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One of the most popular areas of uncovered sandstone in Latvia, known for its unusually smooth and sound-reflecting cliff wall (around 12m in height). Located on the right bank of the Salaca river, there is a place for tenting. A fun experiment is to stand in various closes opposite the cliff and to speak quietly. The echo will be heard either by the speaker or by people who are standing elsewhere. Located in the Salaca valley nature park and the Skaņaiskalns park.
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There are three large lakes at the centre of this park – Lake Dusia, Lake Metelys, and Lake Obelija. Lake Dusia has very clear and transparent water, and its southern and south-eastern beaches are popular among swimmers. The lakes and their nearby wetlands are important during the migration season of birds.
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The Krustpils Lutheran Church is found at Rīgas Street 211A in Krustpils, on the right bank of the Little Daugava. The stone church which is there was built between 1818 and 1820 and consecrated in 1824. Two older churches stood on the site before then. The church was seriously damaged during World War I, and it was restored in 1924. There are several notable cultural monuments in the church – the altar painting, “Christ Prays in the Garden of Gethsemane”, the organ (with pipes that were manufactured in Germany), etc. The church is seen as one of the best examples of Empire-style architecture in Latvia, and in 1999 it was granted the European blue flag as an element of cultural heritage. There are legends about underground passages to Daugavsala, which is to the West of the church. The church is closed to visitors most days and can only be viewed from the outside. Nearby the church are two monuments – one commemorating the politically repressed, and the other memorialising national partisans.
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This park is in a region of hillocks in the Karula highlands, and Lake Ähijärve is at its centre. The park offers a cultural environment of small farms, and it was set up to protect the unique cupola-shaped hillocks of the area. Main attractions: Scenic Lake Ähijärv (176ha), Rebasemõisa Tornimägi hill (137.8 m above sea level), undulating landscapes. |
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Near the place where the Kilmiņupe River flows into the sea is the legendary Trommel castle hill, which was a Medieval fortification. It is some 100 m from the Kraujas homestead. An archaeological dig in 1977 found fragments of bricks and pot-bellied stoves, which suggests that the fortifications date back to the Middle Ages. The location also is linked to stories about a pirate, Trommel, who buried his loot here. The holes in the area have been left behind by treasure hunters. Trommel supposedly robbed ships in the Bay of Rīga from the shores of Kurzeme to Roņu Island. Many ships docked here in ancient times, waiting for better winds so that they could pass by Cape Kolka. The pirate made use of this fact, also pillaging property from sunken ships. It is said that Trommel lived in a stone castle. (Source: Roja TIC) |
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This territory is around 9 square kilometres in size and is found to the North of the village of Kūdra, where the so-called old peat quarries are found. Peat was extracted here during the first period of Latvian independence. Today the territory is overgrown, preserving the old and flooded quarries which offer a very unusual landscape. The best way to examine them is on foot or bike, taking the road from the Kūdra railroad station which leads to Lake Sloka. |
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Kafejnīca "Dižjūra" atrodas Mazirbē, Lībiešu tautas namā. Atvērta vasaras sezonā. |
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The saloon is in the historical centre of Līgatne, alongside a pond, and in a building that was once home to the first Līgatne paper factory. Latvian cuisine: Vidzeme stroganoff, grilled Kolka herring, grilled pork, Amata trout, potato pancakes with cream, pancakes with jam, beer, kvass. Special foods: A special dessert. |
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This farm is in a lovely location on the western side of the Talsi hillocks, offering a look at Talsi and its area. This is an open farm with grows and processes apples (dried apples, apple chips, apple juice). Visitors are offered an informative tour, with a chance to taste and purchase the products. The farm is in a protected natural area -- the Talsi Hillocks Nature Park. There is an area for tenting during the summer. The owners will teach you to produce a crown from fruit tree branches. The gardens of the farm stretch across the hillocks, and there are several types of local apple trees that are nurtured by the lady of the house. An informative stand alongside the farm features information about the most important values of the nature park. |
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Latvian blackhead sheep are in a clean environment at the Ances farm, which is in the Northern Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve near the border with Estonia. It is in the Naukšēni Parish, where chemical plant protection substances and mineral fertilisers have never been used intensively. The sheep roam freely during the winter and summer, with fencing to protect them against wolves and wild boar. The farm only uses female sheep born as twins or triplets, including animals for genetic resources. All of the sheep come from German blackhead sheep and are only mated with high-quality LT rams in January, February, August and September. |
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Located on the main pedestrian thoroughfare in town, the baker offers bacon pierogi, cottage cheese and cinnamon pastries, sweet pretzels and tortes. Vintage bicycles can be rented. |
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The "Jurmala" campsite is located in the park territory of the "Rīgas Līcis" sanatorium and offers facilitated tent, camper and caravan sites, as well as holiday homes for rent. The campsite is located next to the beach and is suitable for recreation with family and friends, as well as for organizing a variety of thematic and recreational events. The proximity to the "Dubulti" and "Jaundubulti" railway stations makes it easy to move around Jurmala or get to Riga. The campsite is also suitable for families with pets. |
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Kirkas Hill in Micāni. In 1792, a small castle on the hill Priežukalns (Kirkas kalns) was rebuilt into
Lutheran Church. Nowadays, the hill still is called Kirkas kalns (in German „Kirche” means „church”).
