I am honoured to welcome you in our dear, old town – Kuldīga!

     The priorities, strategy and investment policy of town development – these are the main issues we would like to offer.

     Kuldīga is an attractive place to work and live in ,but it will probably never become a large industrial town. Its charm and uniqueness is created by its environment of a medieval town, tile roofs, the widest waterfall in Europe, one of the longest brick bridges in Europe, the historical centre in the Venta Valley which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. It is not only places and sightseeing objects but also people who are proud of their town, it is our traditional town festival which is the best and most attractive weekend event in Latvia.

    In 2007 Kuldīga was awarded the European Destination of Excellence in Latvia.

    The main branches of business in our town are trade, wood- processing, construction and different services.

    The advantages of Kuldīga are the following: clear economic development priorities and strategy. The town can offer territories for economic activities, skilled employees, advantegeous  geographical location and opportunities to make use of these advantages to develop main branches of entrepreneurship.

    Disadvantages – lack of railway, the main motorways do not cross the territory of our district, lack of oil and gas pipelines.

    Kuldīga District Council cannot support entrepreneurs directly but we can create favourable conditions for entrepreneurship. We try to encourage and to create favourable conditions for entrepreneurship. We try to encourage entrepreneurs to restore old buildings in the historical centre and at the same time we as a municipality offer to reconstruct the streets cobbling them and thus with common effort we can create the atmosphere of a medieval town. Likewise, we invite entrepreneurs to develop production, establish Business Park and create new jobs but we as a municipality offer to build a street in the common territory. It is clear to us that brain in business is more important than business muscles that means – what can’t be achieved by force, can be achieved by wisdom. Not vice versa.

     We would like to organise a Public Private Partnership in Kudīga. Investments are necessary for old, historical buildings, for creating the live museum and historical environment, workshops for artists and craftsmen, cafes, hotels, a combined heat and power cogeneration station, private kindergartens and other things.

I really hope that our town will give you a chance to implement your plans!

Inga Bērziņa, Mayor of Kuldīga District Council