The Old Brick Bridge

The Old Brick Bridge over the Venta River is one of Kuldīga’s best-known landmarks and a nationally protected architectural monument. It is the third longest brick bridge in Europe and the second oldest brick arch bridge in Latvia.

It is known with certainty that the banks of the Venta River at Kuldīga were already connected by a bridge in the early 15th century. In 1438, the Commander (Komtur) of Kuldīga informed the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order that a new bridge had been built across the Venta to replace one that had collapsed. This was a wooden bridge supported by stone piers. The road into the town crossed the bridge through the castle’s outer bailey, and the section closest to the castle was a drawbridge.

There are several accounts of the fate of this medieval bridge. One version states that it was destroyed in the great fire that swept through Kuldīga in 1615. Another relates that on New Year’s Day in 1615 part of the bridge was carried away by the river’s current. Duke Wilhelm immediately ordered it to be rebuilt, but on 20 March spring floodwaters swept it away again, leaving only the masonry piers standing.

For the next 259 years, the town was without a bridge. During this period, people crossed the Venta at three fords or used a ferry. One ford was located upstream from the Venta Rapid (Ventas Rumba), another downstream from where the Alekšupīte Stream flows into the Venta, and a third several hundred metres farther downstream. However, during spring and autumn, when the current became too strong, crossing the river was impossible. Narrow streets led to these crossing points; today they survive only as footpaths, having lost their original purpose once a permanent bridge was built.

Over the centuries, the importance of the overland route between Kuldīga and Riga steadily increased. During the first half of the 19th century, plans were drawn up for a new bridge across the Venta, but the project was never realised.

The present brick bridge over the Venta was constructed in 1873–1874 according to the road engineering standards of the Russian Empire. The design specified a total width of 35 feet, including a carriageway measuring 21 feet and 9 inches, while the planned length of the bridge was 538 feet. Its width was calculated to allow two horse-drawn carriages travelling in opposite directions to pass one another safely.

The bridge is attributed to engineer Friedrich Stapprani (1837–1914) and architect Otto Dietze (1833–1890). A marble plaque at one end of the bridge also commemorates Paul von Lilienfeld, Governor of Courland, who oversaw the construction of the project.

During the First World War, in 1915, the retreating Russian army demolished two spans of the bridge on the right bank. In 1926, the damaged sections were rebuilt using reinforced concrete. In 1958, the original cobblestone surface was covered with asphalt. In 2008, the bridge was restored to its historic appearance.

After dark, the bridge is beautifully illuminated, highlighting its elegant arches and historic character.