This is an easy 3-day route, suitable for any traveller ready to take some steps outside the capital and get into the woods. You will start the tour by taking a train from Rīga to Ķemeri. The walk will start in the Ķemeri resort park leading to the legendary sulphur spring and continue to the “Forest House” – the visitor’s centre of the Ķemeri National Park. The park is established for the protection of mainly wetlands – the shallow coast of the Gulf of Riga, the overgrown seaside lakes, the vast marshlands, mires (forests) and flood plans. Besides, there is the wooden plank Melnalkšņu swamp forest trail. Next, the Forest Trail takes one to the Lake Sloka, a shallow coastal lake with rich aquatic plants, sulphur springs and important migratory bird rest areas. On the banks of it, there is a 7 m high floating bird-watching tower. Further, the Forest Trail runs to the Gulf of Riga in the small fishermen village of Bigauņciems, where it joins with the Baltic Coastal Hiking Route (E9 European long distance path). From there on, the trail runs along the coast direction Jūrmala – the most popular resort town in Latvia with the widest sandy beaches. The tour ends in Ragakāpa Nature Park, which is established to preserve the dunes covered in old pine forests and natural diversity of the seaside. The Jūrmala Open-Air Museum is a place to get to know a traditional local fishermen’s farmstead.

Atrodas Rīgas ielā 8 – skaistā, 1883. g. celtā jūgendstila ēkā . Muzejs (viens no Latgales lielākajiem un vecākajiem) tajā darbojas no 1959. g. (pats muzejs dibināts 1938. g.) un tā krājums vēsta par Daugavpils un tās apkārtnes vēsturiskajiem notikumiem. Tajā regulāri tiek rīkotas arī tematiskās izstādes, piedāvātas muzejpedagoģiskas programmas. Te vēl var apskatīt Daugavpilī dzimušā un pasaulē pazīstamā mākslinieka Marka Rotko (1903. – 1970.) gleznu reprodukcijas, kuras no 2013. gada plānots pārcelt uz M. Rotko centru Daugavpils cietoksnī.

One of the oldest buildings at the Pope Estate is the old hunting castle that was built in 1653. The mansion was built in 1608 or 1620. The Neo-Gothic porch was added in 1840. The interiors of the mansion have been preserved since the 18th century and the 3rd quarter of the 19th century, including wood panelling, original decorated ceilings, a front door in the style of Classicism, and a Rococo stove.  Sadly, one of the oldest buildings - the home of the estate's governor - burned down in 2018, but the rest of the estate did not suffer and retained its beauty.  Visitors will be delighted about the aromatic garden of phloxes, as well as the impressive oak trees. Worth a look is the hillock behind the main building of the estate, near which there used to be a narrow-gauge railroad (the Pope Station).  The other buildings cover a fairly extensive territory, and so it is worth spending a few hours to tour the village of Pope.

The Pope Estate and its park are among the best-preserved estates in the area.  Since March 1941, it has housed a school.  Most of the trees in the park are common, but there are a few rare ones.

Krodziņš "Mežavējš" atrodas Rīgas - Liepājas šosejas 101. kilometrā. Krodziņa ēdienkartē iekļauti latviskie ēdieni.

Latviešu virtuve: Skābu kāpostu zupa, biešu zupa, skābeņu zupa, aukstā zupa, kartupeļu pankūkas, plānās pankūkas ar ievārījumu, šmorētas cūkgaļas ribiņas, zemnieku cienasts, mājas kotletes, auzu pārslu kārtojums, rupjmaizes kārtojums.

Muiža sāka veidoties 16. gs. beigās (īpašnieki - Tīzenhauzeni, vēlāk Bēri), bet no 1753. g. tā kļūst par Mēdemu dzimtas īpašumu. Tagad redzamo muižas pili (mūsdienās tikai atliekas) cēla 1806. - 1810. g. klasicisma stilā (Johana Georga Ādama Berlica projekts) pēc itāļu izcelsmes Pēterburgas galma arhitekta Džakomo Kvarengi meta. Muižas īpašnieks tajā laikā bija Johana Frīdriha Mēdema dēls - Kristofs Johans Frīdrihs (saukts par Žanno). Elejas pilī bija savākti daudzi nozīmīgi Eiropas mākslinieku darbi, kā arī iekārtots izcils interjers. 18 muižas kompleksa ēkas nodedzināja Pirmā pasaules kara laikā (1915. g.) un līdz mūsdienām ir saglabājušies tikai nelieli pils pirmā stāva drupu fragmenti ar kaltiem portika kolonu kapiteļiem, pārvaldnieka māja (apskatāma no ārpuses), atsevišķas saimniecības ēkas un parks. No pils drupām pa aleju var aiziet līdz Tējas namiņam (bēdīgā stāvoklī). 0,5 km ziemeļos no pils drupām atrodas 1912. g. izveidotā Mēdemu dzimtas kapsēta. Elejas pils mūra žoga arkādē iemūrēts dobumakmens.

