Lielirbe stretches along both banks of the Irbe for about six kilometres, as far as its mouth at the sea. The bridge over the river is the village’s only way to cross the Irbe. As a travel destination, Lielirbe combines orientation along the Irbe with named hiking and cycling routes and a layered local history.

Bridge, Hiking Trails and Cycling Connections

The bridge, renewed in 2020, is open for use and can be safely used by pedestrians and cyclists. At the same time, no more than eight people may be on the bridge at once. The long-distance hiking route Jūrtaka crosses the bridge; cyclists can use it on the international cycling routes EuroVelo 13 and EuroVelo 10. It also serves a specific purpose for the historic nature trail “Līvzemes Mazbānīša taka”: the restored bridge enables pedestrians and cyclists to use the trail. When planning routes, you can distinguish between them by type: Jūrtaka as a long-distance hiking route, EuroVelo as an international cycling route, and the Līvzemes trail as a historic nature trail. Route alignments may change, so check the current route of your chosen trail before setting out.

River Landscape and Seasonal Restriction

The Lielirbe area borders the Ovīši Nature Reserve. The section of Jūrtaka near Lielirbe passes a seasonal nature reserve at the mouth of the Irbe; access there is prohibited from 1 April to 1 August. Bear this time restriction in mind when planning the Jūrtaka section.

Harbour, Ships and the Changing Village

The name Lielirbe appears in an arbitration document from 1387 in the form “Irvemünde”. A harbour in Lielirbe is marked on a map from the second half of the 17th century. In the late 19th century, the small harbour was an active centre for the timber trade and transport. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, more sailing ships were launched at Lielirbe than in any other coastal village in Courland. In the 1920s and 1930s, Lielirbe was the only Livonian coastal village with a Livonian majority. In 1939, it had about 70 houses and around 300 residents. After the Second World War, Lielirbe disappeared as one of the largest villages. The information about the Livonian majority and the number of houses and residents highlights different aspects of the village: its cultural composition and its size at the time.

Livonian Culture, School and Archaeological Sites

The first school in Lielirbe opened in 1872 as an Orthodox primary school and operated until the First World War. Lielirbe’s Baptist prayer house has been preserved as a significant Livonian cultural monument. An interactive computer informs visitors about the history of the prayer house and its importance to the region’s spiritual life. Several burial mounds in Lielirbe are classified as archaeological monuments. The school represents the educational and religious history of the Orthodox community in the 19th century; the Baptist prayer house complements it with another religious tradition.

Discover more destinations: Akmeņdziras, Ugāle, Liepene, Pope, Usma, Ventspils, Zūras, Ziras.

Go to the main travel overview: Ventspils.