Koka skatu tornis atrodas blakus Kolkasraga priežu takai. No tā redzama ar priedītēm aizaugusi „stiga” – t.s. Šautuve, kuru padomju laikā izmantoja šaušanas apmācībām. No torņa skatu platformas labi saskatāma Kolkas bāka, kas atrodas 5 km attālumā no Kolkasraga.

A small town on the way from Riga to Bauska. Town's name is first mentioned in written sources in 1492. Here you can see Lutheran Church and former Manor Park

The "Baltic Way" route is in honour of a unique demonstration on August 23, 1989, when residents of the three Baltic States joined hands in a chain of participants that stretched along a nearly 600 km distance to link the three capital cities of Vilnius, Rīga and Tallinn.  In historical terms, this route was used from the 14th or 15th century or even earlier than that.

Grain-based foods in this region have a long history.  Tasty and yeasty rye bread is common, and in Vidzeme, try it with some hemp butter.  Barley is used to bake buns and for porridges.  Wheat is used to bake water pretzels with caraway seeds.  Visit farms and restored windmills to track the route of grain.

A special cheese is part of Summer Solstice celebrations, and on a daily basis you can enjoy other tasty cheeses made of cow and goat milk.  Various river and lake fishes are popular, as are local meat and fowl dishes and wild game with tasty sauces.  A roast or a pot of soup cooked on a live campfire will have a lovely aroma, and it will be served with vegetables, greens, beans, peas and mushrooms.  Wild plants such as sorrel, dandelion or young nettle leaves are added to soups and salads.

Treat yourself with fresh honey, bacon pies, sheet cakes, pastries, rye bread desserts, honey cakes and gingerbread.  You will find simple and traditional dishes, romantic meals in castles and estates, as well as a special knighthood repast with spices typical in the age of the Livonian Order.  Slake your thirst with herbal teas, birch juice, berry beverages, tasty beer or wine or a glass of something stronger.

The Ilūkste Roman Catholic Church is to the North of Unity Square. The first stone church in Ilūkste was financed by the Plater-Sieberg dynasty of noblemen between 1754 and 1769. The current church was built in 1816. In 1861, it was taken over by the Orthodox Church, but it was returned to a Catholic congregation in 1920. The church was restored in 1921. The interior can be viewed during worship services.

The Daugava is the largest river in Latvia and the river of destiny for the Latvian people.  Since the end of the Ice Age, plants and animals travelled into what is now Latvia along the Daugava River valley, followed then by humans.  The shores of the river have some of the oldest settlements in Latvia, as well as a true wealth of different kinds of plants.  The density of outstanding cultural and historical monuments is why tourists love the shores of the river.  The Rīga-Daugavpils rail line offers comfortable travel between Rīga and Jēkabpils.  Below, find other train stations where it is worth disembarking to take circular hikes that last for a few hours or half a day before returning to the station.

Route information from Latvijas Lauku forums

A very impressive ensemble that is in terrible shape.  The estate dates back to the 18^th and 19^th century, with the castle being built in the early 19^th century.  Half a century later it was rebuilt in the Neo-Gothic style with symmetrical towers and bricks in the cornices.  The estate belonged to the Manteufel-Stzege dynasty.  The vestibule, stairwell and second floor hall still have ornamental ceiling paintings, but visitors are not allowed to enter the building, so they cannot be seen.  Valuable interior design elements include a fireplace from the early 19^th century that is decorated with marble elements.  After the expropriation of the castle in 1920 and until 1951, the building housed a forestry school and then an agricultural crafts school.  Opposite the castle was the stable of the state that was built in the style of Classicism with a pediment and mighty columns.  Built in the early 19^th century, the stable is no longer used and can only be viewed from the outside.  A very much overgrown park surrounds the complex, and the hillock is the grave of one of the baron’s dogs.