Skiing
Our skiing holidays are not only about skiing but about enjoying the winter and the place you are visiting. Since none of us can predict the weather, we have designed our tours so that there is plenty to do even if the weather fails. Accommodation is chosen either in spa hotels or in the town's centre surrounded by museums, historic sites, restaurants and local shops.
The first snow in the Baltic States arrives in November, but the real skiing season begins only around Christmas time and lasts till the end of March. The average temperature in winter is -2 degrees (C), January and February being the coldest months. The heaviest snowfall in the Baltic occurs in southern Estonia and north-eastern Latvia. That’s where the most popular skiing centres are located. Downhill skiing centres are well equipped with ski and snowboard slopes, fun slopes, nursery slopes, lifts, equipment rental, instructors, first aid, cafés, night lights , artificial snow guns etc. The highest point in the Baltic is 318 m. Cross-country skiing is also popular. There are several well maintained biathlon centres without no entrance fee at all. Skiing tracks are made along the sea shore, in the national parks and some museum reserves.
- We recommend to travel from December to February
- The packages does not include car rental but we can help you to rent a car of your preference.
- Our suggested packages do not include skiing passes or equipment rental.
- Before your arrival, we shall send you a personalised tour program with dates, accommodations and extra services you booked (please see the optional extra services available in each tour description in the price section).
- Upon your arrival at the first hotel of your tour you will receive detailed road maps for each day, descriptions with sites, attractions, eating places on the way, travelling instructions from place to place, and vouchers for your booked services as well as tour . To see an example of the travelling instructions please click here (pdf file).
- For our clients, we operate 24h emergency phone.
Skiing holidays
Skiing in Latvia: Trails and locations
This trail shows places where cross-country skiing was possible during previous winters. Before setting out, contact the venue to make sure that there is snow and that the trails are prepared and open. Also ask about the price and about other services. We will be delighted if you will contact us with recommendations and information. Let’s also remember that you can basically ski anywhere, as long as you can establish your own trail. Happy skiing!
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Kurzeme (8) |
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Skiing through Liv villages |
There is no real trail here, but you can ski through the Liv villages of the Slītere National Park when it’s snowy, and then ski back to the starting point along the seashore. The terrain is smooth, and you will see elements of Liv heritage. |
Route description here More information about tour routes in Slitere national park here |
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The “Lembergs Hat” ski hill |
An illuminated cross-country ski train is alongside “Lembergs Hat,” with a smooth terrain. There is natural snow cover along the Northern Kurzeme seashore less often than is the case elsewhere in Latvia. |
Equipment for hire |
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Kamparkalns |
This is a trail at the highest hillocks of Northern Kurzeme, with a hillocky terrain and a beautiful and distinct view of the hillocks around Talsi. |
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Skiing at the Sveikuļi campsite |
The venue offers various trails of difficult levels of difficulty for classic skiing, with a hillocky terrain and an attractive landscape. |
Equipment for hire |
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The Milzukalns trail |
This 600-m illuminated trail is for both styles, the terrain offering slight inclines and declines and the landscape being full of beautiful and snowy coniferous trees. |
Equipment for hire |
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The Jaunūdri trail |
Trails of different lengths for classical skiing, with a distinct terrain of the Milzukalns style and a lovely, hillocky landscape. |
jaunudri@gmail.com Equipment for hire |
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A trail at the Ķīvītes weekend home |
A 1.2 km trail for classical skiing. |
pirts_kivites@inbox.lv |
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From Jaunķemeri to Klapkalnciems |
A 15 km trail along the seashore in the Ķemeri National Park, with a smooth terrain a bit above sea level. The landscape offers a beautiful view of the sea and former fishing villages in Lapmežciems. |
Route description here More information about tour routes in Kemeri national park here |
| The Rideļi windmill trail | This is a trail for classical skiing alongside the Rideļi windmill. The terrain is smooth, and the landscape features the historical windmill and its lake. | www.rideludzirnavas.lv |
| The Hillocks of Talsi ski route | The trail starts at the No 2 High School in Talsi, with a hillocky terrain that is part of the Hillocks of Talsi Nature Park. The landscape is beautiful, and the trail is marked. | www.talsitourism.lv Equipment for hire |
| The Green Dune in the Ķemeri National Park | During the winter, local residents create a ski trail for classical skiing. | www.kemerunacionalaisparks.lv |
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Rīga and metropolitan area (10) |
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The Beberbeķi nature park |
