Hiking
 |
The Slītere nature trail(Latvia, 1 day)The route: 1,2 km Distance from Rīga: The Slītere lighthouse, where the trail starts and ends, is around 170 km from the capital city Best time to visit: May-October Path cover: Forest trails, footpaths, steps Getting there: It is not possible to reach the Slītere lighthouse via public transportation. You can take a bus to Kolka or Mazirbe on the Rīga-Roja-Mazirbe route. If you’re driving, take the Rīga-Ventspils highway (A10 and E22) to the Talsi turnoff, take the road to the turnoff to Dundaga, then drive to the turnoff to Slītere and look for directions to the Slītere lighthouse. |
A brief description of the routeThe Slītere National Park (once known as the Slītere Nature Reserve) was established in 2000, and it is known, with good reason, as the Latvian museum of open-air geology. Several nature trails and bicycle trails have been established so as to help tourists to discover the unique world of flora and fauna in Northern Kurzeme. The Slītere nature trail is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Talsi District today. The long steps take you down to the shadowy foot of the so-called blue hills cliff. Then the route passes through the forests of Slītere - forests which have not been touched by human hands for a long, long time. There are footbridges in the more swampy areas to make the walk easier. It is worth spending at least two days at the national park, because there are also other nature trails and points of interest.Points of interestThe Slītere lighthouse: The lighthouse was installed in 1849, and from its top you can scan the Slītere forests. When the weather is very clear, you can even see Estonia’s Saaremaa Island across the Irbe narrows. An exhibition of photographs which are devoted to Latvia’s lighthouses can be seen at the Slītere lighthouse.The shore of the Baltic ice sea: Around 10,000 years ago, this is where the Baltic ice sea was found. The water pushed up a shoreline that is as much as 20 metres high in places. 10 km long, the these are known as the blue hills of Slītere. The formerly strictly protected zone of the Slītere Nature Reserve: The Blue hills nature path is in a place which was once completely off limits to visitors. Take a guide along, because then you can learn about the plants in the area, you can spot the remnants of a system of land reclamation that is centuries old, and you can hear about the various aspects of nature in the region. The infrastructureDining: "Jūras sapņi" at Vīdāles iela 2 in Dundaga; "Kalēji" guesthouse in Mazirbe; "Zītari" in KolkaAccommodations: 84, 129, 145, 159, 239, 250, 255
Information & booking - tel: +371 67617600, e-mail: lauku@celotajs.lv
|
|
