Things to Do in Gulbene, Latvia: Walking Guide

Gulbene is a town in Latvia’s Vidzeme region, shaped by medieval history, religious heritage, and the forests of Gulbene Municipality. The main things to do in Gulbene include visiting the site of the former medieval castle and discovering how the town’s Lutheran church preserves the memory of that earlier settlement. Neywo offers a free audio guide for Gulbene with 2 narrated places, available in 11 languages.

What to See in Gulbene

Gulbene Lutheran Church and the Medieval Castle Site

Gulbene Lutheran Church stands on the site of Gulbene Medieval Castle, also known by its German name, Schloss Schwanenburg. The castle belonged to the Archbishopric of Riga and stood near the Krustalīce stream from the fourteenth to the sixteenth century.

Russian forces destroyed the castle in 1577 during the Livonian War, and it was never rebuilt. The present church was constructed much later, between 1838 and 1843, using the ruins of the bishop’s castle. This connection makes the church one of the most significant places to visit in Gulbene for anyone interested in the town’s medieval past.

The parish was established as early as 1429, and the church was mentioned in 1519. An earlier church was destroyed when the castle was taken and blown up in 1577. A wooden church was built in 1641, followed by another wooden building in 1750, after the congregation had temporarily used rooms at the parish school.

Today, the stone and brick church is also known as Vecgulbene Lutheran Church. It is a nationally important architectural monument, preserving the link between the later place of worship and the medieval castle site.

Gulbene Municipality and the Vidzeme Landscape

Gulbene is the centre of Gulbene Municipality, a broad administrative region in Latvia’s Vidzeme area. The municipality covers about 1,872 square kilometres and was created in 2009 during Latvia’s administrative and territorial reform, bringing together the municipalities of the former Gulbene District. Its boundaries remained unchanged after the 2021 reform.

The landscape gives the area a distinctly rural character. Forests cover more than half of the municipality, extending across about 95,607 hectares. Gulbene itself lies on the southern slope of the Gulbene upland, in mostly level terrain, with the town’s highest point reaching 145 metres above sea level.

For a wider trip through the region, Gulbene can be combined with other destinations in Vidzeme, including Sigulda, Cēsis, Valmiera, or Alūksne.

Gulbene Self-Guided Walking Tour with Neywo

A Gulbene audio guide can add context while you explore. With Neywo, each story plays as you reach the place, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. The free guide includes 2 narrated places in Gulbene, and the narration is available in 11 languages.

There are no organised tours listed for Gulbene, so the app is a simple way to turn your visit into a self-guided walking experience. Listen as you arrive at the church and castle site, then continue through the town and its surrounding landscape at your own rhythm.

Download Neywo and Explore Gulbene

Download Neywo to explore Gulbene with a free audio guide covering 2 narrated places. There are no scheduled walks, groups, or fixed pace: the app tells the story of each place as you reach it, allowing you to discover Gulbene independently and in 11 available languages.

Gulbene offers a compact introduction to Latvia, combining the remains of medieval history with the architectural importance of Vecgulbene Lutheran Church and the forested landscape of its municipality.