Trails created by skiers themselves can be found in the park when it is snowy. The area is crossed by the Nordeķi-Kalnciems range of hillocks. For the most part the trails pass through a lovely pine forest. |
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The Kleisti Forest (Rīga/Babīte Administrative District) |
There will be trails created by skiers in the forest that are of appropriate lengths. The terrain features various dunes of various heights and steepness, and for the most part the trails pass through a lovely pine forest. |
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The Viesturi ski trail |
A 3 km trail for both styles of skiing, with a smooth terrain and a lovely coniferous forest as the landscape. |
Equipment for hire |
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Uzvaras Park (Rīga) |
Trails of various lengths for classical and Nordic skiing, with a snow blower in the southern part of the park. The terrain is smooth, the park is illuminated, and ice skating is available nearby. |
Equipment for hire |
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Purvciems (Rīga) |
Trails of various lengths for classical and Nordic skiing at Lielvārdes Street 141. The terrain is smooth, and all around you will be multi-floor buildings. |
Equipment for hire |
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Mežaparks (Rīga) |
The trail is at the Large Stage of Mežaparks, Ostas Prospect 11. Trails created by skiers themselves can be found throughout Mežaparks, which is a bit hilly and offers a landscape that is mostly made up of pine forests. |
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The Biķernieki trail (Rīga) |
A 12 km trail for classical and Nordic skiing at the Biķernieki motor track, with a smooth terrain in a pine forests. Trails created by skiers themselves can be found in the surrounding Biķernieki forest. |
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The Šmerlis forest (Rīga) |
When snow has been on the ground for some time, trails made by skiers themselves can be found here. Small dunes and a landscape mostly of coniferous trees. |
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The Latvian Open-Air Museum |
There is a trail for classical skiing when the weather is right. There are small inclines and declines (shallow dunes), and around you will be a pine forest with historical buildings that speak to life in various parts of Latvia. |
Equipment for hire |
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A trail on Lake Ķīšezers |
When Lake Ķīšezers is frozen, you can ski and skate on it. |
Equipment for hire |
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Zemgale (2) |
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The Riekstukalns trails |
Several trails for both styles of skiing, with various levels of difficulty, 300 to 5,000 m long. There are inclines and declines with a difference of 35 m. The landscape is a lovely hillock covered with coniferous trees. |
Equipment for hire |
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„Zeltlapas” |
Trails created for both styles of skiing with a snowmobile. |
Equipment for hire |
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Latgale (4) |
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The Ludza city trail |
When there is snow and cold in Ludza, a cross-country skiing trail is established in the city and its frozen lakes. The terrain is smooth. |
Equipment for hire in town |
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The Balkani trail |
A cross-country trail that is around 3 km long in the Balkani Nature Park is found in the Šķilbēni Parish in the Viļaka Administrative District. The terrain is distinctly hillocky, and the trail passed through a forest. |
Equipment for hire |
| The Preiļi castle park trail | An illuminated trail in the park of the Preiļi castle, with a smooth terrain and an urban environment with historical objects that relate to the Preiļi Baronial Estate. | www.visitpreili.lv Equipment for hire |
| The Preiļi stadium trail | The illuminated trail is in the Preiļi stadium. | www.visitpreili.lv Equipment for hire |
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Vidzeme (20) |
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The Mazsalaca circle |
Near the Mazsalaca Estate and toward Skaņaiskalns there is a trail put together by local enthusiasts for classical skiing. Expect steep hills, rapid descents and a landscape of coniferous forests and farmland. |
Equipment for hire |
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The Baiļu trail |
Depending on weather, ski trails of various lengths for both styles. The trail is near Valmiera, and an annual ski event is held here. The trail is along the sides of the Gauja River Valley. |
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The Vidzeme seashore |
Depending on the winter and the amount of snow, there are trails made by skiers themselves along the seashore, and particularly opposite populated areas. The terrain is smooth, and you will see unique seashore landscapes, particularly along the rocky part of the Vidzeme seashore, starting from the old shoreline road. |
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The Saulkrasti trail |
When the weather is right, there are always ski trails along the Saulkrasti beach that lead to the White Dune. Between the Inčupe and Pēterupe rivers, a trail is being prepared for classical and Nordic skiing. The terrain is smooth along the seashore, but with distinct inclines and descents in the dunes. On sunny days, the surrounding landscape is just gorgeous. |
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The Priekuļi ski and biathlon trail |
