II WW2, IV Soviet Occupation, III National Partizans

Otrais pasaules karš un tā sekas - padomju okupācija Dienvidlatvijā un Latgalē

Day 1.

95 km

Liepāja - Skrunda - Saldus

Practical info

Sights

Cattle wagon used for deportations – museum at Skrunda train station

To commemorate the deportations of June 1941 and March 1949, a memorial stone and a four-axle wagon, which also serves as the museum dedicated to deportations, was erected at the Skrunda railway station. This is the first wagon-type museum in Latvia that holds a permanent exhibit of photos, letters, memoirs, documents and various items made by the people deported from the Skrunda station. Skrunda station was a location where deportees were gathered, and one of the three stations in the region to which people from the Skrunda and the Kuldīga area were brought. In 1941, the family of the first President of the restored Republic of Latvia, Guntis Ulmanis, was deported from here to Krasnoyarsk Krai in Siberia.

With the help of deportations, the Soviets dealt with supporters of the national partizans’ and at the same time intimidated the remaining rural population, forcing them to join the collective farms.

Saldus German Soldiers' Cemetery

Saldus German soldier's cemetery is located on the Saldus-Ezere highway. Around 25,000 German soldiers, as well as some Latvian legionnaires, were reburied in the 8-hectare cemetery. Reburial has been taking place since 1997.

From May 1 to October 1, an exposition on the Battle of Kurzeme can be seen in the memorial room. During this period, the memorial room is open on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., on Saturdays and Sundays the cemetery also has a tour guide. The registers of soldiers buried in Saldus German soldiers' graves and fallen soldiers throughout Latvia are also available.

Liepāja Military Port

The norther part of the Liepāja fortress includes the so-called military port, which was opened to the public after the restoration of Latvia’s independence.  The forts, defensive batteries, the Orthodox Sea Cathedral of St Nicholas, a water tower, a sports hall, the port’s prison, the northern breakwater, and the rotating bridge of Oskars Kalpaks are all interesting destinations.

Places to eat



 

Places to stay