We present you this route with pride, because in our opinion it is excellent not only because of the breath-taking views and landscapes, but also because of amazing places of interest, the picturesque small roads through the woodlands and countryside. If there is one Self-Drive Latvia route, where you really need that SUV or off-road vehicle, it is this one! You can, of course get to the most popular places of interest with a normal car, but the true taste of “The Curves of River Daugava” can be fond only if you do the whole route with your four-wheel drive vehicle!
If you choose to try this route, you will be greeted by a wide and varied range of adventures in the protected landscape area of the picturesque Augsdaugava. The beautiful and mighty curves of the meandering River Daugava, coastal scarps, forest roads, large and very small churches, castle mounds and viewing towers – something so well known, but at the same time attractively different.
If you are going to Daugavpils from Riga, or somewhere even further away, we recommend to plan 2 days for this trip, and find a place to stay in the area of Daugavpils or Kraslava (on the right bank of Daugava).
Although we have created this route, so you could see all places of interest in one day, we would recommend, especially of you are driving to Daugavpils from Riga or somewhere even further away, to plan the route for two days and stay over night somewhere around Daugavpils or Kraslava, on the right bank of River Daugava. You can choose the type of accommodation best suited for your needs – there is a wide range of guest houses and some hotels in the area, but also feel free to camp in the wild, far from civilization if that is what you feel like doing or you like the thought of enjoying the views and being surrounded by nature as soon as you wake up. In this trip, you will get to experience the taste of true 4×4 wheel driving – there are a lot of small country and forest roads, that are more difficult to drive through in some parts. It will also be a test for your legs as some of the places of interest included in the route will allow you to walk to your heart’s content – viewing towers, landscapes of the River Daugava, castle mounds, parks and, of course, cities and towns, such as Daugavpils and Kraslava.
The picturesque landscapes of both banks of Augsdaugava and the character and charm of Latgalia provide impressions that cannot be obtained anywhere else. You will visit all 8 curves of the River Daugava from Kraslava to Daugavpils. Along the way, like nowhere else in Latvia, you will see very different churches of various Christian denominations. Almost each of them has got their own story, which you can read about in our full route description. A unique place is the so-called Church Hill in Daugavpils, where churches of four denominations have located one next to another. And, of course, in Daugavpils we recommend visiting the last bastion-type fortress built in Europe, the old bullet factory and visit the Smakovka Museum (Smakovka is a type of spirit made typically in Latgalia). When you get to Kraslava we definitely suggest to stop by and take a walk around the Plater’s Palace complex, which includes a large park, to see the historical centre of the town, and to enjoy the view at the city over the tree-tops from the nearby lookout tower.
When we create our routes, we try to incorporate an element of surprise, the existence of which is rarely known to anyone, and something you will not find in tourist guides. One of those surprises is an abandoned pumping station on the bank of the Daugava, which is remarkable for its impressive height, with an interesting road leading to it. You might have heard that there is a small village in Latvia that is called Lielie Mulki, which translates as Big Fools, but you definitely have not been there. A great chance to see it for yourself and to take a photo by the sign to send to your Latvian mates.
“The Gate of River Daugava”, which is also a part of this route, is included in the list of the 10 most significant nature attractions in Latvia “Green Pearls of Latvia”. It is a place where the Daugava is surrounded from both sides by the high and steep Slutiski and Ververi cliffs. It is one of the most scenic places in the whole Curves of River Daugava park.
