Sabile Wine Hill is undoubtedly the symbol of Sabile, even appearing on the town’s coat of arms as a bunch of grapes. It holds a special distinction as the most northern open-air vineyard in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Located around 34 meters above the town and the Abava River, it covers an area of 1.5 hectares and features approximately 30 different varieties of vines, totaling about 800 plants.

Many of these vines were cultivated by the renowned Latvian plant breeder Pauls Sukatnieks, with the „Zilga” variety being the most popular. The Wine Hill also hosts exotic plants, including peaches, apricots, and walnuts.

In 2018, the landscape around the Abava River Valley, as seen from Sabile Wine Hill, was recognized as one of Latvia’s 50 landscape treasures. Though you can’t buy the wine produced here due to local laws, the Sabile Wine Festival, held annually since 1999, is your chance to taste it. This event has grown each year and includes various traditions, such as the opening ceremony at the foot of the Wine Hill with a visit from Jacob, the Duke of Courland.

The Wine Hill’s history dates back to the 14th–16th centuries, during German rule, and was revived in 1936 by the Latvian government under President Kārlis Ulmanis. The wine production was expanded during Duke Jacob’s reign in the 17th century, and the hill became a celebrated local symbol. Despite neglect after WWII, it was revived in 1989 by Uldis Zommers, and today it continues to thrive under the management of the Sabile municipality.