Talsi is a city in the north-eastern part of Kurzeme, the center of Talsi region on the north-western edge of the Vanema hill in the North Kurzeme highlands. The city is known as the "city of nine hills". Talsi is the 18th largest city in Latvia in terms of population.
Talsi was first mentioned as a village on the land of
Vanema (villa Talse) in a 1231 Curonian treaty with the Pope's
envoy, Balduin, from Alna for conversion to the Christian faith. In
1422, the ancient city of Talsi was mentioned near the Curonian
Talsi castle mound (German: pilsahten to Talsen), but until 1434 the
Livonian Order built the castle of the Talsi Order in Dzirnavkalns,
which was part of the Kandava bailiff. Talsi was severely affected
by the Second Northern War, during which the plague broke out in
1657 and in 1659 Swedish soldiers destroyed the Order's castle,
which was not rebuilt later. The great plague epidemic was caused by
the Great Northern War, when in 1710 only 10 people survived in
Talsi. In 1819, Talsi became the center of the Hauptmannschaft
Talsen, which was subordinated to the Governor of Tukums. In 1894,
Talsi was granted limited city rights. During the 1905 revolution,
Talsi 3-5. In December, they completely fell into the hands of the
rebels, they were fired with cannons by a Russian punitive
expedition.
In 1917, Talsi gained city rights. Narrow gauge
railways were built from Stende wide-gauge railway station to supply
the northern coast, connecting Talsi with Mērsrags and Roja, as well
as with Dundaga, Mazirbe and along the sea shore with Ventspils. In
2009, Talsi municipality was established, which included most of the
municipalities of the former Talsi district and Talsi retained the
status of an administrative center. In the 2017 local elections,
Edgars Zelderis from the party "We - Talsi and the municipality"
became the chairman of the Talsi County Council.
Talsi is located on the north-western edge of the Vanema hill in the
North Kurzeme highlands, the territory of the city has a pronounced
hill relief. Nine Talsi hills are Talsi castle mound (where the
Curonian castle was located), Ķēniņkalns (next to the sculpture
"Koklētājs"), Saules kalns (there is a water tower), Tiguļi hill
(there is a museum), Baznīckalns (located Talsi Lutheran Church),
Dzirnavkalns once there was a mill and a stone castle of the
Livonian Order), Leču Hill (there is a monument to the victims of
1905), Krievragkalns (there is a hotel "Talsi") and Vilkmuiža Hill.
Next to Vilkmuiža lake are Krievragkalns and Vilkmuiža hill.
Dzelzupe tributary of Stende flows out of the lake. The Talsi castle
mound is located by Lake Talsi, which was previously connected to
Lake Vilkmuiža. Currently, the connection is in a hidden rainwater
collector to drain water from Lake Talsi.
Talsi castle mound
Talsi castle mound is a 30 m high and
0.4 ha Curonian castle mound, which is located opposite Lake Talsi.
The mountain was inhabited from 10 to 14. century. Talsi castle
mound is called one of the best fortified and largest Kursa castle
mounds. One of the most researched castle mounds. There have been
three notable archaeological excavations here:
No 1936-1938 under
the leadership of A. Karnup. In total, more than 4,000 antiques were
collected.
From 1992-1993. Under the leadership of J. Asars, a
1.7 meter thick layer of culture was found.
In 2001,
archeological excavations were carried out under the leadership of
G. Zemītis.
King's Hill
The name of Ķēniņkalns may have
originated from a person's surname "Ķēniņš" or it was named due to
its majesty. At the end of the 19th century, the landlord of
Pastende donated this land to the city to set up a park there, so it
was later called the City Garden. It hosted balls, outdoor
performances, concerts and sporting events until the 1960s.
At the foot of Ķēniņkalns there is a monument "Koklētājs", which was
created in memory of Latvian freedom fighters. Its author is Kārlis
Zemdega, although the monument was planned to be erected in 1930,
but it was completed only in 1996 according to the plaster model
created by the author, sculptor Vilis Titāns.
Tiguļi hill
Tiguļi Hill is the highest mountain in Talsi, 105 m above sea level.
At the top of the hill is an oak plantation in the shape of a
circle, which indicates that it may have been an update of an
ancient cult site. At the foot of the hill is a dendrological park,
where you can see 270 different trees.
Every year in the
first week of June, the open-air "Outdoor Music in Tiguļkalns" takes
place on Tiguļi Hill, organized by Raimonds Tiguls.
Sauleskalns
Sauleskalns is 94 m high. It is believed that
Sauleskalns, Ķēniņkalns and Baznīckalns were once interconnected
with visors, so it was possible to determine the calendar time and
it was used to observe sunrises and sunsets.
There is an
open-air stage in Sauleskalns, which was built in 1960. In summer,
various cultural events take place there. The staging is built in
the form of an amphitheater.
Baznīckalns/ Church Hill
The church hill is mentioned in ancient writings as a place of
ancestral worship. At the top of the hill is the Talsi Evangelical
Lutheran Church, built in 1567, which is considered to be the oldest
stone building in Talsi. Karl Ferdinand Amenda, a friend of Ludwig
Van Beethoven's youth, once served in this church.
Dzirnavkalns/ Mill
Dzirnavkalns (formerly called Sudmalkalns) is
an 87 m high hill located opposite Lake Vilkmuiža. The hill got this
name due to the fact that Dutch windmills operated there in the 19th
century, but they were burned down in 1922. The stone castle of the
Order of German Knights was once located here. The mill hill is
considered to be the place of worship of the ancient ancestors,
because at the beginning of the 15th century the Livonian Order
built a stone castle in this place.
Vilkmuiža hill
Vilkmumuiža hill is 77 m high and is located at the foot of
Vilkumuiža lake. It is believed that the mountain and the lake got
such a name due to the fact that many lupines grew at the foot of
the lake or because a raging owner called a werewolf lived there.
Lake Vilkmuiža is a peculiar burial place of ancient Curonian
fires in the period from 11 to 14. century. Around 4,000 antiquities
have been found in the area through various archaeological research.
Krievragkalns
Krievragkalns is 79 m high. The hill got its
name due to the fact that at the end of the 19th century an Orthodox
church and a school building were built here on the land of Talsi
state or crown manor. In 1972, the Orthodox Church was blown up.
Leču hill
Leču hill is 83 m high. It got its name thanks to
the "Leču" house, whose properties were located here before World
War II.
At the top of the hill is a monument from 1905 to
1907. participants in the 2006 revolution. The monument was erected
in honor of the shooting of six participants in the Talsi armed
uprising. The monument was created by the sculptor O. Nigule, it was
erected in 1980. A fragment from Rainis' poem "Talsi Court" is
engraved on the monument.