Self drive tours

Это один из 6 маршрутов путешествий в серии «Насладитесь деревней!», который приглашает 
посетить «Дары села» – хозяйства и предприятия всевозможных видов и отраслей, которые 
открыты для посетителей и предлагают экскурсии, попробовать, осмотреть и приобрести свои изделия. Там можно увидеть домашних животных, современные сельские хозяйства, мастерские ремесленников, приобрести сельскохозяйственные продукты – хлеб, мед, домашнее вино и 
пиво, сыр, ягоды, фрукты, рыбу, мясо, овощи, чаи и другие, выращенные 
в деревне дары. По дороге можно отобедать в сельских корчмах. 

Примерное время прохождения маршрута: четыре – пять дней, в зависимости от количества выбранных достопримечательностей и времени, отведенного для их осмотра.

 From Riga the tour goes along the right bank of the river Daugava and crosses it over at Plavinas HES to Salaspils. Visit National Botanic Garden then continue along the left bank of Daugava. On the route there is a model of ancient wooden castle where you can walk about. . Then visit the Kingdom of Rabbits where their homes are made like a little castles too. Time to taste some wonderful home-made ice-cream at Skriveri and visit legendary Koknese castle ruins park. Next day visit ethnographic working farmstead where you can see wild horses and cows as well as various waterbirds in the pond. Then the route goes to private mini zoo "Ezerlejas" with some exotic animals, visit ceramics factory where you can see how the hand-made clay products are made from the beginning to the end, walk around Rauna medieval castles ruins. Cesis town with mighty medieval castle and pretty old town is the next on the route. At Ligatne walk nature trails where you can see local wild animals. At Sigulda kids would love to visit "Tarzans" adventure centre. There is also Olympic bobsled centre and two medieval castles located. From Sigulda the route goes towards the coast with a stop at elegant Birini Manor with large park where you can try horse ridding. Then you are at the sandy beach of Saulkrasti. Before returning to Riga you can visit a farm with goats and ponies to taste goats products and cuddle animals.  

Этот тур рассчитан на семейный отдых. В нем культурные и природные достопримечательности сбалансированы с множеством забав для детей. Маршрут включает в себя несколько ферм, где можно понаблюдать за домашними животными и Природные тропы Лигатне, где можно увидеть диких животных. На пути есть несколько средневековых замков и живописных городов. Побережье моря встретит Вас песчаными пляжами и рыбацкими деревушками, где Вы сможете отведать копченой рыбы. Национальные парки Гауя и Слитере предложат Вам несколько природных троп и живописные пейзажи.

The Barefoot Path begins at the Valguma Pasaule Recreation Centre by Lake Valgums, which is surrounded by forest. The recreation centre includes a hotel and restaurant, and offers nature-based services such as the Barefoot Path and other walking trails.

The Barefoot Path is a 2.6 km long trail through the natural environment, along which visitors walk barefoot and experience a variety of surfaces including pine cones, glass balls, small stones and shingles of various shapes, moss, fine sand, clay, river water, turf, gravel, reeds, chipped wood, pinewood logs, wooden poles and millstones. Walking barefoot has a number of positive health effects:

it strengthens the immune system;

it improves blood circulation and stabilises blood pressure;

it strengthens the leg and foot muscles, joints and ligaments; and

it enhances relaxation, and aids mental and physiological stability.

The walk is led by an English-speaking guide. Before the walk, visitors receive a briefing. It is recommended that visitors wear comfortable outdoor clothing, appropriate for the weather. After walking the barefoot path, visitors usually feel energised, strong and happy. The walk finishes with a relaxing herbal foot bath.

Since ancient times bread has been our staple food, and formed part of breakfast, lunch and our evening meal. We bake bread from rye, wheat, buckwheat and barley. Both fine-ground and wholemeal flour is used. Bread baking is one of the most honoured traditional skills in Latvia. Caunītes country house keeps Latvian traditions alive and demonstrates them to visitors. The house is designed and decorated in the traditional Latvian style and exudes an authentic ambience while having modern facilities.

Under the guidance of the hostess, visitors will bake their own loaf of sweet-and-sour bread in a wood-fired bread oven. In Latvian families it was traditionally one of the main duties of the lady of the house to bake a week’s supply of bread for the whole family every Saturday morning. Every woman was proud of her own unique recipe and passed it down to her daughters and granddaughters through the generations. There are many traditional beliefs, sayings and riddles linked with bread in Latvian folklore. Today, there is great interest in the old recipes, bread-baking methods and the use of organic ingredients as many families are opting for a healthy lifestyle.

