The Special Little Lakeside Town of Ludza, Latvia

Time again and again, I’m reminded why I love visiting small towns. While I spend a lot of time bouncing between cities and large towns, it’s small towns like Ludza in Latvia that often leave a big impression on me. Places such as Ludza in the Latgale region out east can be a risk, after all you don’t know whether spending your precious time there will be worth it. But when unknown places pay off it can be really great. After all, that’s what this blog is all about – sharing smaller destinations that are worth your time.

Town of Ludza

Rather than jumping into the things to see there, it’s worth providing a little info on Ludza. The town is really quite small, with fewer than 10,000 people there. It kind of makes sense though given that it’s way out towards the Russian border in the Latgale region. And yet it’s one of the main towns of the region because Latgale is quite sparsely populated. Other interesting facts about Ludza are that it has a sizeable ethnic Russian population and a large Catholic community.

In terms of the history of Ludza, much of its past relates to its position by the Russian border. Although Ludza dates back to at least the 12th century, it wasn’t very significant until the Livonian Order built their castle there. Even still it didn’t get towns right until 1777 when it was under Russian rule. The other main thing to know about Ludza was that it had quite a major Jewish population. That is until Ludza was occupied by the Germans in WWII and its Jewish community was murdered en masse.

Ludza Castle Ruins

Easily the main attraction in Ludza is the haunting ruins of Ludza Castle. Set among an open hilltop plain, all that’s left of this medieval castle are several tall crumbling walls. And yet, those walls are enough to give you a good idea of what this castle must have looked like. Built by the Livonian Order much like castles found in Sigulda and Cesis, it dates back to 1399. Thanks to its proximity with Russia, this frontier castle saw quite a lot of combat over the years. No wonder then why it’s been in ruins since 1765, but also how it has become a symbol of the town.

Church of the Assumption

The other hilltop landmark you’ll come across in Ludza is the pretty white Church of the Assumption. This church sits at the top of a long street through town making it hard to miss, but so do it spires for that matter. As you’re heading up you’ll pass a little shrine on the left and the markers on the right make it feel like you’re climbing to a local calvary chapel. It’s worth taking a look inside once you reach the church as it has quite an attraction interior. That’s not only because it had what looked like wedding decorations inside when I was there, but the floor tiles are interesting as well.

Lakes of Ludza

This part of eastern Latvia is dotted with hundreds of lakes and Ludza is no exception. There are two lakes either side of the town centre, with several more just a little further out. Called Mazais Ludzas ezers or Small Lake and Lielais Ludzas ezers or Great Lake, you won’t need help working out what’s going on here. But it’s not only their relative sizes that separates the lakes. 

In my opinion, the prettier of the two is definitely the Small Lake. Surrounded by houses and with lily pads on its surface, it makes for a beautiful scene as you can see above. The Great Lake, on the other hand, is huge and a bit more wild. It seems to be more of a place for swimming and taking boats out onto the water.

Gentle Town Streets

As you go about seeing the above sights, you’ll have the chance to wander through many of the town’s streets. Being a small town with next to no tourists, it’s super quiet during the middle of the day. This means you can take your time as you admire the humble houses found about town. I’ve mentioned time and again how charming I find these simple brick and weatherboard homes in the Baltic. Without them, I don’t places like Latvia would feel the same. 

Travel Tips for Visiting Ludza

Given that Ludza is quite an obscure tourist destination, you’ll probably want advice on how to visit. To reach Ludza with public transport, you’ll first need to get to either Rezekne or Daugavpils and get the bus from there. The bus station is right in the heart of town, making it super convenient to get to and from. Honestly, I was surprised how easy it was to to get there by bus.

The other challenge though is finding somewhere to stay, with very few accommodation options in Ludza. I stayed at Hotel Lucia right in the centre of town, which was a fairly standard budget hotel, if a little expensive. But with few other options around, it does the job.

Are you interested in visiting Ludza in eastern Latvia after reading this travel blog post? Do you like to take a gamble on small towns when you travel? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

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