Complex configurations and terrain (steep inclines and descents throughout the territory), located in a lovely coniferous tree forests. These are training grounds for Latvian athletes, so contact the venue to find out when it’s open to the public. The trails are illuminated. |
Equipment for hire |
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The Līgatne nature trails |
During appropriate weather, the “Great Circle” trail that is 5.5 km long is established, with four steep inclines and two excellent descents for both types of skiing. The terrain is very distinct, and the landscapes beautiful coniferous forests with paddocks of wild animals. |
Equipment for hire has been planned |
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The Reinis trail |
A 1.1 km cross-country trail for both types of skiing, approximately 1 km to the West of Turaida. The trail is illuminated, the terrain features both inclines and descents, and there is a downhill skiing train right nearby. The landscape is part of the Gauja National Park. |
Equipment for hire |
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The Fischer ski centre |
The only trail in Eastern Europe that operates with a freezer system. It is 1.25 km long and is found at Puķu Street 4. The terrain involves small inclines and descents, and the landscape is alongside the ancient Gauja River Valley. |
Skis for hire, instructors available |
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The forests of Silciems |
A massive forest with a radius of around 2 km around the Silciems rail station. It is near the Silciems quarry where residents of Sigulda create durable ski trails. The terrain features small dunes, and you will mostly be surrounded by coniferous forests. |
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The Carnikava Centre ski trail |
A trail around 700 m long for classical and Nordic skiing at the Carnikava Stadium. It features a snow cannon and is illuminated. The terrain is smooth, and the landscape is urban. |
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The Carnikava Dam circular trail |
The trail is around 4 km long for classical and Nordic skiing, and it is based on natural snow. The terrain is smooth, and part of the trail passes along the Gauja dam. The landscape features the wetlands of the Gauja and Vecgauja rivers. |
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The Zibeņi trail |
Around 2 km to the South of Carnikava, this trail is the Nagaiņi forest and is around 3 km long. |
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The Piejūra Nature Park |
This is a large territory of pine forests, dunes and dune barriers, with the Vidzeme shoreline on one side and the Rīga-Saulkrasti rail line on the other. When there is snow, local residents create ski trails, particularly along the seashore (between Vecāķi and Garciems). Choose an appropriate distance for yourself. Between Carnikava and Garciems is a trail for classical skiing that is around 15 km long. There are no infrastructural elements here. |
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The Blue Hills of Ogre |
A high-class set of trails for classical and Nordic skiing is found in the Blue Hills of Ogre Nature Park. The trails are partly illuminated. Because the trails pass through a large stand of ash trees, they involve distinct inclines and descents. The landscape features a beautiful coniferous forests with steep slopes of ash trees. |
Skis for hire in Ogre town |
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Around Lake Alauksts |
The “Around Lake Alauksts” ski event is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2017. This is the only major cross-country skiing event of its kind, with distances between 15 and 22 km. The outstanding landscape features the Vidzeme highlands with Lake Alauksts at its centre. |
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The Ērgļi trail |
Found near the Ērgļi (Priekuļi) Technical School, these trails are between 500 metres and 5 km in length, and they are appropriate for both skiing styles. The shorter trail is illuminated. The terrain is typical for the Vidzeme highlands. |
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Mailes |
Circular trails for both kinds of skiing near Vietalva, with lengths varying between 1 and 5 km. The terrain is hillocky, and the landscape features farmland and forests. |
Equipment for hire |
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Jaujas |
Trails of various distances for both styles of skiing, depending on the amount of natural snow. This is a hillocky area with small inclines and descents. The landscape is forested. |
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The Smecere forest |
Manmade trails for both types of skiing, 1 to 25 km in length. There is also a 2.5 km illuminated trail with artificial snow. There are steep inclines and descents here, and the landscape features hillocks covered with coniferous forests. |
Equipment for hire |
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Vanagkalns |
Found between Vecpiebalga and Jaunpiebalga, this venue features a trail of varying lengths, depending on the winter. The venue offers tours on skis, as well as skiing at night. The landscape features the lovely hillocks of the Vidzeme highlands. |
Equipment for hire |
| Winter sports center “Mežinieki” |
Ziemā piedāvātas dažādas garuma un grūtības distances, sākot no 1 līdz 5 kilometriem, krēslas stundās 3 kilometru trase ir izgaismota otrdienās, trešdienās un ceturtdienās. Centrā ir iespējams izmantot siltas telpas ar individuāliem drēbju skapīšiem, trase pieejama apmeklētājiem ar savu personīgo inventāru! 3.-5.03.2017. Ziemas sporta centrā “Mežinieki” risināsies Latvijas čempionāts biatlonā un slēpojums „Alūksne`2017”. |
visitaluksne.lv |