Old people say – under the church there is a big cellar where the jewellery of church and the Mantefel
family is hidden; Manteifel family vault is there too.
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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. |
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Guides will offer you a tour during which you can watch red deer, fallow deer and wild sheep. You will learn about the specifics of breeding them. The farm engages in selection, as well. |
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Tour groups with at least ten people can enjoy tastings of various homemade wines (23 types in all) that are made of fruits and berries – three types of wine each time. The owner will tell you about winemaking technologies and ways to drink and enjoy wine. |
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Cēsis is in the centre of the Gauja National Park, but it is not part of the park as such. There are many interesting places in Cēsis to visit and examine. The oldest part of the town is of key interest. The origins of Cēsis can be found at Riekstu hill, which is 18 metres high. Between the 11th and 13th century, there was a wooden castle here built by the Vendians. The hill is in the central part of the castle park, and it offers a good view of the park, pond and the ruins of the Cēsis castle, which can be accessed via a long cascade of stairs. The Cēsis castle (see below) was built in the early 13th century as a residence for masters of the Livonian Order, and it was one of the strongest fortresses in the Baltic territories. Alongside it is the New Cēsis castle, which was built in 1777 where the gate fortifications once stood. The Cēsis Museum of History and Art is in the building, alongside which is a visitors centre and the Cēsis Tourism Information Centre. From the tower of the castle, there is a fine view of the castle ruins, St John's Lutheran church and the northern part of the town. Opposite the New Cēsis castle are stables and a wheelhouse (both from the first half of the 19th century). The Cēsis Exhibition Hall is there today. You can look at the exteriors of the granary, the hut for coachmen, and the old brewery. On the other side of the street is the romantic Maija park, which was installed in the 1830s. The park is popular among parents with children, because there is a playground there. From this area, you can walk down some of the old streets of the town – Lielās Katrīnas, Mazās Katrīnas, Mazā Kalēju, Kalēju and Lielā Līvu streets, plus Līvu Square. The wooden buildings along the streets date back to the late 18th and early 19th century. Torņa Street, which weaves its way along the defensive walls of the Medieval castle, offers a look outside the church of a sculpture by Matiass Jansons, "As the Centuries Pass". Legend says that if you rub the lantern carred by the Old Man of Time, you can see the future. One of the most impressive buildings in Cēsis is St John's Lutheran Church, which was built in the late 13th century for the Livonian Order. It is a basilica built in the Roman style and with Gothic elements. The tower, which is 65 m high, was built in 1853. The building was reconstructed several times during the 20th century. Inside the building are grave epitaphs for masters of the Livonian Order and for bishops. The pulpit was installed in 1748, the oak altar followed in 1858, and the altar painting "The Crucified One" dates back to 1862. The stained glass windows around the altar are of great artistic value. The organ was built in 1907 by the E.F. Walker Company, and the instrument is one of the best concert organs in Latvia. A sun clock featuring the year 1744 is at the south-western corner of the church. It is worth climbing the church's tower. At the foot of the building is Rose Square, which began as a market square in the mid-19th century, remained in place until 1927, and was restored in 2008. This is the central square in the town today. During the Medieval Era, there were stockades here, along with the city's well. Rīgas Street has been the main street of the old town from the very beginning, and it is here that you will find the most architecturally outstanding buildings in town from the 18th and 19th centuries. They include the former Cēsis City Hall, the Fābers building, and the Princess building. At one end of the street is Līvu Square, where, during the 13th century, there was a church, a cemetery and a gate in the town walls. Today the square features a lighted fountain which is on the site of a 13th century well known as Lejas Šķimbēgs. At the other end of the street is a reconstruction of the foundations and surface elements of the Rauna gate that was a part of the town walls in the 14th and 15th centuries. The site offers a good idea about Medieval fortifications and the size and mightiness of gates therein. |
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Prepared blood sausages both traditional and more modern. The farms offer sausage-making demonstrations for various interest groups. Farm sausages are special with the prize won at the Riga Food exhibition - People's Taste. Open at any time by prior arrangement. |
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The beautiful, tidy and artfully laid out farmstead is situated in Jaunpiebalga district. The farmstead is naturally encorporated into the landscape, the old barn is renovated and its top floor is a place for the owner’s workshop and exhibition (she is a softwares artist). The old log house has also been renovated, and the sauna has been rebuilt. A small river flows through the farmstead, and there is also a Tuleja mound on the territory, which is a natural landmark protected by the state. |
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Lauku sēta ar pirti atrodas Merkys upes krastā, ciema nomalē meža tuvumā. Piedāvā programmu "Griķu ceļš no sēklas līdz galdam", iespējams nobaudīt tradicionālos ēdienus. Piedāvā arī nakšņošanu. |