Page 187 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Estonia Latvia & Lithuania

WESTERN LA T VIA  185

Union, with copi ous notes VISITORS’ CHECKLIST f Lake Pape Nature
available in English. Exhibits Reserve
include everyday objects left Practical Information Papes dabas parks
behind by repa triated Baltic Road Map B4. * 85,750.
Germans at the start of World n Rožu Laukums 5/6, 6348 0808. Road Map B4. Tel 2616 7333.
War II, photo graphs of people ( daily. _ Piano Star Festival n Buši, Rucava village, 2913 4903;
deported en masse by the (Mar), Summer Sound (Jul), Bārtas iela 6, Nica, 6348 9501. & 8
∑ pdf-pape.lv
Soviets in June 1941 and an International Organ Music Festival
account of the killing of the (Sep). ∑ liepaja.travel
city’s Jews and other Transport Just 10 km (6 miles) from the
“undesirables”. k Cimdenieki, Lidostas iela 8. Lithuanian border, the wet lands,
The exhibition ends with a £ Rīgas iela. @ Rīgas iela. pine forests, dunes, grasslands
display about the events lead ing and coastline of the Lake Pape
up to independence. The offices EU Blue Flag. The long, sandy area make an excellent trip from
of the Popular Front, which was Liepāja Beach (Liepājas Liepāja. Sponsored by the World
based in the building, have been pludmale) is separated from Wide Fund for Nature, the
left intact. Rooms upstairs house the Old Town by the wooded reserve covers around 52,000 ha
an exhibition of antique Seaside Park (Jūrmalas parks). (128,495 acres), and is best
photographic equipment. The nearby streets are lined with known for its savvaļas zirgi
elegant Art Nouveau buildings (semi­wild horses) and sumbru
R St Joseph’s Cathedral that used to be summerhouses. ganības (European bison).
Rakstvežu iela 13. Tel 6342 9775. Guided tours, taking around 90
Decorated inside with scenes minutes, are available from the
from the Bible, the yellow St ticket office at the entrance to
Joseph’s Cathedral (Sv Jāzepa the sign posted grazing area.
katedrāle) attained its current The reserve is popular with
towering form in the 19th cen­ bird­watchers, due to its
tury. The congregation needed location on a migration path.
a larger church, but had no land Some 271 species have been
on which to build one, which is sighted here, 15 of which are
why they simply expanded the on the European Red List of
existing building upwards. endangered species. The area
is sparsely populated, although
E Liepāja Museum there are three villages within
Kūrmājas prospekts 16/18. Tel 6342 the reserve. One of them is the
2604. Open 10am–6pm Wed–Sun. & dune­enclosed settlement of
∑ liepajasmuzejs.lv Pape, home to Vītolnieki, a
Set amid a small sculpture Façade of St Nicholas’s Orthodox branch of the Latvian Ethno­
garden, the Liepāja Museum Cathedral, Karosta graphic Open­Air Museum
(Liepājas muzejs) is housed in (see p163).
Liepāja Airport
8 km (5 miles) an ornate early 20th­century Karosta
Railway Station KAROSTA
SAULES LAIVINIEKU CELTOLEKU KRUSTA GRAUDU KUGINIEKU 800 m (875 yards) K ZĀLES building with an impressive 4 km (2 miles) N of town. @ 3, 4, 7. E Vītolnieki
Bus Station
Liepāja
SPORTA K Ũ R M Ã J A S P R O S P E K T S J Ũ R A S I E L A 800 m (875 yards) LAUK galleried hall. The displays trace ∑ karosta.lv St Nicholas’s Orthodox Pape village. Tel 2926 2283.
Church: Katedrāles 7. Military Prison:
Museum
Open May–Sep: 10am–6pm Wed–
Liepāja local history, with exhi bits Invalīdu 4. & 8 Sun. 8 by appointment.
Beach AUSEKĻA including the heads of stone
PASTA IELA TEATRA cherubs from St Anne’s Basilica, A military harbour built by the
EIKOŊU
Holy Trinity a series of pewter drinking Russians during the late 19th
Church
VĪTOLU IELA GRAUDU IELA L I E L Ā I E L A BAZNĪCAS vessels topped by human century, Karosta was off­limits to
KRIŠJĀŅA VA LDEMĀRA IELA A PUMPURA is a reconstruction of the ghost­town feel, with streets of
H I K A I E L A
civilians. In its heyday, it housed
figures and traditional southern
REPUBLIKAS IELA STENDERA Kurzeme costumes. Also here 40,000 personnel. Today, it has a
T O M A I E L A
One reason for visiting Karosta
sculptor Mikelis Pankoks (1894–
LUDVIĶA IELA ZIVJU IELA workshop of the fam ous huge, unoccupied buildings.
1983), who vanished in 1944 is to see the striking onion­
VITES IELA
PELD U IELA
and was presumed dead. He domed St Nicholas’s Orthodox
KUNGU IELA
House of
Ū L I H A I E L A
P E L D U I E L A
Nevsky Craftsmen had fled the country incognito, Cathedral (Sv Nikolaja pareizti­
Seaside Church TOMA IELA St Joseph’s and ended his days in a Swiss cīgo catedrāle), used as a cinema
Park LIEPU IELA ALEJAS Cathedral R A K STV E Ž U mental hospital. and gym by the Soviets. The old
SIENA IELA St Anne’s PALMU IELA BĀRIŅU IELA L Liepāja Beach Military Prison (Karostas cietums)
is now the Kurzeme region’s
Basilica
ROŽU IELA IELA
KURŠU
Occupation VEIDENBAUMA IELA Although the coast here was major tourist attraction, offer ing
Alexander Ū L I H A I E L A
DZINTARU IELA
Museum PLAVU IELA once an environmental disaster a chance to be locked up and
J J A N Š E V S K A I E L A area, it has now been thoroughly yelled at by “guards” for a couple Bird-watching tower at the Lake Pape
KRIŠJĀŅA VALDEMÃRA
cleaned up and proudly flies its of hours or overnight. Nature Reserve
K UKSTIŅA
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp301–2 and pp323–4
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