2019 T O URIS M NE W S PAPER F AMILY CITY WWW.VISITVENTSPILS.COM A N D R E C R E A T I O N F R I E N D L Y WWW.VENTSPILS.LV In July, State Ventspils Music Secondary School and Concert Hall “Latvia” will NEW open with an ambitious concert cycle (1). CONCERT HALL “LATVIA” Two music instruments that are globally unique have been placed in the premises of the concert hall. In the large hall, the pipe organ built by the German organ construction company “Johannes Klais Orgelbau” and 4.7 m high BLUE FLAG BEACH PAGE 2 piano of the Latvian piano constructor Dāvids Kļaviņš. July 27 Solo concert of the organist Iveta Apkalna. Programme includes compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach, Franz Liszt, Cesar Franck, as well as premiere of the new composition by Pēteris Vasks in Latvia. August 1 Concert programme includes the famous work of Steve Reich “Six Pianos” performed by six pianists. FLOWER SCULPTURES PAGE 3 August 2 Audiovisual performance by Icelandic composer Valgeir Sigurdsson and British violinist Daniel Pioro. August 4 Continuous piano musis master and pioneer of Ukrainian descent Lubomyr Melnyk will perform a solo concert on the impressive instrument 470i created by Dāvids Kļaviņš. On July 13, along the whole Ostas Street promenade you can attend BEACH WATERPARK PAGE 3 a fair, ship parade, guided tours with the river ship “Hercogs Jēkabs” SEA FESTIVAL JULY 13, 14 (2) – all day long. Sea Festival Fair will take place at Market Square (3), and Ventspils Free Port Sailing Cup will be held in the aquatorium of the River Venta. The band “Mākoņstūmēji” and the band “Tommy Schneller Band” from Germany will perform on the big stage. At 12.00 we will meet the mighty Sea Ruler Neptune. Sports activities for body and spirit will take place on the intersection of Skolas and Lielā Street. Art workshop under guidance of Elita Patmalniece can be attended there as well. “Tobago” by Uldis Marhilēvičs and Māra Zālīte, as well as the performance by the band “Pienvedēja piedzīvojumi”. Night ball will be continued by the bank “Rock’n’Barries’ with DJ. ADVENTURE PARK PAGE 3 On July 14, Seaside Open-Air Museum (4) will provide an opportunity for train along the narrow-gauge railway. The Children’s Town (5) and children’s park “Fantasy” (6) will continue the festivities in the Little Sea Festival. festival “Melody of Flowers” will take place at Ostas Street Promenade. On August 3, the visitors of celebration will be able to enjoy the annual vibrant celebratory parade at Lielais Prospekts, “Betsafe Baltic Strongman Championship” and opening of the new piers of Ventspils Marina. Parade of yachts and demonstrations of the yacht crane. The same location will host the concert programme on water. the Two Dragons” (Estonia), and the band “DAGAMBA”. Together we will - tion of the celebration: address by the Chairman Aivars Lembergs and On Sunday, August 4, at 11.00 aviation show 2019 at Ventspils airport. CASTLE OF THE LIVONIAN ORDER PAGE 2 Demonstrations by jets. TRAVEL VENTS #IZVĒLIESVENTSPILI #VISITVENTSPILS WITH 1 NEW From July 12 to July 13, the largest Hip-Hop and GHETTO GAMES JULY 12, 13 extreme sports festival in Latvia will take place in FISHING VESSEL GROTS Ventspils! For two days the same stage will be shared by 12 various musicians: Ozols, Singapūras Satīns, Viņa, Edavārdi, Ansis, Rolands Če un Xantikvariāts, Kreisais Krasts, Brīvrunu Projekts, etc. The Baltic sup cup, skateboarding, bmx freestyle, ghetto stunt, inline skating, kendama, street gymnastics, Ghetto basket, street dancing and other extreme sports will take place in summer skatepark (7), BMX track (23), Lielais Square (25) and elsewhere. www.ggfest.com The Southern Pier Promenade (9) leads all the way to the lighthouse, and it is a perfect place to SOUTHERN PIER enjoy romantic walks while watching the sunset, the crashing waves or the ships coming into port. On the way to the Southern Pier you can view two “Azova” and “Grots” exhibited in the urban environment. You can enjoy the scenery of the city and the sea from above if you climb the 19 m high viewing tower, and the same location contains also the sculpture “Cow - Seaman” which is 4 m high, and the giant “Chair” formed from the links of the anchor chains. 