Kuldīga (pronunciationⓘ) (German: Goldingen) is a town in the Courland region of Latvia, in the western part of the country.

[8] Kuldīga is an ancient town in Latvia's western region of Kurzeme with distinctive architecture, which is included in the list of the UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.

The Old Town around the small river itself is the only[dubious – discuss] remaining 17th–18th-century ensemble of this kind in the Baltic states.

The ancient Kuldiga town of Couronians – a fortified castle mound and a settlement were located 3,5 km to the North down the River Venta on its left bank.

On April 19, 1242 the Livonian Order of Knights received the master's permission to build a castle on the banks of River Venta.

The Castle of the Livonian Order of Knights was built on the left bank of River Venta by the ford, and the dolomite from the riverbed was used as the construction material.

On April 28, 1355, the Order's master Goswin von Herike [de; et; lt; lv; ru] allocated new land areas.

The Komtur lived in the Castle of Livonian Order together with his twelve brothers being knights and with so-called stepbrothers who took care of the economic life.

When the duke Gotthard died, the dukedom was divided into two parts and till 1618 Kuldiga was the residence of his youngest son Wilhelm and a capital of Kurzeme.

So the centre of the town was moved from the old place near by the St. Catherine's Church to the present Square of the City Council.

After several centuries, Kuldiga got a new bridge across the River Venta (1873–74), a new Town Hall was built (1868), the Orthodox Parish House and a church in Liepājas iela, a prison (which is a post office nowadays), the House of Latvian Society (which is the Centre for Culture nowadays), the German 'Gymnasium' (secondary school) in Kalna iela 19 and other buildings as well.

The 'historical city centre, which developed in the 17th and 18th centuries, has still preserved the old wooden buildings which form small and narrow streets.

In spring, one can watch the fish jumping up the ledge; due to this, Kuldīga was once famous as a "place where they catch salmon in the air".

[13] The Alekšupīte River flows directly along the walls of many buildings which is why Kuldīga has been called the Venice of Latvia.

One of the most successful rulers of the Duchy of Courland, Duke Jacob was baptized in this church, and his wedding to Princess Louise Charlotte of Brandenburg also took place here.

One of the largest buildings in Kuldiga (1905 street 6) known for its splendorous interior in marble with gilded details, is the Jewish synagogue.

Most of the first immigrants came from north western German territories, but around the mid-17th century unrest in Poland caused an influx of Jews from that region.

By the 18th century, the Jewish population of Kurzeme played an active role in the economic life of the province.

The roof ornaments which can be seen in old photographs of the synagogue are still missing: three bare plinths, like chimneys, mark the gables on either side of the building.