Viens no labākajiem veidiem, kā iepazīties ar sidru, ir paviesoties kādā no sidra darītavām, kur klātienē var redzēt, kā sidrs tiek gatavots. Vairākas sidra darītavas piedāvā apmeklējumus, kuros sidrdari parādīs ražošanas procesu, ļaus nodegustēt savu produkciju un pastāstīs par to.

Sidrdari pieņem apmeklētājus pēc iepriekšējas pieteikšanās. Rezervējiet savu apmeklējumu laikus, lai mazajās saimniecībās, kur bieži vien strādā tikai pati ģimene vai pāris darbinieku, sidrdari var paspēt apvienot tūristu uzņemšanu ar savu ikdienas darbu. Parasti sidra darītavas uzņem viesus visu cauru gadu, dažos gadalaikos ir iespējams vērot arī ražošanas procesu, tādēļ sidra darītavas apmeklējumam ieplānojiet apmēram 2 stundas.

The trail (the length 1.2 km) introduces with the habitats of dunes and century-old pines, partly covered with sand. Biologists estimate that the oldest tree, the “mother of pines”, could be around 200 years old. Coastal pine forests serve as a barrier between the sea and land protecting inland areas from impact of the sea and winds. Felling coastal forests was forbidden by law already back in 1643, during the Duchy of Courland. Still due to economic activities, the seashore forests were often fell and fires occurred there occasionally. As a result, the sand which had for centuries been hold by trees, started drifting at Cape Kolka. In the 1930ies, there were about 142 hectares of sandy areas in the Slītere National Park, and 11.5 hectares of those were drifting sand. To stop drifting, the sand areas were carefully afforested. Afforestation was started before WW I and it was completed in the 1970ies. To plant new trees, first the sand had to be stopped. Just 26km to the south from Kolka there was one of the largest sand dunes in Latvia, 25km in length. Every year it devoured 0.3 hectares of land. The sand was stopped covering it with heather, twigs and branches of pines and junipers. Pine trees were planted between them.

Today in Kolka, the old, low pine trees tell about the once drifting sand. After storms, when the water washes the bluff and tree roots are exposed, one can see that the tree trunks once have been covered with sand more than 1 meter high. The trees on the seacoast usually have crooked trunks and flag-shaped crowns formed under influence of persisting sea winds. Now these forests are designated biotope “Wooded dunes of the coast”.

Stable white dunes (biotope 2120) do not form in Cape Kolka as they are washed by sea waters during spring and autumn storms. Embryonic dunes develop here (code 2120) with plants that usually grow in dunes. These plants have adapted well to poor soils, heat, drought, and the saline sea water.

The Kolkasrags Pine Trail is in Slītere National Park.

Tihuse farm on Muhu Island is engaged in horse breeding; this place also offers authentic food and a special menu for people with various food intolerances. It is very popular to take a horse ride, followed by a picnic. Lentil cakes are our special treat.

Kuldiga is deservedly considered the most beautiful small town of medieval times in Latvia. Instead of it already in the 13th century the Bandava centre of the ancient Cours land was located. In 1242 construction of stone castle was begun at Venta Falls by the Livonian Order. Populated area formed beside the castle, which was the first to acquire the rights of a city in Kurzeme (in 1378). Significant was also its participation in the Hanza Union. From 1561 until 1795 Kuldīga was the capital city of Kurzeme Dukedom. Naturally, in the first half of the 17th century it experienced rapid economic growth, which was terminated by the beginning of the Northern War and plague epidemic. The pride of Kurzeme residents and the lack of larger industrial objects was the reason, why during the Soviet times larger masses of immigrants did not flood the city, therefore today Kuldiga is one of the most Latvian cities in Kurzeme. It is worth to visit Kuldiga and stay there for more than one day, because there is plenty to do here. Nature fans may observe the flying fish, but for researchers of cultural history a really vast field of work opens here.