| June 3, 2004 | ||||
|
|
||||
| 23:00 | After the Workshop gala dinner at the castle "Igate" transfer (60km) to the hotel "Brīze" (87 km northeast of Riga) for overnight |
|||
| June 4, 2004 | ||||
|
|
||||
 |
8:30 9:30 |
Breakfast at the hotel "Brīze" The hotel is the award winner “The host of the Year 2003”. Departure for the Study tour |
||
 |
10:00 |
A sauna-party house Guest house “Korķi” - eco-labelled with the “Green Certificate”. Situated in a pine forest, 300m from the sea, the guesthouse specialises in catering for sauna parties which is a very popular form of partying in Latvia. The facility contains a function room, rooms for overnighting and in-house sauna with a small pool. |
||
 |
12:00 | Modern trend Guest house “Bērzi” - situated on the roadside, a recently built place for parties and relaxation. En-suite rooms, sauna and good parking. The building exemplifies the dominating standard of facilities in presently opening establishments. |
||
 |
13:30 |
Light lunch – smoked trout with local beer - at the country house “Sillakas”, a stocked trout fishery with ten ponds and a variety of fish species. A holiday apartment in a traditional style log building. A sauna house. Two fishermen huts right by a pond. Fishermen’s club. |
||
 |
16:00 |
Stroll down medieval streets A guided walk in the streets of Cēsis. The town is preparing to celebrate its 800-year anniversary in 2006. The Cēsis Castle, now a majestic ruin, was in medieval times the residence of the master of the Livonian Order and the main stronghold of the Livonian knights, who ruled most of Latvia and Estonia. The town is famous for its beer brewing tradition since 1590. The Medieval Festival attracts many visitors every summer.  |
||
 |
17:00 |
Privacy and comfort Vacation cottages “Ezerklabi” - two self-catering cottages, built by the host himself. A secluded location by a pond, surrounded by forests and fields. The combination of privacy, comfort, a swimming spot at the doorstep together with the hosts’ attention to details for quality explains the high occupancy rates. |
||
 |
18:30 21:00 |
Activities and nature Evening meal at the country house “Avoti”. The house sits in the middle of the Gauja National Park. Nature trails, animal watching, river boating, bicycling, horse riding makes the place attractive to guests and so do the house specialties – game on menu in the season, honey from the host’s apiary, and honey mead. Return to the hotel “Brīze”, overnight |
||
| June 5, 2004 | ||||
|
|
||||
 |
7:30 9:00 |
Breakfast at the hotel “Brīze” / Departure We started small... “Duntes Urdziņas” is a typical story of a city family having settled in the countryside and opened a B&B place. Initially they offered one room in their own house. Now the offer includes also a party room, a log house country sauna and a self-catering cottage right on a quiet beach. |
||
 |
11:00 |
One of the best selling Vacation cottage “Straupes”. The sea beyond the sand dunes. A pond for swimming and fishing in the courtyard. Children’s playground, open-air fire site by the house. Lots of space with all the amenities. |
||
 |
12:30 14:00 |
Lunch at country pub "Korande" Visiting the annual biggest handicraft market in the Ethnographic Open-air museum near Riga. The event is like a festival. Artists and artisans are preparing the whole year for the event to display and sell their best works – traditional handicrafts (pottery, leather, amber etc.). The atmosphere is convivial with singers and dancers performing. |
||
 |
17:00 20:00 21:00 |
Riga city tour ca 2 hours – by coach and walking. The tour features the most prominent sites of the Old Riga – the Riga castle, the St. Peter’s Church, the Dome Cathedral, the Blackhead house and others. Winding cobblestone streets vibrate with the sounds of open-air cafes, beer bars and that special Saturday night feeling. Evening meal Evening transfer to the hotel in Riga |
||
