Standing at the edge of Cape Kolka, you will invariably feel its remoteness and get the impression to stand at the end of the world. However, it was Krishjanis Valdemars, one of Latvia’s most prominent and influential citicens in the 19thcentury, who was to find out:
If you draw a line on a map of Europe, starting at the farthest point of the Kara River in the north-east (i.e. the northern end of the Ural mountains, the border line between Europe and Asia)and ending in the south-west at the farthest point at Cape St. Vincent in Portugal, and then draw a second line starting from the farthest point in the north-west at the North Cape in Norway and extending to the farthest point in the south-east at Cape Matapan in Greece, then you will find both these lines crossing in the Baltic Sea, close to Cape Kolka in Courland. Hence, here is the centre of Europe and recognising this lets our hearts swell.
The Irbe Strait, running between Cape Kolka in the south and the Serve peninsula in the north, is the most dangerous spot when navigating the Baltic Sea. It is here, close to Cape Kolka, where the most shipwrecks occurred in the Baltic Sea and where the largest number of wrecks are buried in the sand at the bottom of the sea. Evidence of these shipwrecks – bigger or smaller parts – get still washed up to the shore by stormy seas. It happened only in September of 2010 that the biggest wreck part so far in history has been washed out of the shallows (just outside Ushi) and salvaged from there, after a heavy storm.
There is a large visitors’ car park including an information centre available in close walking distance to the Cape. Within business hours, local souvenirs can also be bought there.
Watch the sun rise and set!
Because of its exposed location, Cape Kolka is the only spot in Latvia, where you can watch both sunrise from and sunset into the horizon over the sea. Doing so has become a standing habit for many of our visitors, because no single sunrise or sunset equals the others. Just observe by yourself!