Bunka’s buildings lie by the Vārtāja River and Bunkas Mill Lake. As the centre of Bunkas pagasts, the settlement is on road V1206. When choosing a holiday apartment, you might consider whether you want to visit Bunka mainly for its local history, church traditions, or cultural sites in the surrounding area. This lets you tailor your stay to the subjects that interest you most, without conflating the different places and occasions.
Local history by the water
Bunka’s buildings lie by the river and the mill lake; the settlement developed around the historic Bunkas muiža manor. The waterside setting and the manor’s history are two distinct points of reference: one describes where the buildings are located, the other how the settlement developed historically. The manor is a historical point of reference, while the ruins of Bunkas Church are visible today. Check current road conditions on V1206 before setting out.
Church ruins and an annual tradition
The ruins of Bunkas Church are currently visible in Bunka. Every year during the Christmas season, the local congregation holds a prayer service at the ruins. This is a seasonal occasion, not a year-round event; if you want to plan your trip around it, check the dates in advance. The first church in Bunka was dedicated to Saint Bartholomew and built in 1494. The year it was built, the ruins as they appear today, and the annual prayer service offer different perspectives on the church’s history: a historical date, a visible site and a local tradition.
Culture in the settlement
The children’s folklore group “Traistēni” meets at Bunka’s cultural centre on Tuesdays from 16:00 to 18:00. As the schedule may change, confirm the time before planning a visit around it. On 26 October 2023, the group described its performances as singing, dancing and speaking “words of power” together with the audience. If this kind of participation is what interests you, ask for confirmation of a future programme in advance; the description from that time is not a guarantee for a later date.
Cultural sites in the surrounding area
In Krote, near Bunka, the “Krotes senlietu krātuve” (Krote Antiquities Collection) is housed in the library building. It displays objects collected by residents of Krote and the surrounding area, as well as the family trees of Atis Kronvalds and Alfreds Krūklis. The collection thus brings together local objects and the life stories of two named individuals. Check current opening hours before visiting.
The Zviedru kapi hillfort is located near Šalkas, in Bunkas pagasts. It is classified as a regional-significance archaeological monument and listed in the state register of protected cultural monuments. This offers a different way of exploring the past from the objects and family trees in Krote: here, the focus is on the classification of an archaeological monument. The location near Šalkas refers to the hillfort; it should not be confused with the cultural sites in Bunka or Krote.
Annual occasions in the surrounding area also differ by location, month and purpose. During the Christmas season, the prayer service takes place at the church ruins in Bunka; in May, a memorial and commemorative event is held each year at the Alfreds Krūklis memorial tree in Krote. If a particular occasion is central to your trip, check the event dates in advance.
Discover more destinations: Dukuri, Priekule, Veselava, Jāņmuiža, Liepasmuiža, Priekuļi, Skangaļi.
For the broader travel overview: Priekuļu Novads.
