Talsi town, Latvia

Talsi – The Town of Nine Hills and Two Lakes

Talsi is one of the most picturesque and culturally rich towns in the Kurzeme region. Its defining feature is a unique topography: the town is built upon nine hills (Pilskalns, Ķēniņkalns, Leču kalns, Tiguļu kalns, Sauleskalna, Baznīckalna, Krievragkalna, Vilkmuižas kalna, and Dzirnavkalna) and cradled by two scenic lakes – Lake Talsi and Lake Vilkmuiža. This natural landscape creates a striking visual identity, often earning the town the title "The Pearl of Kurzeme."

Historical Footprints and Architecture

The name of Talsi first appeared in written records in 1231, within a treaty signed between the Papal envoy Baldwin of Alna and the local Curonians. The historic center of Talsi is a designated urban planning monument of national importance. It is characterized by late 19th and early 20th-century architecture, featuring winding cobblestone streets and low-rise buildings. The red-tiled roofs give the town a distinctive, almost Mediterranean charm. At the heart of the old town stands Baznīckalns (Church Hill), home to the Talsi Evangelical Lutheran Church. Built in 1615, it is the oldest stone structure in the town.

Modern Rhythm and Tourism Highlights

Today, Talsi thrives as a vibrant cultural and tourism hub in Western Latvia, where historic charm meets modern infrastructure. The town is widely known for its green spaces and scenic viewpoints:

• The Talsi Lake Promenade: A well-maintained wooden boardwalk encircling the lake, seamlessly connecting the urban center with nature and offering views of the lake's central fountain.

• Ķēniņkalns (The King's Hill): A historic park featuring panoramic viewpoints, modern installations like "Frame Talsi" and "Nine Hats," and the solemn "Koklētājs" monument.

• Tiguļu kalns: The highest hill in the town, hosting the Talsi Regional Museum (housed in the former Baron von Fircks manor) and a magnificent dendrological park with over 300 species of trees and shrubs.

Talsi is a place where Kurzeme’s cultural heritage, craftsmanship, and local culinary traditions are deeply cherished. Its undulating terrain offers visitors a new perspective at every turn, providing picturesque views that have inspired artists and photographers for generations.

History

Early history
A hill fort has existed in Talsi at least since the 10th century, originally inhabited by Curonians. The settlement of Talsi is mentioned in written sources for the first time in 1231 during the Middle Ages, in a contract between the elders of a Curonian tribe and the papal envoy Baldwin von Alna. During the Northern Crusades, the settlement came under German over-lordship and a castle was built in Talsi during the late 13th century. The settlement grew in the 15th century, when traders and artisans from German-speaking lands settled in Talsi. The presently visible main church of the town was inaugurated in 1567; pastor Carl Amenda [de], a close friend of Ludwig van Beethoven, worked in the church for many years. During the reign of Duke Jacob Kettler, an iron smelting furnace was constructed in Talsi, an early industrial development. The town has suffered from the plague twice (1657 and 1710) and was devastated by a large fire in 1733. The town became part of the Russian Empire in 1795 together with the rest of Courland. At that time, Baltic Germans constituted about sixty percent of the population.[3] At the end of the 18th century, Jews were allowed to settle in Talsi for the first time. Most of the Jews who settled in Talsi originally came from Lithuania and would with time come to form a substantial part of the town population. Eventually a synagogue was built in Talsi.

19th century and World War I
An elementary school opened in 1863 and a private school in 1873 (the latter was for many years the workplace of linguist Kārlis Mīlenbahs); both schools initially taught only in German. In 1887 a Russian-language school was also opened in Talsi. During the Revolution of 1905, there was unrest in the town and several houses burned down and inhabitants killed. During World War I the town suffered heavily and its population decreased from around 5,000 to about 1,100. The entire Jewish population was expelled by Russian military authorities (but some would later return). Peace was not entirely restored until 1920, with the end of the Latvian War of Independence which made Talsi part of the newly proclaimed Latvian republic.

In independent Latvia and during the 20th century
The town grew rapidly again and in 1935 had 4116 inhabitants (82% ethnic Latvians, 12% Jews and 3% Germans). The town was occupied by German troops from June 1941 right up until the end of World War II on 8 May 1945. The occupying German army used one of the buildings in Talsi as a place where they tortured prisoners; during the Soviet times a bas-relief was put up in commemoration of the victims on the wall of the house. During the Nazi occupation the town's entire Jewish population was murdered. The Germans were aided by ethnic Latvian collaborators. A single Jewish woman was hidden by a local farmer but discovered in 1944 and killed.

The 1950s and 60s were a time of relative prosperity. The town had a forceful leader in Kārlis Grīnbergs, chairman of Talsi Executive Committee (as the town now was part of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic under Soviet occupation). A metalworking plant was opened in 1965 that would attract many jobs to the town. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the re-establishment of Latvia's independence, one of the main monuments of the town, a sculpture called Koklētājs and dedicated to the Latvian freedom fighters could finally be inaugurated. It was begun during the 1930s but could not be finished until after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Culture and religion
As mentioned above, the town hosts a regional museum in the former manor house of Baron von Firck. There is also a cultural centre with a "creative yard" in the middle of the town. The town also has two libraries of which one is a children's library. There are churches of the Lutheran, Catholic, Baptist and Seventh-Day Adventist Christian faiths in Talsi. The former synagogue is today a private house. The Lutheran church, built in 1567 but reconstructed several times, is the oldest stone building in Talsi.