The tour introduces visitors to varied landscapes, local traditions and historic sites. Travellers are usually surprised that such a small territory holds so many contrasts. Riga offers a medieval Old Town and elegant Art Nouveau district, then comes Sigulda with three castles on the high banks of the Gauja river valley. Saaremaa island is a pleasure to drive around with good quality, quiet roads, windmills, medieval churhes and ethnographic villages. Tallinn has its walled Old Town while Lahemaa national park has an almost mystical landscape There is also elegant Palmse Manor. The tour goes through sleepy villages in eastern Latvia with distinctive pottery, ancient culinary traditions, and the Catholic pilgrimage site of Aglona. Vilnius' historic centre has distinctive baroque churches. The massive sand dunes of the Curonian Spit and Nida with its characteristic blue framed windows are among Lithuania's most attractive sights. Trakai has its picturesque medieval castle on the lake as well as the small Karaitis ethnic comunity with their unique traditions and food. Port towns Klaipeda and Liepaja have both developed into bustling modern cities with lively cafe culture.

 The tour starts at former Hanseatic port town Gdansk with its pretty Old Town, then continues to Malbork, an impressive fortified medieval castle and on to laid-back Formbrok with a magnificient Gothic cathederal. The route crosses the Mazurianlake district where hundreds of lakes are connected to rivers and canals, best expereinced from the deck of a boat.

 Continue to Wigry National Park with walking trails and interesting archaeological and cultural remains. Further into Lithuania, Dzukija National Park has several well preserved traditional farmsteads and villages which are well worthavisit. It's a good place to experience Lithuanian crafts and traditions, for instance bee keeping. Then the route goes via Kaunas to the Curonian Spit formed by shifting sand dunes between its lagoon and the sea. Pretty little villages are located along its length. Next the route goes to the sea resort Palanga with a great Amber Museum and on to Latvia.

 Stop at Pape Nature Park, a diverse mosaic of nature’s ecosystems, where wild horses and oxen breed. Slītere National Park shows the historical development of the Baltic Sea. Cape Kolka is a prime spot for bird migrations, Slītere lighthouse provides a great view of the surrounding forests and traditonal Liv villages, one of the smallest ethnic groups in the world. The Ķemeri National Park includes different types of wetlands and vast bogs. It is famous for its sulphur springs. Walk a Great Heath trail there and try the curative spring water.

 Further on Gauja National Park is formed around the ancient valley of the Gauja river with picturesque sandstone cliffs from the Devonian period. Here are many historic monuments – medieval castles, churches and ancient settlements which you can see crossing the valley on a cable car. Ligatne Nature trails offer a chance to observe local wild animals.

 Saaremaa's landscape is characterised by large juniper growths, dolomite cliffs, windmills, medieval churches and the famous Kaali meteorite lake. It also retains a very Estonian soul. Sooma National Park has contrasting swamps. Walk a beaver trail there and try 'bog-shoeing'. Lahemaa National Park has a rugged coastal andscape with big boulders, traditional fishing villages, forest trails and romantic manor houses. From Tallin take a ferry to Helsinki, from where it is an easy trip to Nuuksio National Park, home to an endangered flying squirrel. The landscape here is dominated by valleys and gorges, rocky hills covered by lichen and sparse pine forest that is very different to the previous parks. Well-equipped walking trails have several scenic views.

This tour has a very summery feel since it never wanders too far from the sea. Latvian sea resort Jurmala attracts with characteristic wooden cottages from the 19th century, Dzintari concert hall and a lively beach. Cape Kolka is located in Slitere National Park which also includes the traditional villages of the smallest ethnic group in the world, the Livs. Enjoy empty beaches and locally smoked fish. Ventspils is an immaculately maintained town with a medieval castle and well equipped beach. Pavilosta is Latvia's unofficial windsurfing capital, while Palanga in Lithuania has an excellent amber museum. Lithuania's pearl is the Curonian Spit and its lagoon which attracts with its vast sand dunes and Nida, a charming village with a Thomas Mann Museum. Back in Latvia, Liepaja is an exciting city with a historic quarter, beach, lively restaurants and clubs and a distinctive millitary heritage in the form of former naval forts and a military zone. Kuldiga is loved by artists due to its picturesque little cobbled streets with wooden houses and the Europe's widdest waterfall on the Venta river.

