The Latgale Milk Tour

The owner offers cheeses and smoked meats.  Tourist groups and individuals are welcome, and the farm’s products can also be purchased in Rīga.

Found at Daugavpils Street 40 in Aglona, this is one of the largest private collections of military exhibits related to World War II in Latvia, with more than 1,000 objects arranged as a museum.  Visitors can see pistols, rifles, machine guns, mines, hand grenades, uniforms, military equipment, etc.  The owner is an enthusiast about history, Valdis Tumovs.

The tower is on the western shore of the lake, next to the dam and the Zvidze canal. From here you will see the overgrowth north-western part of the lake, Akmeņsala Island, and a wide area of open water. The third is on the southern shore of the lake, by the dam and the Īdeņa canal. Here you will find typical views of wetlands – areas of reeds, shrubbery, wet meadows and the overgrown lake.

The small Andrupene swamp is found to the North of the Andrupene Farm Museum in a deep area between hillocks.  It is a high-type swamp with an open central part, and it is 130 m long and 120 m wide.  There are stands of white alder alongside the swamp.  In 2009, the administrators of the Rāzna National Park restored a wooden educational pathway that had been established originally by the Andrupene Elementary School.  Today there are stairs, a viewing platform, wooden pathways, and information stands.

The creativity of this farm woman is seen in the preparation of various country goodies – cheese, baked cheese sticks, etc.  The farm is biologically certified and uses its own produce.  Tastings and purchases are offered, as are tours for groups of 10 people or more.

The farm has vast meadows along the banks of the Aiviekste River, with some 400 head of blackhead sheep – the largest herd of its type in Latvia. You can tour the far and purchase pedigree sheep, meat, wool, pelts and vegetables.

The “Upenite” country house is located on the southern shore of Lake Ciritis. This farm nurtures Lettigalian traditions, serves Lettigalian foods, produces dairy products (including cheeses), grows local plants (which you can purchase), and offers a chance to visit a proper Lettigalian black sauna. The owners themselves will serve as the sauna masters. Master’s classes in the baking of tortes are offered.
Latvian cuisine: Farmer’s soup, potato dumplings, potato sausages (grated green potatoes with dried pork and onions), black currants with whipped cream, caraway seed sticks, herbal teas, cottage cheese with cream, curdled milk pancakes.
Special foods: Oven-baked carp or tench from the local pond.

The farm uses ancient recipes from grandmothers to bake aromatic sourdough and rye bread on maple leaves, with the crunch crust being processed with flax oil. You can help to bake the bread and then taste and buy it.

The guesthouse breeds cattle, grows fruits and vegetables, produces dairy and meat products, boils cheese on a campfire, teaches people how to make cheese, bakes bread according to ancient recipes, and offers Lettigalian weddings.
Latvian cuisine: Rye bread, 14 kinds of cheese, farmer’s soup, locally brewed beer with demonstrations of how that is done.
Special foods: Dumplings with mushroom sauce.

This is a biological goat farm and cheese-making plant that offers various cheeses made of goat’s milk and cow milk.  The farm has some 100 dairy cows.  Owners Ruta and Stefans welcome guests and speak Latvian, German and Russian.  The cheese is available on site, at the Kalnciems market in Rīga and elsewhere in Latvia.

Production - goat’s and cow’s milk cheeses. Offers excursions in the farm and cheese-making plant, tasting.

This is the centre for Catholicism in Latvia and a destination for pilgrims from all around the world.  Its origins date back to 1699, when the Dominican Order established a cloister.  One year later, it built the first wooden church.  The brick Church of St Dominic and the buildings of the cloister were erected between 1768 and 1800.  The Baroque church is distinguished by two towers that are 60 metres high.  The pulpit, organ prospectus, organ, prayer bench and pews come from the 18th century, while the side altars date back to the early 19th century.  The central altar includes the painting “The Miraculous Mother of God of Aglona,” which is thought to have healing properties.  For that reason, it is unveiled only during important events.  In advance of a visit to Latvia by Pope John Paul II in 1993, the complex underwent major rebuilding and restoration.  On August 15 each year, hundreds and thousands of pilgrims arrive in Aglona to celebrate the assumption of the Virgin Mary.  The holy stream of Aglona is 100 metres to the East of the basilica.

The Preiļi Estate is in the southern part of Preiļi. During the Soviet era, the mansion was home to a variety of institutions. A fire burned much of the upper part of the building in 1978. The mansion was never restored, and it can only be viewed from the outside. Around it, however, is one of Latvia’s most outstanding landscape parks (mid-19^th century). Irēna Kjarkuža offers interesting tours of the state, with interesting legends and songs in the Lettigalian language.

The farm grows raspberries and strawberries, and you can pick and buy berries and also purchase plants. You can take a tour of the farm and receive consultations. Groups of no fewer than ten people can take part in the baking of countryside sourdough bread. You will learn how to knead the dough, make a loaf and churn butter, and then you will be able to taste the freshly baked bread.