Kuldīga

Kuldīga
Town
Town hall of Kuldīga
Flag Coat of arms
Kuldīga Location in Latvia
Coordinates: 56°58′N 21°58′E / 56.967°N 21.967°E / 56.967; 21.967
Country	Latvia
District	Kuldīga municipality
Town rights	1378
Government
• Mayor	Inga Bērziņa
Area
• Total	13.2 km2 (5.1 sq mi)
Population
• Total	12 981
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code	LV-330(1–3)
Calling code	+371 633
Number of city council members	11

Kuldīga ( pronunciation ) (German: Goldingen) is a town in western Latvia. It is the center of Kuldīga Municipality with a population of approximately 13,500.

Kuldīga was first mentioned in 1242. It joined the Hanseatic League in 1368. In the 17th century, Kuldīga (along with Jelgava (Mitau)) was one of the capitals of the Duchy of Courland.

Kuldīga is the pearl of Kurzeme, Latvia's western region. It is an ancient town with unique, distinctive architecture. Saint Catherine is believed to be the patron saint of Kuldīga, and thus the oldest church of the town has been named after St Catherine. The foundation of the building was laid as early as in 1252; later the church was remodelled a number of times. The small River Alekšupīte runs through the very centre of the Kuldīga old town, along the walls of the houses. The Old Town around the small river itself is unique: it is the only remaining 17th–18th-century ensemble of this kind in the Baltic states. A 4.5 m high waterfall on the Alekšupīte is the highest in Latvia. The pride of Kuldīga is the Venta Rapid, a 240-meter wide natural rapid which is the widest in Europe. Not far from the rapid there is the Kuldīga brick bridge built in 1874, one of the longest bridges of this type in Europe. Kuldīga was recognized an EDEN destination in 2007.

The origin of the ancient town Kuldīga can be explained by its location on the crossroads: the waterways of River Venta and land routes joining the Prussian lands with the lower reaches of River Daugava. The ancient Kuldiga town of Couronians – a fortified castle mound and a settlement were located 3,5 km to the North down the River Venta on its left bank. The castle mound can be observed nowadays still. It is located on a bank of the River Venta on the foreland between the deep gully of the River Veckuldīga and the ancient valley of the Venta. The Site of the Castle itself is located in the several hectare wide area, but together with the Old City of Kuldiga – the area of more than ten hectares. There might have been a port by the River Veckuldīga.