Ventspils ir viena no attīstītākajām Latvijas pilsētām ar izcilu infrastruktūru, restaurētu vecpilsētu un Livonijas Ordeņa pili, tīru un labi ierīkotu balto smilšu pludmali, promenādi un dažādām izklaides un atpūtas vietām. Pilsēta ir piemērota ģimenēm, un bērni visvairāk izbauda Zilā karoga pludmali ar dažādām šūpolēm, slidkalniņiem, kā arī Bērnu pilsētiņu ar aktivitāšu zonām dažādu vecumu bērniem. Īss izbrauciens ar Mazbānīti, kas ir interesanta atrakcija gan bērniem, gan pieaugušajiem. Ūdens priekus var baudīt gan iekštelpu, gan āra akvaparkos. Dodieties izbraucienos pa tuvējo apkārtni, lai izbaudītu ainavisko jūras piekrasti, redzētu tradicionālos zvejnieku ciematus, kur iespējams iegādāties kūpinātas zivis tieši no zvejniekiem. Slīteres nacionālais parks ar skaistu skatu, kas paveres no Slīteres bākas, apburošā Kuldīga ar tās koka arhitektūru.

Maršrutā varēsiet iepazīt Latgales īpašo kultūrvidi, cilvēkus, kas to veido, priecāties par skaistajām ainavām, izstaigāt  dabas takas un izpeldēties kādā no izslavētajiem Latgales ezeriem. Līvānos uzzināsiet par stikla pūtēju darbu, Daugavpilī izstaigāsiet 19.gs cietoksni, kur tagad iekārtots pasaulslavenā mākslinieka Marka Rotko centrs. Ceļš vīsies pa gleznainajiem Daugavas lokiem.  Veselīgās “Kurmīšu” tējas baudāmas pa ceļam uz Maizes muzeju un svētceļnieku galamērķi – balto Aglonas baziliku. Ludza priecēs ar   senatnīgām koka ēkām un bagātīgo vietējās amatniecības atspoguļojumu Amatnieku centrā. Rēzeknē interesi piesaistīs Latgales vēstniecība “Gors”. Pie Lubānas ezera vērts nogaršot zivju zupu un uzkāpt skatu tornī pavērot plašumu un putnus.

Maršruta informācija no Latvijas Lauku foruma​

No Rīgas dodieties gar Daugavas labo krastu un apciemojiet Trušu Karalisti, kurā trušu mājiņas ir veidotas kā mazas muižas un pilis. Pēc tam dodieties uz Skrīveriem nogaršot mājas saldējumu un apmeklējiet Kokneses pilsdrupas. Nākamajā dienā apmeklējiet privātu mini-zoo ar dažādiem eksotiskajiem dzīvniekiem, pēc tam dodieties uz Raunas cepli, lai redzētu, kā top dažādi māla priekšmeti no sākuma līdz beigām. Vērts apskatīt Cēsis un tās viduslaiku pili. Izstaigājiet Līgatnes dabas takas, kur iespējams redzēt vairākus vietējos savvaļas dzīvniekus. Siguldā bērniem patiks piedzīvojumu parks. Siguldā atrodas arī divas viduslaiku pilis. Pirms atgriešanās Rīgā, apciemojiet zemnieku saimniecību, lai apskatītu kazas, ponijus u.c. dzīvniekus, kā arī nogaršotu kazas piena piena produktus.

Šis ir viens no 6 ceļojuma maršrutiem sērijā "Baudi laukus!", un tas aicina apmeklēt Lauku Labumus – visdažādāko veidu un nozaru saimniecības un uzņēmumus, kas atvērti apmeklētājiem, piedāvā ekskursijas, nogaršot, apskatīt un iegādāties savus ražojumus. Tur apskatāmi mājdzīvnieki, mūsdienīgas lauku saimniecības, amatnieku darbnīcas, iegādājami lauku produkti – maize, medus, mājas vīns un alus, siers, ogas, augļi, zivis, gaļa, dārzeņi, tējas un citi laukos audzēti labumi. Pa ceļam iespējams ieturēt pusdienaslauku krodziņos.