Valdemārpils Evangelical Lutheran Church

This reportedly happened more than 375 years ago. The owner of Sasmaka Manor got lost while hunting. The baron wandered for three days and, in desperation, called upon God, promising that if he found his way home again, he would build a church in that very spot. His prayers were answered. Taking a closer look, the baron saw the roof of the manor. On that hill, he thrust a sword into the ground and said, ‘A church shall stand here!’ Of course, this is only a legend… When in 1646 Baron Christopher von Hohenastenberg-Wigandt built the Sasmaka Church on the side of a trade route leading from the seaside to the inland, there was already a small settlement in the area. The church is located on Lielā-Street 2, and it is a small single-nave building with a bell tower adorned with a sphere, rooster, and cross. The  foundations are made of boulders, while bricks were added to the walls. The altar is an original work of sacred art with a central painting, ‘The Last Supper’, which dates back to the mid-17th century, as is the wooden-carved pulpit. The winds of time have taken their toll on the church, but it has not lost its pride. Disruptions to church services have occurred only due to outbreaks of plague in the past. They took place under the leadership of Pastor Edgars Krūmiņš also during the Soviet era. In 1934, a memorial plaque commemorating the leader of National Awakening, Krišjānis Valdemārs, was consecrated in the church. The church is an architectural monument of national significance, and it is open to visitors upon prior request.