InstaTrip Pt.4 – Kurzeme 2

The InstaTrip Pt. 4, which is the one the article is going to be about, was organised by the Latvian travel agency again (meaning – the first one, to which I went and covered in my blog, was also organised by them).

Watch the official InstaTrip video which was created by
Arvids (Eaglewood Films)
click here for the video

See all our pictures on Instagram under #EnjoyLatvia and #InstaTripLV hashtags

Introduction

This time our group consisted of pretty serious photographers. We had a photographer team, videographer team and above all – a special guest from Ireland, Conor MacNeill (@thefella). Some of the participants I had already met before but some I just knew because of Instagram. We were following each other on social media. It almost felt like we already knew each other. The trip lasted three days this time, which honestly is a happiness overload.

I will go through the most memorable places according to me in order. Let’s get to the fun part and not waste anymore more space.

Engure Nature Park

For me, the best places to photograph is in nature and preferably with animals. That is exactly what the Engure Nature Park is about. Wild cows and horses are freely roaming inside the large fenced area. We had to earn our close-up shots by jumping over (or making a little bridge which consists of few larger sticks) the swampy area which was a little bit more than 2 meters wide in the narrowest place. Some of us could just use the zoom lenses to get those shots. But for someone like me, who owns only a prime lens right now, I just had to work for it. Also, It was a great experience to be so close to the animals. The cows didn’t seem to mind our presence at all. One calf was so curious that it came over to me and licked my knee while I was trying to take the best picture of the calf possible in those conditions.

Visiting Kuldiga

This city used to be a mystery for me. Now, that I have been there two times, the mystery, for the most part, is solved but nevertheless, the city is beautiful and still is full of pleasant surprises. We did some city touring while capturing the beautiful city views. In the evening we had a wonderful lunch at the restaurant called “Pagrabiņš” which literally means cellar. Great atmosphere and above all – incredible food to enjoy. I definitely recommend the place to everyone who visits Kuldiga.

Edole Castle

Another interesting stop was an Edole castle.

The castle was built for the bishop of Piltene between 1264 and 1267. It was rebuilt in the 16th century and from 1561 until 1920 it was the property of the Baltic-German Baron von Behr and his descendants. (source & read more: here)

Edole castle from above!

Since I have two Instagram accounts where I showcase my work (hobby), I was excited about the opportunity to capture something for my personal account style. The inside of the castle was incredible. Neat and fancy looking. Now I understand why this place is pretty popular for weddings.

Pavilosta

This was the first time when I visited Pavilosta and it was amazing! Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect and what could I see there. We went to explore the Pavilosta village, some went for a SUP (stand up paddle) ride. Also, we had some fish tasting and dinner later. I will just let pictures speak for themselves.

Well, I love fish. And seafood in general. That could partly explain my sushi addiction. It was amazing to watch this man preparing the fish. The fish was freshly caught from the sea as the Pavilosta is located at the seaside. Just looking at the pictures makes me hungry.

Also, not far from the Pavilosta, you can find a place called Strante. There is an amazing steep shore. We went there to capture the magical evening and sunset.

Northern forts

Not much of a surprise but also to this place I went for the first time. I mean, this place literally left me speechless.

Liepaja Breakwater

Northern forts

Yellow

Pape Nature Park

And the last stop on the third day was at the Pape Nature Park, which also is a home for wild horses and wild cows. Unlike in Engure Nature Park, here we were guided by a woman who knows what to do in every situation as these animals are hard to predict. (more info about the Pape NP – here).

She told us that if a bull is running towards you, you shouldn’t move at all and the bull will just pass you instead of running into you. But if you are going to flee, then it might hurt you. For us, as a group, the safest option was to form a dense group and that way they wouldn’t want to test our nerves.

End of the trip

I’m so glad that I have been selected for this kind of endeavour. The Instagram community is still growing and the wave hit Latvia in the best way possible. I have heard about Instagram meetings and just a little bit about Instagram trips but nothing, that I would know off, stands near to our InstaTrips created by the Latvia travel agency. Thank you guys for everything!

All the photographers:

Artcervus, Hellounda, Valdisskudre, thefella, yourlifevibe, arvids, gaujenietis, lindarutule

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All photos are taken by me
(except the one which is featured from Instagram)

 

I hope you enjoyed the post!