Gulbene’s history is reflected in very different places: in a church built on castle ruins, in an exhibition on the town’s history, and at sites connected with railway heritage. There are also walking routes with clearly differing lengths and walking times, as well as parkland with hills and small ponds. Depending on whether you are interested in architecture, railways or a walk, you can tailor your stay accordingly.
Church, the town’s origins and a monument
Gulbene Lutheran Church was built between 1838 and 1843 on the ruins of the castle. Its location on a hill in a bend of the Krustalīce connects the church building with the area considered to be the town’s original centre. This brings together the building’s history and the historical development of the town centre.
A monument to Martin Luther stands beside the church. It was unveiled in 1883 in honour of his 400th birthday. The church and monument thus represent different forms of remembrance: the building points to the time when it was constructed and the older site, while the monument commemorates a specific anniversary. For those interested in cultural history, this is an illustrative starting point for considering these two aspects separately.
Collection and hands-on activities at Vecgulbene Manor
In the granary of Vecgulbene Manor, the “Tautsaimniecība” exhibition displays more than 1,300 collection objects connected with Gulbene’s history. It combines this historical collection with practical activities: visitors can grind flour using hand mills and spin linen yarn. This makes the visit more than a tour of objects, also involving traditional hands-on skills.
The manor also has a landscape park. Mīlas kalniņš and Kafijas kalniņš, along with small ponds, shape its landscape. These features provide a different focus from the exhibition: rather than collection items, the emphasis here is on the park’s design and its named features. If you are interested in both cultural history and landscapes, the two complement each other, without requiring a particular order of visit.
Railway heritage at the depot and station
At the Gulbene Depot, you can see the repair workshops, the Gr-319 “Ferdinands” steam locomotive, and other narrow-gauge rolling stock. A depot visit therefore includes both the workshops and specific examples of rolling stock. Seeing a named locomotive and other vehicles offers a different way to explore railway history than an exhibition about its development.
The educational and interactive centre “Dzelzceļš un Tvaiks” is located at Gulbene Railway Station. The historic station building is associated with Latvia’s cultural and industrial heritage. At the centre, visitors can explore the development of the railway sector and future trends using 30 interactive devices. Advance booking is required. Take this requirement into account when planning; it applies to visits to the centre.
Walking routes and parkland
In the Spārīte and Emze park area, the Heinrich Trail and the Marisa Trail differ in both length and route. The Heinrich Trail is a 3.2-kilometre linear walking route with an estimated walking time of about one hour. The Marisa Trail is shorter at 2.2 kilometres, follows a circular route, and is described as taking about 40 minutes to walk. If you are choosing between them, you can use these time estimates and the route type as a guide: one trail is linear, while the other forms a loop.
Spārīte Park has the status of a natural monument of local significance. Together with the trails in the park area and the landscape of the manor park, it reveals another side of Gulbene beyond its church, collection and railway. For planning a walk, the specific differences between the two routes are most useful; if nature is your main focus, Spārīte Park’s designated protection status is an additional consideration.
Discover more destinations
Velēna, Litene, Daukstes, Namsadi, Galgauska, Lizums, Ranka, Stāķi
For the overview of the wider travel region: Gulbenes Novads.
