The company produces butter, cream, cottage cheese, cottage cheese products, yoghurt and desserts, using high-quality milk that comes from more than 100 local farms and three co-operatives.  Technological processes are observed and improved during the manufacturing process so that the product retains its value in terms of taste and nutrition.  Tourists are welcome, and tastings are available.  This is one of five companies in Latvia that can produce “Summer Solstice” cheese as an EU guaranteed traditional product.  The company’s products also have the “Green Teaspoon” quality mark.

The flat surface of this large hillock (247 m above sea level, ~60 m above the surrounding area) offers one of the most beautiful landscapes in Latgale, complete with Lake Rāzna. During the 13^th century, the Livonian Order built the Volkenberga Castle on the hillock, and it was thought to be practically impenetrable. Fragments of the castle’s walls remain visible today.

Go horseback or wagon riding all year long, find contacts with goats, sheep, chickens, turkeys, geese, and ducks, and taste smoked goat cheese. The owner also produces Christmas and other decorations.

This pile of big rocks stands around 9 m high and is some kind of monument to Krišjānis Barons and his achievements on behalf of the Latvian people.  His parents lived at the Valpene Estate, and the rocks contain engraved names of lost homesteads from the region.  Their direction in the pyramid indicates where the homesteads used to be.  The idea for the rocks came from Imants Ziedonis, and the pyramid was built by the sculptor Vilnis Titāns.

 The Lašu castle hill is 0.2 km from the Vecumnieki-Ilūkste road at Laši. It is an ancient Selonian castle hill, and it was populated between the 1^st millennium BC and the 10^th or 12^th century. Very little remains of the old Veclaši (Tiesenhausen) Estate, which had an impressive mansion designed in the Neo-Gothic style in the late 19^th century. What remains are an ancillary building, the foundations of the mansion, fragments of the gates, and a park. Until 1920, the estate belonged to the Pshezdzetski dynasty, and before that it was owned by the Tiesenhausen and Fittinghoff dynasties. Before visiting the location, look for photographs of the old mansion on the Internet. Sadly, the important cultural monument has not experienced any major improvements over the past 20 years.

The first church was here in the early 18^th century, followed by the second and third one (1847-1848), and then the one that is there now. The church was damaged during World War I and then during the Soviet era, when wool was stored there between 1969 and 1993. In the 1990s, the building was in terrible shape, but it is gradually recovering its appearance. Between 1826 and 1856, the sexton and organist at the church was the Latvian poet and translator Ansis Līventāls (1803-1878). His grave and monument are alongside the church. At the same place are the graves of German and Russian soldiers who died during World War I, as well as the grave monument of the pastor and writer Jacob Florentin Lundberg (1782-1858).

A true Latvian landlady, Skaidrīte Nagliņa, will welcome you to this farm and show you how to bake traditional bread.  Old recipes and a bread oven heated by firewood will lead to beloved and tasty carrot buns, fresh sourdough bread and “pizza” ὰ la the Suiti.  For groups up to 10 people.  Please contact the farm in advance of your visit.

The mouth of the most beautiful river of Vidzeme. On the seashore between the mouths of River Gauja and River Daugava, one of the largest dune ranges in Latvia with distinctive parabolic dunes overgrown with forest (wooded dunes) is situated. The Mouth of River Gauja is unique as it is one of the few major rivers in Latvia and in EU countries to flow into the sea naturally. There is no harbour or other hydro-engineering construction. It is a popular recreation area in the vicinity of Riga and Saulkrasti while, unfortunately, the lack of infrastructure makes it suffer from anthropogenic load.

Not far from the rivermouth, hidden in dunes, there are pillboxes which were built in 1920 or 30ies as anti-airborne barriers. There was a whole range of them along the coastline from the mouth of the River Lielupe to the mouth of the River Gauja forming a part of the Daugavgrīva Fortress fortifications. The pillbox is made of concrete, ca 1.5m thick.

Every year, on the 3^rd Sunday in August, a lamprey festival takes place in Carnikava town by the Gauja rivermouth. Carnikava is called the Lamprey Capital as it is famous for its lamprey fishing tradition and generous catches.

The Mouth of the River Gauja is a good bird-watching area, especially in spring and autumn when one can observe the highest variety of species. Just few of the many bird species that can be observed near the Gauja rivermouth

To the North of the Cesvaine Castle is a park that is crossed by the rapidly flowing Sūla River.  The Cesvaine castle hill is on the northern bank of the river, is around 15 m high and is covered by trees today.  The grave of the owner of the castle, Adolf von Wolff, is there.  It is said that he wanted to have his casket dragged to the gravesite on a sled.  He died during the summer, but that was done anyway.  The park features a wide diversity of trees and bushes, some of which the owner brought home from his extensive travels.