The single-storey wooden building, located in the centre of Ventspils, boasts an antique interior that repurposes various household and craft items from the past. Latvian cuisine: lamb soup, fried bull testicles, grilled pork, pork ribs, oven-fried pork shank, pork chop, rye bread cake, cottage cheese cream.

Krustpils was first recorded in documents in 1237 in relation to the construction of the Kreutzburg castle on the right bank of the Daugava River.  A 1511 document lists it as a village.  In 1585, Polish King Stefan Báthory gifted the town to Nicholas Korff, whose family continued to own it until 1920.  Battles between Swedish and Polish forces occurred outside of Krustpils in 1626, and the sacked village was in poor shape until the mid-19th century.  Jēkabpils, in turn, was constructed as a settlement for Old Believers who were persecuted in Russia.  The Daugava has rapids opposite Krustpils and Jēkabpils, which means that boats had to dock there and reload their goods into wagons.  The settlement flourished, and in 1670 it was given the rights of a city.  It is named after Duke Jacob.  When the Rīga-Daugavpils rail line opened in 1861, Krustpils flourished, and Jēkabpils did not flourish.  The two cities were administratively merged in 1962, keeping the name of Jēkabpils.  There are typical one-story wooden buildings from the 19th century, red brick buildings built at the turn of the 20th century, as well as seven churches used by different denominations.  The dam along the left bank of the Daugava was built in 1861, and it was aimed at protecting the city against flooding.  Today it is a promenade that is popular among local residents for strolling and leisure.

Vannūzis (Bath) – A building of the five-building complex “Kurhaus”. During the times of the Neibāde resort, this small building used to be a bath place. In order for the guests of the resort to be able to take a dip in the sea water even in bad weather, barrels of water were delivered by horses to the bath place.  

Near Karva along the old Alūksne-Ape road, the monument was unveiled on November 12, 1937.  It was designed by the architect Verners Vitands and contains the text “Soldiers from the Valmiera Brigade who fell during Latvia’s liberation battles in 1919; I rested my head on the moss and defended my fatherland.”  The monument was torn down in 1975 and restored in 1944.

This is the longest of the Forest Trail tours, where you will hike on many beautiful forest nature trails in Latvia and Estonia. These nature trails are part of the Forest Trail and this tour is suitable for self-drive tourists, who wish to hike different sizes of trails and get an impression of the forest diversity in both countries. You have the possibility to see the northern coniferous forests with spruces and pines, broadleaf forests, wet floodplain forests and picturesque forests growing on slopes and ravines. You will also see the most interesting tourist sights in Latvia and Estonia, which are close to the Forest Trail. In Latvia you will visit Sigulda, the historic Ligatne papermill village, medieval Cesis, the River Amata valley, which is located in Gauja National Park. Then you will drive to the less populated eastern part of Latvia – the Northern Gauja protected landscape area, Aluksne Town and hike in the Korneti-Peļļi subglacial depression, one of the most impressive ravines in Latvia. You can climb to Drusku castle mound – the highest and steepest of all the castle mounds in Latvia, When entering Estonia, you will see the highest point of the Baltics – Suur Munamagi Hill, where the observation tower is built. Further on the tour will lead you to the River Piusa valley, Obinitsa, with the culture of Seto people. You will hike in the historic Varska resort town, which is very close to the Russian border. Then you will reach Tartu and Lake Peipsi, which is the 5th biggest lake in Europe. You will hike in the Kurtna landscape reserve, see the Ontika limestone cliff, Valaste waterfall – the highest in Estonia. Finally you will hike in one of the beautiful wooded areas in Estonia – Lahemaa National Park. The tour ends in Tallinn, where you can enjoy the medieval Old Town and many other attractions.

The café is situated in a comfortable cellar of a museum commemorating the life of the Latvian author Anna Brigadere. Here you will find a variety of foods and drinks that can satisfy any taste. In the summer, in the yard filled with sunshine, you will be able to relax on the outdoor terrace, listening to the waterflow of the Tervete river, whereas in winter, having enjoyed the snow drifted landscapes, warm up in the cellar, drinking tasty tea. The café organises parties with the good witches of the Tērvete forest, as well as rides in horse-drawn carts or sleds.

Latvian cuisine: Pork ribs in honey sauce, pancakes with jam, mushroom sauce.

Special foods: “Bear’s paw”.

The MIKO bakery bakes more than 100 types of products according to its special recipes, including cakes, pies, eclairs, and biscuits.

1.2 km to the south of the centre of Ģipka and on the side of the Jūrmala-Kolka road (P131), this church makes it hard to believe that the rock church was built very recently – after 1992, because it was burned down during the Soviet occupation in 1979.  Ironically, the Dundaga forestry fire safety post was housed in the steeple of the church after World War II.  The ornate altar and organ were destroyed in the fire, but the altar painting, “Christ on the Cross,” was saved.  The church is now once again open for business.

A wooden church was built by local craftsmen here between 1655 and 1658.  Financed by the Plater aristocratic family, it was a miniature basilica, and this is seen as one of the oldest wooden churches in Latgale.  That makes it a unique cultural and historical monument.  The central altar has baroque wood carvings that were produced by masters from a local sculptural school.  The side altar includes a painting of Mary Magdalene from the mid-18th century.  The church was moved to its present location on the right bank of the Daugava in 1698.  It has been restored several times – in 1890 and 1918.  The stone wall that stretches around the church dates back to the late 17th century, and the freestanding bell tower was built in the mid-19th century.  It was restored in 2002.  According to various sources of information, the Indrica congregation is the oldest one in Latgale.