Ancient trade routes distributed not just products, but also knowledge, culture and everything that was new and unknown.  Pastor Ernest Glück, for instance, may have already started work on a translation of the Bible into Latvian when he travelled from the Daugavgrīva fortress near Rīga to Alūksne.  There he finished his masterpiece and planted two oak trees alongside the manse that are still there.  Glück also established the first school in Vidzeme for Latvian children.  He was a pastor, translator, author and teacher.  Thanks to him, the Hernhutian movement of brethren flourished in Vidzeme after the Great Northern War.  It directed spiritual and political development and brought Latvians closer to their national awakening.

Of great importance in the Path of Light is Piebalga, which became very important in terms of culture in Latvia.  Culture, science and even politics took on new meaning and sounds.  This is where Kārlis Skalbe, the Kaudzītes brothers, Jānis Poruks, Antons Austriņš and other major figures from the national awakening lived and worked.  The very spiritual aura in this place has not disappeared to this very day.

The fantastic Cesvaine castle has been renovated, and the narrow-gauge railroad between Gulbene and Alūksne is still rolling alone.  The ruins of the Marienburg castle in Alūksne conjure up visions of the hidden wealth of the Order of Templates and the young woman who was bricked into the castle’s walls.  No less intriguing is the story of Marta Skovronsky, who would rise to become Empress Catherine the Great of Russia.

The Madona Regional Research and Art Museum offers a look at the past and present, while the Ate windmill at Kancempji offers a look at more than 4,000 unique items from the history of our countryside, complete with buildings that are more than 100 years old.

The Grey Dune of Pāvilosta nature reserve covers 42 hectares of land and has been designated to protect Latvia’s widest dune (1.5 km parallel the seacoast, and 812m in the direction from the sea to inland) and the biotopes and species found there. A two-storied watching platform is built to savour the scenery.

 In Soviet time, local fishermen used to dry seaweed in dunes for production of agar, and thus rich vegetation developed in the dune. The Gray Dune is part of a unique landscape with the sea view, the traditional architecture of Pāvilosta fishing town, and biotopes, including protected, which border the nature reserve: pine forest, embryonic dunes, white dunes, and wet beech where once can find springs. Biotope 2130, “Fixed dunes with herbaceous vegetation (grey dunes)” is found here. At present, pines are taking over the biotope, therefore some maintenance activities are required. The Grey Dune is most beautiful in the second half of July and in August when the blossoming Breckland Thyme (Thymus serpyllum) and Narrowleaf Hawkweed (Hieracium umbellatum) colour the dune in shades of yellow and violet. The most typical species here are Pasqueflower (Pulsatilla pretense), Grey Hair-grass(Corynephorus canescens), Blue Hair Grass (Koeleria glauca), Sand Pink (Dianthus arenarius).

The Gray Dune earned wide recognition when a group of enthusiasts actively campaigned for six years to achieve the status of the nature reserve. Guna Grimsta, a group representative remembers that they organised events and activities throughout Latvia involving large part of the society, prominent personalities, church parishes, NGOs, school youth and university students. The activists were writing letters, making videos, doing research articles, composing music, collecting signatures and submitting proposals to achieve official status of the Grey Dune as an especially protected nature site. They organised seminars, concerts, art plenaires and exhibitions, educational excursions, joint-work, musical church services, meetings with high officials and their on-site visits to the Gray Dune.

In 2006 the group received the title „Proudness of Latvia” awarded by the national TV3 broadcasting company and daily paper „Diena”.
The nature reserve „Gray Dune of Pāvilosta” was established in October 30, 2007. It is the most recent Natura2000 site in Latvia.

The Castle is a theme park depicting life of the 16th C stronghold where families can spend an exciting day as soldiers and noble knights. There is horse riding, bow and crossbow shooting, you can practise carpentry and blacksmith skills, mint coins, make gold and gunpowder. Facilities include a wine cellar, torture chamber, death room, medieval brothel, astronomy room, barber and alchemist workshops. The Schenkenberg Tavern menu has dishes cooked to medieval recipes.

Atpūtas vieta Gaujas upes kreisajā krastā, pusceļā starp Virešiem un Aņņu tiltu (Gaujiena-Valka; P23). Pieejams galds maltītēm, ugunskura vieta, sausa malka, telšu vietas, tualete.

Latvia is the land of apples, so producing cider here is only natural! The ancient traditions of apple growing in our country, as well as the variety of high-quality apple cultivars, are key advantages of Latvia's cider culture. In our climate zone, it is challenging to grow good grapes for wine production, but the local conditions are particularly suitable for making apple cider. This is a natural consequence that local cider producers are increasingly mastering with excellence.

The Cider Route will take you to various cideries in Latvia, as well as to restaurants and pubs that serve it. The Cider Route allows you to understand the specifics of Latvian cider, introducing you to the culinary traditions and cultural heritage of different regions. You will have the opportunity to meet the cider makers themselves, who run small farms, tend to the orchards, share about their work, and even let you participate in it.

The restaurant is alongside the Villa Elizabete guesthouse with a summer terrace and a fireplace room and library where diners can enjoy their meals when it is cold outside.

Latvian cuisine: Marinated Baltic herring with cottage cheese, cream of mushroom soup, grilled pork chop, veal steak, grilled tench.

Special foods: Captain Grant’s cheesecake.

Ilze Kupča bakes cakes in Mārupe, preserving her grandmother’s traditions. She has received several awards in various competitions in Latvia. She makes cakes and zephirs from natural products, which are either purchased from Latvian farmers or home producers, grown by herself, or even picked in the forests. Individual orders are accepted. Rye delicacies: blackcurrant and apple zephirs with rye breadcrumbs, lingonberry and caramel cake with rye bread.

Labi redzams no Kornetu centra. Līdz tornim var nokļūt pa taku, kas ved pāri pļavai uz uzlokas pa stāvā Dzērves kalna nogāzi. No torņa paveras viens no skaistākajiem Vidzemes un Latvijas skatiem. Redzams Dēliņkalns, blakus esošie Dzērves un Ievas ezeri, Hānjas augstiene un Lielais Munameģis (acīgākiem vērotājiem).