This botanical garden was opened in 1923 as a scholarly centre.  The garden covers more than 60 hectares, and approximately 30 ha are open to the public. 

One of the most important locations for migrating water birds in terms of rest and feeding in Latvia is the Svēte flood-land, which overflows in the spring time, along with the Svēte polder. It has been calculated that when circumstances are good, tens of thousands of birds can be seen in the area – swans, geese, corn-crakes, pintails, predatory birds, plover-type birds, etc.

This farm breeds alpacas, llamas, camels, burros, ostriches, Dutch rams, chinchillas and rabbits.  Together with the owners, you can feed and pet the animals and take selfies with them.  Pergolas are part of the charm of the venue, and the local café will offer you coffee and snacks.  You can also purchase souvenirs and things made of alpaca wool.

The watermill processes wool with equipment that is 100 years old and is used to produce handmade blankets and pillows that are stuffed with sheep wool, as well as souvenirs that can be commissioned and purchased.  The watermill offers tours and fresh-baked bread.  A wool pulling and wrapping machine that dates back to the 19th century and was manufactured at the Šūberts Rudītis & Co company in the 19th century is still used, as are a unique weaving apparatus from Germany and a grain mill.

Latvian cuisine: Marinated herring with vegetables, porridge, mashed potatoes a la Vidzeme (with fried onions), pancakes with jam made of Latvian berries and honey, homemade bread.

Special foods: Water pretzels and local soup with six types of fish.

The Baltic Sea gave this territory one of the old names of Jūrkalne – Felixberg, and people still talk about the interesting legend that is the origin of the name.  Several wrecked ships have been found in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Jūrkalne.  An exhibition in the museum visualises the underwater world as the deck of a ship that has sunk into the depths of the sea.  The exhibition focuses on the cultural and historical heritage of underwater Latvia, allowing visitors to learn all about the history of sailing ships, steamships and other objects that have been raised from the depths.  Small children will start to learn about the underwater world, and researchers with broader knowledge will find something new here.

Lieliska vieta svinībām vai atpūtai Minijas ielejā Žemaitijā. Kafejnīca 100 pers. un konferenču zāle, kuras izvietotas 6 ha lielajā teritorijā. Spēļu laukumi gan bērniem, gan pieaugušajiem. Kanoe, burbuļvanna un pirts. Nakšņošanai viesnīcas numuriņi, koka namiņš vai 2-zvaigžņu kempings. Pieejama ēdināšana. 
 

The Mežotne castle hill is on the left bank of the Lielupe River and opposite the Mežotne Castle. This was one of the largest Semigalian fortified castle hills during the 9^th to the 13^th century, and an ancient town alongside the hill covered 13 ha of land. The castle hill has been improved. A pontoon bridge across the Lielupe allows hikers and bikers to reach the castle (between May and October). Vīna Hill is approximately 500 m to the South of the castle hill, and a wooden pathway leads to it.

The Baltic Way was a unique demonstration at the Baltic, European and global level.  Never before had the residents of three countries joined hands in a single chain to link the capital cities of the three nations – Vilnius, Rīga and Tallinn.  The historical event occurred on the evening of August 23, 1989 and involved some two million people to recall events that had happened 50 years before – the conclusion of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact that allowed the two superpowers of the day, Germany and the USSR, to divide up spheres of influence in Europe before the new world war.  The Baltic States lost their independence as a result of the pact.

The chain of demonstrators was some 600 km long, marking out the Baltic Way from Bauska to Rīga and then on to Sigulda, Cēsis, Valmiera and Rūjiena.  The route was known and used in the 14th and 15th century, or even earlier.  Testimony to this is given by the mighty castle hill at Mežotne and the ancient port alongside it.  The Bauska Castle was an important fort during the age of Livonia and, later, one of the residencies of the dukes of Courland.  Sigulda was well fortified on the banks of the Gauja River, with three stone castles nearby.  It was also a health spa.  Līgatne is important in industrial terms because of the paper factory that is there.  Āraiši is another ancient trade crossroad with a lake castle, ancient church, castle ruins and a famous windmill.  Cēsis is one of the historical diamonds of Vidzeme with its old town, the old and new castle, and the majestic views of the ancient Gauja River valley at the cliffs of Ērgļi.  Valmiera boasts of his St Simon’s Church, the Dāliņš stadium, its own theatre and the youthfulness of its own university college.  In Rūjiena, there is a monument to the Bugler of Tālava, which was carved by Kārlis Zemdega and installed in 1937 to commemorate the liberation of Rūjiena.  The monument survived all of the years after the war.  The engraving, “the bugler had to die, but the Latvians heard his call,” is very much in line with the Baltic Way on August 23, 1989.

The farm is in a lovely location on the shore of a local lake. It breeds sheep, goats, rabbits and fowl. You can you on a tour, and the kids can help to feed rabbits or take a look at spring lambs. If you are interested in learning how to shear sheep, you can do so here.

Until 1724, the Cecina semi-estate belonged to the Hilsen dynasty.  When daughter Jadviga married Jans Šadurskis, the estate was recorded as the Malnava Estate in 1774.  Ownership of the estate changed hands several times.  The mansion is built in the style of Classicism with Baroque elements.  The granary is on one side of the yard, while the mansion is on the other side.  During agrarian reforms in the 1920s, the estate was one of the largest ones in Latvia, covering 12,400 ha.  The mansion was damaged during World War Ii, and the original interior design was lost during reconstruction.  Among other buildings, the granary, built in the style of Classicism during the first half of the 19th century, has been preserved, as have several other buildings.  The park of the estate has exotic bushes and trees, as well as two cement bunkers, one of which was briefly visited by Adolf Hitler.  The estate also has a vodka distillation facility where you will learn all about the process from antiquity to the present day.