The first Mālpils dairy began operations in 1923 and manufactured butter and cheese.  During the 1970s, the first soft and unfermented cheese in Latvia, “Mālpils Cheese” was produced here.  Apply in advance for a tour of the company and a tasting of its products.  You can purchase the products from the company’s warehouse.

SIA "3x9 zālītes" piedāvā ļoti plašu klāstu zāļu tējas un to maisījumus. Zālītes ievāktas Vecpiebalgas novadā, ekoloģiski tīrās pļavās un mežos. Zālītes vāktas atbilstoši dabas ritmam un mēness fāzēm. Kaltētas dabīgos apstākļos, saglabājot zālīšu vērtīgās vielas, smaržu un garšu.

One of the rare guides in Latgale who sings Lettigalian songs during the tour.  This is an interesting, attractive and educational tale about historical events related to the Preiļi Estate and the surrounding town.

The Velēna Lutheran Church is at the crossing of the Smiltene-Gulbene-Lizums roads. It is said that the roof of the first wooden church at this location had a peat moss roof. The organ from the Sauer company still works, and it is one of the best organs in Latvia. The organist offers guided tours of the church.

The tour from Riga to Tallinn combines natural, cultural and culinary heritage and includes lovely landscapes and 15 nature trails which cross marshlands, meadows and forests along the shores of the Baltic Sea. The itinerary brings you directly to where local specialities are produced so that you can enjoy them freshly made and authentic. You will watch lamprey being prepared for you on a grill, and you will savour treats such as home-made ice-creams where they use eggs from happy hens of the farm, smoked meat from local farms, and many others. On this tour, you will become a true expert of the traditional and modern Latvian and Estonian cuisine.

As the farms producing foods are often located in beautiful nature areas, you will combine culinary and nature experiences on this tour. There are many nature trails equipped with viewing towers for birdwatching. Randu meadow near Ainaži contains one third of Latvia’s entire plant species. A boardwalk leads through reeds to a viewing platform with views over the meadow and the sea. Saaremaa Island has a great variety of natural attractions that are different from those on mainland Estonia. There are dolomite cliffs, juniper heaths, a meteorite lake and rocky sea shore. The tour passes rural farms and traditional villages typical of the coastal areas. Hiiumaa Island is a laid back place and retains a very Estonian atmosphere with an important bird reserve at Käina Bay, unusual Sääre Tirp, as well as several small islets off its south-eastern coast. Back on the mainland, Paldiski peninsula gives a glimpse of the recent history with its former Soviet military base.
 

The first church in Piņķi was made of wood.  The idea of building a new church emerged in the 1850s, and the cornerstone for a design by the architect J.D. Felsco was laid on May 25, 1872.  The church that is there today was completed in 1874.  The nine-register organ was built by the distinguished organ builder Wilhelm Sauer in 1890.  On July 17, 1916, the 5th Latvian Riflemen’s Battalion was on its way to the front lines at Smārde and stopped at the Piņķi Estate.  Col Jukums Vācietis delivered a sermon at the church on that date (though not all historians agree that he did so), and that has gone down in history as one of the most important events of the day.  The historical even inspired Aleksandrs Čaks to write the poem “Sermon at the Piņķi Church.”  The church is a cultural monument and can be toured.  It is lit up at night.  Alongside the stone is a rock that was installed in commemoration of the Latvian riflemen.

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.

The building was built in 1800 and rebuilt in 1825. Zosna Catholic Church is one of the smallest wooden churches in Latgale and the oldest church of the Rāzna National Park. The building is famous for the altarpiece "Madonna with a child". Noteworthy is also the gate, fence (built from red bricks and boulders) and the bell tower. Not far from the church there lives a manager with whom you can agree on seeing the church from the inside.