City guide
Daugavpils: Latvia’s Fortress City on the Daugava River
Daugavpils, Latvia’s second-largest city, is defined by its 19th-century red-brick fortress district beside the Daugava River. The compact city offers quick access from its historic core to pine forest lakes in the surrounding countryside, near borders with Lithuania and Belarus.
Fast facts
- Country
- Latvia
- Region
- Latgale
- Population
- Approx. 82,000
- Founded
- 1275
- Known for
- Daugavpils Fortress, Mark Rothko Art Centre, railway heritage, multicultural community
Daugavpils is a city shaped by its Tsarist military past and distinctive location in southeastern Latvia.
The urban area centers on the Cietoksnis fortress complex, whose extensive barracks and walls remain prominent. The city’s legal status as separate from surrounding districts covers about 72 square kilometers, enabling straightforward travel from the historic center to nearby natural sites like pine forest lakes.
Travelers here will find museums and historic architecture chiefly concentrated in the fortress and central city districts, with Latvia’s euro currency in use and summer months offering the warmest weather and longest daylight hours.
Cietoksnis Fortress
Visit the 19th-century red-brick fortress complex whose barracks still dominate Daugavpils’ riverside and anchor its historic district.
Pine Forest Lakes
The compact municipality allows quick access from city streets to quiet lakes surrounded by pine forests in the nearby countryside.
Museums in the Core
Most museums and historic architecture are found between the fortress district and the central city area, offering insight into local heritage.
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