Sabile is a small, romantic town located at the most beautiful and deepest part of ancient Abava River Valley, south of Talsi County. The town undeniably has its charm – the Abava River and the small, narrow streets. The symbol of Sabile Town is Sabile Wine Hill, which has been registered in Guinness Book of World Records as the most northern vineyard in the world, where the grapes grow in open-air. You can also see a bunch of grapes in the coat of arms of Sabile. The town formed on both sides of Abava Valley’s 2-kilometre-wide slopes for 4 kilometres. In the past an important trade and war road went through Abava Valley. Already in the 10th century there was a fortified, ancient town at Sabile Hillfort. Once the Couronians, and then, more than 1000 years before them, the Livonians inhabited the territory of this town. It is believed that the building of the Order castle started in 1300. The castle was built between the current Sabile School and the bus terminal. A populated territory near the castle began to form in the 15th century, but in 1563 the castle had already partially collapsed. Later the castle ruins were used for restoring the church and building a masonry around it. In later years Sabile was a small village of craftsmen. During the Duke Jacob times in Sabile there was a linen weaving workshop, lime and tar kilns and a mill. In the 19th century Sabile craftsmen, tanners, were praised also in further lands. Sabile received town privileges in 1917, but got its coat of arms only in 1925. The territory of Sabile Town and Abava Rural Territory is partially located in a special protection heritage area, in nature park “Ancient Abava Valley”, which is full of local archaeological sites – graveyards and ancient burial grounds. The historical centre of Sabile is a national urban monument, which gives insight into the town’s development from 15th to 20th century. Various decorative elements and old tile roofs of the town’s residential houses as well as a part of the old cobblestone street have remained until today. The most common type of business in Sabile is retail. The most popular tourism attraction sites in Sabile and its surroundings are Sabile Wine Hill, Sabile Hillfort, Pedvāle Art Park, Abava River Waterfall, Chambers of Māra, nature trail in “Drubazas” and Sabile Evangelical Lutheran Church.

• published: 21 Sep 2020
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