Kazdanga

{{Short description|Village in Latvia}}

Kazdanga (German: Katzdangen{{SgKP|III|911|Katzdangen}}) is a larger village,{{efn|{{ill|Lielciems|lt}}, "larger village", in Latvian classification }} the administrative center of the Kazdanga Parish of South Kurzeme Municipality in the Courland region of Latvia. {{as of|2022}} its population is 527.[https://vietvardi.lgia.gov.lv/vv/to_www_obj.objekts?p_id=3173 Kazdanga], a record of the Latvian Geospatial Information Agency (retrieved February 20, 2024)

It is located in the northern part of the parish on the banks of the {{ill|Alokste|lv}} river, which is dammed within the extents of the village to form an artificial reservoir known as the Kazdanga Mill Lake (Kazdangas dzirnavezers)[https://rekurzeme.lv/dienvidkurzeme-makskerniekiem-piedava-lieliskas-iespejas-izbaudit-copi/ Dienvidkurzemē makšķerniekiem piedāvā lieliskas iespējas izbaudīt copi] by which there is a water mill.

The modern settlement grew around the Kazdanga manor (burned down during the Russian Revolution of 1905. Currently the Kazdanga Palace, an architectural monument of national importance, is the place of interest in the village. The adjacent village of {{ill|Valāta|lv}} forms a common settlement conglomerate with Kazdanga.

The {{ill|P117 (Latvia)|lt=P117|lv|Autoceļš P117}} {{ill|Latvian regional motorways|lt=regional motorway|lv|Latvijas reģionālie autoceļi}} runs across Kazdanga.

There is an archaeological site of national importance, the Kazdanga (Valata) Hillfort north of Valata ({{coord|56.70865|21.74071}}).[https://web.archive.org/web/20160313054002/http://saraksts.mantojums.lv/lv/piemineklu-saraksts/1359/ Kazdangas (Valatas) pilskalns]