Town routes

The meandering little streets of the old town with the cobblestone pavement, old buildings, doors and balconies created by blacksmiths and wood workers, seem to be made just for walks, but the town centre with the fountain and the illuminated church clock offer a nice place for rendezvous.

If you prefer a stroll, then, once you reach the town centre, the Brīvības Square is the best place to start exploring the town, because right here is the Tukums Town History Museum “Castle Tower”, where you can learn about the town’s history and understand how Tukums developed into the town that it is today. On the other side of the square, from the 20 m tall viewing tower of the Holy Trinity Tukums Lutheran Church, you can observe the Old Tukums from above.

In the exhibitions of the Tukums Art Museum, you can see art works that epitomize the 20th century painting of Latvia. Further on, you can stroll through the Old Town and historic centre of Tukums, which took its shape already in 14th–18th centuries, and today’s visual image developed further in the last 100–150 years. Here, on Harmonijas, Dārza, Zirgu, Jaunā, Talsu and Lielā streets, you will notice many antique-looking, little touched buildings, the old cobblestone road surface and window frames and doors adorned by woodworkers and blacksmiths. At the Harmonijas Street, you can visit the art workshop “Antīks” , where two artists are busy at work: the furniture restorer Leons Čivlis and the painter Ingemāra Treija-Čivle. The workshop is next to the Roman Catholic Church of St. Stefan in Tukums.

If you go on a stroll with your better half, a thought might cross your mind: “As if just for us.. so quiet.. nobody else is here..”. As you carry on, you will reach the New Market Square. It is referred to as the new one because it was established only in early 20th century (before then, it was on Brīvības Square). Here, nearly 100 years ago, during construction works, ancient burial grounds were uncovered in the corner of Dārza and Raiņa streets, which confirmed scientists’ assumptions that Tukums is an old settlement of the Liv tribe. Once in the market square or when visiting it, try to spot a brown three-storey building hiding amongst trees. This is Tukums Rainis Gymnasium; the poet Rainis took part at the event of laying its foundation stone in 1927. Nearby, on what is now known as Tidaholmas Street, is the Tukums Museum Weavers’ Workshop. This place is worth visiting if you are interested in finding out how a yarn is made into a throw and to see the colourful folk costumes typical of the area of Tukums.

Upon return from the market square, walk down Elizabetes and Uguns streets, where, despite multiple serious and vast fires, 19th century construction can still be seen. Elizabetes Street will take you back to Brīvības Square, where the creative workshop “Ligzda” has settled on a second floor of its host building. Whereas in the nearby Katrīnas Square, you will find the poem “Tukums” by Imants Ziedonis, which Tukums Katrīna looks at from afar.

When you are on Pils Street, you can look at architecturally the most elaborate buildings in Tukums. Here, nearly 100 years ago, the first three-storey buildings with lavish decors appeared in the town, hosting mostly posh rental apartments, hotels and shops. This tradition still survives today. The Tukums Russian Orthodox Church of St. Nikolajs is situated on Pils Street; it is usually open to travellers, and it boasts with 18th and 19th century icons. Once you reach the end of Pils Street, do not skip the nearby Dārzniecības Street. This is where the Straw Workshop-Museum — the first in Latvia — is now open. Here, you can explore a range of decorative straw figures and souvenirs: dwarves, devils, witches, frogs, rabbits, cats and much more.

When you walk this route, you can use the Tukums audio guide offer to listen to 9 stories about 9 objects in Tukums town centre. If you wish to continue the road and explore Tukums even more, we recommend using the route “The large circle around the town”.