Active tours

This route passes along one of the most diverse and beautiful parts of the coastline of the Bay of Rīga.  You will see the Randu meadows, which are known as Latvia’s open-air “herbarium” because of the diversity of plants that can be found there.  The coast features various sizes of rocks and stones, as well as no shortage of lovely and sandy beaches.  This is the only place in Latvia where Devonian sandstone cliffs can be seen.  Past each horn there is a different landscape, and the last 20 kilometres of the route are paradise for bird watchers during migration season.  The route is in the Northern Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve.

Route information from Latvijas Lauku forums

This route offers most unusual views.  Seda is the only town in Latvia with Soviet-era planning from the middle of the last century, featuring a central square and streets stretching from it in a star pattern.  The architectural style of apartment and public buildings is rather exotic.  The Seda Swamp yielded peat moss during the first period of Latvia’s independence and is one of the largest industrial and environmental territories of its kind in Latvia and the Baltic States.  Former peat fields have partly become flooded and are overgrown with reeds, thus creating an outstanding environment for nesting water birds and migrating birds which rest at the swamp.  Peat is still being extracted, and perhaps you will be lucky enough to spot the “little peat moss train.”

Route information from Latvijas Lauku forums

This route leads through the Curves of Daugava nature park, which is an area that was once to be flooded for the construction of the Daugavpils hydroelectric power plant.  The central artery in the park is the ancient Daugava River valley, and the specific here is eight grand curves with a length of 4-6 km.  The highest banks of the river are at the so-called Daugava gate, with the mighty Ververi and Slutiški cliffs.  More than ½ of the territory is forested for hiking, nature watching, berry picking and mushroom hunting.  The Daugava River valley has one of the greatest diversities of flora -- >800 different kinds in all.  This is also a multinational environment with Lettigalian, Lithuanian, Polish, Russian and Belarusian traditions and heritage.  The Slutiški village, which is unique in Latvia, is popular among tourists.

Route information from Latvijas Lauku forums

The legendary blue hills of Šlītere have been known since ancient days, when pirates lit false campfires that led ships to run aground near Cape Kolka.  The shoreline in the Slītere National Park is known as the open-air geological museum of the Baltic Sea, because the ancient shores of the Baltic ice sea, Lake Ancylus, and dunes from Littorina Sea can be seen here.  These offer a fine view of the history of the Baltic Sea.  The territory was historically populated by the Liv people, and their fishing villages are a cultural environment of one of the smallest ethnic minorities in the world.  The route between Kolka and Mazirbe goes down the old shore road that passes through Liv villages.  The Slītere National Park has one of the greatest amounts of plants in Latvia, while Cape Kolka is one of the country’s most popular bird watching sites.

Route information from Latvijas Lauku forums

On this tour, you will see the most beautiful places and towns in the Vidzeme region and Gauja National Park such as Sigulda with the River Gauja valley, the medieval old town of Cēsis, and Valmiera. You will feast on the Miller’s Lunch, visiting a working windmill, explore a herb and vegetable garden by a medieval castle, taste hemp butter, and Valmiermuiža local brewery beer. You will taste the “green cheese”, a sparkling birch sap drink, and can buy delicacies made from locally grown garlic.

If you enjoy an active lifestyle, this tour is the perfect way to enjoy the culinary heritage hidden in Gauja National Park. The cycling route starts from Strenči and first passes two local breweries at Brenguļi and Valmiermuiža with nice cafés and good beer. On the way to Valmiera you will also stop at Trikāta Village to taste locally made chocolate. From Valmiera, the route goes through a beautiful forest to Cēsis with its charming medieval Old Town. In Cēsis you will visit the local bakery and distillery to taste their production. Also, you will see what a herb and species garden looked like in medieval times. You’ll experience a canoeing trip from Cēsis to Līgatne, one of the nicest parts on the River Gauja with its sandstone banks, remote farmsteads and old-fashioned water-powered ferry. The historic centre of Līgatne Town is linked with the development of its paper mill. Here you can also visit local wine and handicraft producers in one of the artificial caves typical of the area. Cycling the hilly, winding roads of Sigulda, you’ll see Turaida and Sigulda medieval castles, Gūtmaņala Cave and other picturesque views. In Sigulda you will enjoy Latvian traditional meals in the restaurants ”Bucefāls”, ”Aparjods”, and will taste 80 kinds of jam in the Mauriņi guest house.

This tour combines culinary experiences with visiting popular tourist attractions in southern Estonia. You will visit Võru and Rõuge, enjoy the southern Estonian landscape in Haanja Nature Park from the top of Suur Munamägi, the highest hill in the Baltics, and will be sincerely welcomed in Setomaa, the land of Setos - an ethnic and linguistic minority carrying on their unique heritage traditions. Setomaa has been inhabited for about 8,400 years, which makes it one of the oldest human settlements in Estonia. On this tour, you will taste Estonian wines made from locally grown berries and fruit, visit a goat farm offering superb goat’s cheese, and will be served a hearty country meal in a rural homestead.

The itinerary starts and ends in Tartu, but it can be extended to/from Tallinn and Riga.

This route is best for active hikers who want to travel down the valley of the mightiest river in the Baltic States to see lovely landscapes and feel powerful emotions.  The route begins in Sigulda, which has been known as the Switzerland of Vidzeme and offers some of the loveliest views in Latvia.  The route crosses the deep valleys of several Gauja River territory, offering a look at shores that are known at the Baltic level for their mighty Devonian cliffs.  The nature trails in Līgatne are the only place in Latvia to see forestland that is close to natural circumstances, with forest animals living in large fenced areas so that they can be seen.  There are also animals and tracks of their activities out in the wild as you walk down the forest and other trails of the Gauja National Park.

Route information from Latvijas Lauku forums