Viesītes muzejs „Sēlija”

About the museum

On 5 July 2000 the Viesīte council decided to found a local history museum. The museum was given the former territory of the Viesīte narrow-gauge railway at A. Brodeles iela 7 – today the Mazā Bānīša parks – where in 2016 two of the seven historic buildings were granted the status of state-protected cultural monuments. The narrow-gauge railway for transporting military freight was built by the German army in 1915–1916; it was later adapted for passenger traffic.

In 2012 the museum gained a second department – the former Eķengrāve parish school at Peldu iela 2, where Professor Pauls Stradiņš studied and which is named after him. The museum was first accredited in 2006; its exhibitions tell of the Sēlija railway, cultural history, the Stradiņi and Stenderi families, crafts and the history of the town of Viesīte.

Highlights

• Steam locomotive ML-635 (1918) and service wagon No. 3637
• Sēlija narrow-gauge railway depot – state-protected industrial monument
• Sēlija House with a cultural history exhibition
• Memorial exhibition for Pauls Stradiņš and the “Veselības pēda” (Health Trail) with medicinal plants
• Crafts centre and tourist information point

Permanent exhibitions

• Sēlijas šaursliežu dzelzceļa vēsture – Exhibition in the locomotive and wagon depot with the steam locomotive ML-635, a service wagon, draisines and other rolling stock.
• Sēlijas māja – Exhibition on the cultural and natural heritage of Sēlija.
• Profesora Paula Stradiņa piemiņas ekspozīcija – Stradiņš's study and living room in the former Eķengrāve parish school, as well as rooms on the history of Viesīte, the history of medicine and pharmacy, the Stenderi family and needlework.

Founded

2000

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Free admission on International Museum Day and at exhibition openings.

The admission ticket applies to a visit to the Mazā Bānīša parks or the Paula Stradiņa skola. Free for teachers accompanying a group of at least 10 children, orphans and children in social care institutions, museum staff, people persecuted for political reasons, members of the national resistance movement and ICOM members. The price list is valid from 1 April 2026. Payment can be made by bank card, smartphone or cash.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

In the Paula Stradiņa skola there is a lesson room for the youngest visitors (Kāpēča klase – Caterpillar Class).

Getting there & parking

Near the Mazā Bānīša parks, on the station square in Viesīte, the only narrow-gauge railway section in Latvia with a water crane has survived.

Amenities & dining

In the Mazā Bānīša parks there are the Viesīte tourist information point and a crafts centre with a craftsmen's market.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit