Abava River valley.

Section 94. Renda – Sabile.

The section of the Abava from Kandava to its estuary to the Venta, which is located in the territory of the nature park “Abavas senleja”, is the most impressive section of the river valley in Kurzeme in terms of landscape and land relief. The depth of the Abava valley reaches 30–40 m, the width – more than 300 m. The Abava valley is distinguished not only by great biodiversity (> 800 plant species), habitat diversity and natural monuments – springs, waterfalls, rock outcrops, boulders, but also by many castle mounds, churches, ancient cemeteries, cultural landscapes and small towns, Kandava and Sabile, the centres of which are urban monuments. In the nature park, making campfires and putting up tents is only allowed in places designated and equipped for that purpose. Already during the reign of Duke Jacob of Courland (1642–1682), grapes were grown on the Sabile Wine Hill, from which the sour Courland (Kurzeme) wines were made. The tradition of growing grapes in the Abava valley has survived to the present day.