Ventas Rumba

Ventas Rumba is only about two metres high, but it spreads up to 270 metres across the Venta, which makes it, on width, the widest waterfall in Europe. For centuries people have watched fish try to leap it on their way upstream, a spectacle once so reliable that fish were caught in baskets in mid-air.

History

The town of Kuldīga grew up here because the falls blocked the medieval shipping route on the Venta. In the mid-17th century Duke Jacob Kettler of Courland began a bypass canal on the right bank but gave it up because the dolomite was too hard, and in spring high water still fills the shallow cut, forming Martin's island (Wikipedia, Venta Rapid).

Highlights

• The full width of the falls - a long low curtain of water across the whole river, best seen from the old brick bridge downstream.
• Leaping fish - in spring, vimba and other fish jump the ledge on their spawning run.
• The Kuldiga brick bridge - one of the longest brick road bridges in Europe, framing the falls.
• Riverside town - the falls sit right at the edge of Kuldiga's wooden old town.

When to go

Spring for high water and the leaping fish; summer for warm water and swimming below the ledge, which locals do. Autumn is quiet and photogenic with the old town behind.

What to expect

Do not expect height - this is width and setting, not a thundering cascade. In a dry summer the flow drops and it can look modest. The real reward is the falls together with Kuldiga's old town and bridge, not the drop alone.

Nearby

Kuldiga's UNESCO-listed wooden old town wraps around the falls; the Riezupe sand caves are a short drive out of town.

Key facts