The Hidden River · 2 min read

Alekšupīte, the River That Runs Along the Houses

A river narrow enough to step across, running tight against the back walls of the old town.

The Venta gets the attention, but the small river is the one people photograph. The Alekšupīte runs straight through the centre of Kuldīga, and for one stretch it flows hard against the walls of the buildings themselves. No bank, no railing, just water and then masonry. People call it the Venice of Latvia, which is pushing it a bit, but the effect really is odd and worth a look.

One town, the widest waterfall in Europe and the tallest in Latvia, and neither of them is big.

It holds a record too. The waterfall on the Alekšupīte is 4.2 metres high, which makes it the tallest in Latvia. Which is funny, because the widest waterfall in Europe is a few streets away. Same town, both records, and neither of them is big.

The river is easy to miss if you only walk the main streets, because for much of its course it’s below eye level or behind buildings. Follow it on foot rather than looking for a viewpoint. It appears and disappears between houses, under small bridges, and along the backs of gardens.

It’s a short detour from anywhere in the centre, and it works well as the second half of a walk that starts at the waterfall.

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