the most continental of the country. Forests and parks make up the green area with a square of approximately 10 400 ha.

monuments and memorial places

The most significant events in Daugavpils history are immortalized in various monuments and memorial places. The soldiers killed in Word War I are buried in Old Believers, Orthodox and Lutheran cemeteries. The Latvian army soldiers, killed in fights for freedom, are buried in the Lutheran cemetery. Their graves there as well as the Polish army soldier’ graves in Satiksmes iela testify to the events relating to history of the independent Latvian state. A 13 m tall reinforced concrete cross has been erected in Satiksmes iela to commemorate the events. A memorial stone to the citizens of Daugavpils, deported to Siberia in 1941 and 1945, is erected in Pumpura Park. The burial places of the Soviet and German soldiers in Dubrovin’s park, in the Garrison cemetery, in the Griva, Communal and Orthodox cemeteries as well as the graves of the victims of fascism in the Mežciems cemetery are memorial places to those who were killed in World War II.

major town building landmarks

With good reason the fortress, originally built as a fortification for the western border of the Russian Empire, can be considered the symbol of Daugavpils. The Classicism-style fortress was consecrated by the Russia’s tsar in 1833. In later years the tsarist, Latvian and Soviet Armies had been stationed there. At present the fortress is under the supervision of the local municipality and Real Estates Agency as a cultural and historical monument.

The Daugava protecting dam, which stretches 6 km along the river and at its highest points reaches 9 m, is another singular landmark of the city. It was built in 1841, and is still protecting the city from flood-waters. On accordance with the town-building plan, confirmed by the tsar in 1826.

Daugavpils present-day center and its street network started shaping in the early 19th century. The features of the styles peculiar to this historical period have been preserved in Riga street, the main street of the city center. A characteristic feature of buildings is Classicism-style red brick houses with ornamentation of various styles. The house at 8 Riga street, which now houses the Daugavpils Local Arts and History Museum, has preserved its original architecture almost unaltered. The house was built in the second half of the 19th century. It decoration of colorful glazed files is extremely original. All entrances to the house have small glass-covered open-work metal roofs. More than a hundred years ago a 3 ha large park was laid out in the center of the city. The park is called now Dubrovin’s Park as it was created with great assistance and support of Pavel Dubrovin, the first head of the city. It has been a rest place popular with the townspeople for years. Between Riga and Saules streets there is Vienības nams Unity House, designed in plain architectonic forms: prisms and cubes. The many halls and rooms of this building house a theater, the city central library, several shops and cafes. All the principal cultural activities of the city take place here. At the beginning the 80-ties Riga street, in which several buildings of historical and architectonic value are situated, was one of the first cities in Latvia which was used by pedestrians only.