Daugavpils

📍 Destination Overview

Daugavpils lies in southeastern Latvia, in the Latgale region on the Daugava River, near the borders with Lithuania and Belarus. It is Latvia's second-largest city, a cross-cultural eastern city quite different in character from the west, with a large Russian-speaking population and a strong Orthodox and Catholic atmosphere. The city's most important heritage is the Daugavpils Fortress (Dinaburg Fortress) — a vast military fortress built in the early 19th century during the Tsarist era, with its intact star-shaped bastion layout, moats, thick walls, barracks and Neoclassical building ensemble, making it one of the best-preserved fortresses of its kind in the Baltic region and even Eastern Europe; strolling through it, you can feel its former military grandeur. What made this city famous in the art world is that it gave birth to Mark Rothko, the 20th-century master of Abstract Expressionism — the American art giant known worldwide for his signature large, hazy color-field paintings was born here in 1903 (then called Dvinsk). The fortress now houses the Rothko Art Center, displaying reproductions of his works and related art, a pilgrimage site for art lovers. The city also has a Church Hill of varied churches. The star-shaped fortress, Rothko's art and the multicultural border city make Daugavpils profound and unique.

☀️ Best Time to Visit & Climate

🎯 Daugavpils Experiences

🚌 Transport & Stays