10TH WALKWAY TO THE SEA New exits to the sea with wooden trails have been made in the South-Western part of the city. A spacious parking lot has been created on Saulrieta Street, as well as walking and biking trails crossing the protected territories of the European scale in Castle of the Livonian Order (11) is a home the Grey Dune Zone. The nineth wooden pathway to the exhibition – “Ceļā. On The Road. V leads from the Seaside Park to the nudist beach, Doroge.”: travel costumes and accessories but the 10th wooden pathway (10) is suited for from the collection of Mr Va-siļjevs, walks with dogs. museum of the Russian town Ry-binsk and collection of Ventspils Mu-seum. KURLAND BIKE MEET 2019 During the City Celebration, on August 3, Castle of the Livonian Order will be a host to a journey through the vinyards in accompa- niment of medieval music. Wine tasting, placement of castle wine, medieval games in the garden, performance by the medieval music band “Trakula”. CASTLE OF THE LIVONIAN ORDER But at Crafts House (12) "Eat, Drink, Enjoy!" - Gastronomic journey from west and east to Traditionally, Ventspils hosts the bikers’ meet south and north. “Kurland Bike Meet” on July 19 - 21. Bikers from the Baltic States, Scandinavia and other countries will Castle of the Livonian Order Seaside Open-Air Museum Crafts House On August 4, at Seaside Open-Air Museum Jāņa Street 17, Ventspils Riņķa Street 2, Ventspils Skolas Street 3, Ventspils the Little Engine (13) will invite everyone to Meet gathers around 2000 participants. During Tel.: +371 63622031 Tel.: +371 63624467 Tel.: +371 63620174 celebrate a merry festival all day long. take place in the streets of Ventspils, and various entertainment events will be hosted on Port Promenade (2) and Seaside Camping (14). LATVIAN NORDIC WALKING FESTIVAL AUGUST 10 SHIP HERCOGS JĒKABS By means of the Excursion Ship “HERCOGS JĒKABS” (2) everyone can enjoy the multiple facets of Ventspils by enjoying a 45-minute voyage even LAKE BŪŠNIEKU NATURA 2000 to the sea gate. The trip on the River Venta provides a fantastic view of the Osta Street Prom- enade, the Livonian Order Castle, the only draw- bridge in Latvia and the industrial territory of the While visiting Lake Būšnieku (27), you can take the 8 On August 10, Ventspils Adventure Park (15) will gather the Ventspils Freeport. km long biking route around the lake, walking along people who enjoy Nordic walking to enjoy active leisure together. Intersection between Tirgus and Ostas Street, Ventspils the wooden pathway in the boggy part of the lake to Participants will be able to enjoy both the musical programme and Tel.: +371 26353344 reach the bird-watching platform, as well as relax at the swimming location on the shore, or go boating Walking Festival takes place in Ventspils for the 10th year. and simply enjoy the scenery. TOURIST TRAIN STIRNU BUKS AUGUST 17 “Stirnu buks” is the Latvian championship in trail running – marked distances, excellent scenic locations. On August 17, Ventspils will host the Seaside run course of Stirnu buks, the route will include Seaside Waterpark (16), Seaside Park (24), Seaside Camping (14); South-Western part of Tourist Train “Ventspils Train” takes the visitors of Ventspils: forest trails, paths, seashore and other Ventspils through the most scenic streets of the city. challenges of Mother Nature. www.stirnubuks.lv You can purchase the tickets in the intersection between Tirgus and Ostas Street. THE CURRENCY OF VENTSPILS- VENTI As of 2011, Ventspils is proud to have its own unique currency - Venti. You can earn Venti on www.visitventspils.com by playing various games about Ventspils. You can exchange the virtual Venti you have earned for tangible money in Ventspils Tourism Information Centre on Dārzu Street 6 or in the Olympic centre “Ventspils” on Lielais Prospekts 33. You can get a maximum of 50 % discount in 45 recreation, sightseeing, and entertainment spots in Ventspils. 2 MEANS YOU CAN PAY IN VENTI SEASIDE WATERPARK ADVENTURE AND ENJOYMENT OF TASTE IN VENTSPILS MUNICIPALITY Ventspils International Radioastronomy Centre infrastructure in Irbene provides an exciting WATER ADVENTURE PARK guided tour to explore the radio telescope, exhibitions, get to know the distinguished rocket designer Canders, and take a walk In summer, the visitors are welcome at Seaside Waterpark through an underground tunnel. Seaside Waterpark (16) which Medņu Street 19, Ventspils Tel.: +371 26413925 presents various water amusement Tel.: +371 26429684 options, saunas, bubble baths and Water Adventure Park Jūr – seaside cafe. Lauku Street 5, Ventspils landscape with an impressive 20 m high But in the Water Adventure Park (17) Tel.: +371 2563777 Užava lighthouse - one of the most you can relax and strengthen your romantic lighthouses in Latvia (1879) health in the saunas of SPA complex, open to visitors. Tel.: +371 28341836 salt room and massage showers. Horseriding club Demora Ovīši lighthouse - on July 20, the singers Ēriks Loks, Elīna Līce, etc., will perform in the oldest navigation Lake Usma building. sailing place with the only internal water yacht port in Latvia. Horseriding excursions, a ride in the car-riages, Yacht trips. hikes with horses. Tel.: +371 26334500 Tel.: +371 29522360 FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN VENTSPILS GROOVE 2019 Suiti culinary heritage “Maģiskie suiti” in Near to Ventspils – Recreation place “Buki” AUGUST 17, 18 Jūrkalne At the Mini Zoo you can visit alpacas, Various local delicacies such as fence cakes Mangalica curly pigs, goats, a dwarf goat, Modern Rhythm Music Festival and Master Classes “Ventspils (žograuši), strength cakes (spēkrauši), storm chickens, ducks, camels.