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Vainova Old-Believers Prayer House was built in 1980 replacing the previous church that was burnt by lightening. Initially, the Prayer House was one of the biggest churches in Latgale (for 2 000 people). The congregation of the church exists since the 18th century.
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The guesthouse is on the shore of Lake Ciritis with a view of lake islands.  Guests are offered Lettigalian dishes, including ones made from lake fish.
Latvian cuisine: Fish soup, smoked eel and pike-perch, stuffed chicken, potato pancakes with cottage cheese and dill, bread soup with whipped cream or ice cream, whipped cranberry dessert, fried ice cream, freshly squeezed apple juice.
Special foods: Lake fish a la Latgale.

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These are hillocks at the northern end of the Vidzeme highlands, and this is an important location for boreal (Northern) forests and swamps. Various kinds of swamps are found here, and the area is home to a variety of protected invertebrates.
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The open-air pizzeria not far from Valmiera in Beverina district. It is an opportunity to spend time in the countryside, relax and take part in making real Italian pizza, where everyone has a chance to make a pizza according to one’s taste, baking it on open fire in a wooden stove. Available clear water and Italian wine, coffee and tea. Apart from pizzas, it is possible to buy tiramisu, having ordered it beforehand.

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This is a beautiful farm that is friendly to the environment and has some 300 hives of bees. There is a shop along with a tasting hall where you can enjoy honey made of various flowers, pollen (including pollen in honey), propolis (also in honey) bee bread, wax and souvenirs. Taste beekeeping products (including honey wine) and take a tour of the farm, as well.

This farm uses traditional hives to extract honey, and it offers a look at hives that were used in the past. The owners are happy to talk about the development of beekeeping in Latvia and their experience in this regard.

New! BeeHive bee healing therapy!
A wonderful opportunity to improve both mental and physical health with the healing effects of apitherapy - the healing power of bees. 

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The wetland meadows that are around the Pededze River are the site of this 200 ha farm with some 350 red deer, other deer and wild boar. There are towers from which you can watch the graceful animals, and there are ponds for commercial fishing. Please contact the owner well in advance for a tour.

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The ship and coast guard missile repair workshops in the forests around Bārta in the Liepāja District are very impressive in visual terms. The facility is owned by the regional local government and is being dismantled to obtain building materials.
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3 days

The Suiti are a community with among the most colourful and unique cultural traditions in Kurzeme and Latvia.  This was confirmed on October 1, 2009, when the cultural territory of the Suiti was included in the UNESCO list of global intangible cultural heritage, thus indicating that the traditions must be preserved.  The Suiti territory is also on the list of folk traditions that is part of the Latvian Cultural Canon.  Manifestations of this intangible cultural heritage include traditional festivals, habits, oral traditions, traditional singing and musical skills, folk costumes and culinary traditions.  Since 2009, the Suiti community has been undergoing a renaissance, with people actively working to restore traditions and ensure their sustainability and promotion at the local, national and international level.  The survival of the cultural territory is in the hands of the Suiti themselves, and this is closely linked to the practices and the creativity of community representatives.  The Suiti believe the development of tourism in their area to be of great importance in this.  This means emphasising a niche in cultural tourism that is based on the broader promotion of the unique cultural heritage of the Suiti.

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The Kaigari farm is in the Mežotne Parish of the Bauska Administrative District and specialises in grain farming.  The farm makes active use of EU funding, some of which has been used to buy modern agricultural equipment.  The farm has some 400 ha of land, and the apple orchard offers a very beautiful landscape, including the Lielupe River valley.

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This centre is a workshop for eleven potters, including some from the “Potters School.” The centre offers various activities, including master classes, demonstrations of pottery work, and exhibitions of finished products. You can commission products or buy new ones.

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The cafe is situated in Jekabpils, in the shopping centre Aura, on the left bank of the river Daugava. The premises are comfortable  and have a touch of a countryside, which can be felt in the wooden interior of the place. They offer breakfast, dinner or supper here.

Working hours: 9:00 – 20:00 

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The café is in the centre of Ludza, offering a large menu and complex lunches.  A speciality of the house is freshwater fish from lakes in Latgale.

Latvian cuisine: Pike, tench, carp and pike-perch dishes, with blood sausage, other sausages and pig’s snout prepared on order for the Winter Solstice.

Special foods: Cold appetizer of ground fish with ingredients

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Visitors can learn about work from the 19th century, including pottery, which is the oldest craft in the world.  You can shear sheep, make beautiful and warm things with the wool, and forge lucky nails and horseshoes.  Educational programmes here will be of interest to fans of history and others who want to have a good time.

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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.

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Tillu is a home café located in Põlva farm store. The place has a slightly eclectic, bohemian vibe, but is warm and cosy at the same time. Pastries and pies are made here every day, therefore the place is filled with pleasant aromas.

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This craftsman produces beautiful ceramics and uses the so-called black or smoke-based technique. You can try your hand at the potter’s wheel and watch as the kiln is opened. You can commission or purchase ceramics. You can also tour the beautiful garden and receive services related to flower design.

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The nature reserve “Plieņciema kāpa” is founded in 1987 and covers 60.6 hectares of land. Since 2005 it is a Natura2000 site. The nature reserve protects a 150-200m wide and 3.5km long part of a distinct, continuous dune rampart. The dunes shelter Plieņciems village protecting from sea winds. The key natural values here are rare and protected biotopes of national and European significance: “Wooded dunes of the coast 2180” in the area of 61.8 ha, “Fixed dunes with herbaceous vegetation, 2130 (grey dunes)” in the area of 8.27 ha, “Shifting dunes along the shoreline with Ammophila arenaria (white dunes) 2120 in the area of 3.20 ha”, “Black alder swamp forests 9080”, ) in the area of 2,68 ha, as well as rare and protected species of Latvian and European significance including eastern pasqueflower (pulsatilla patens), Rolling Hen-and-chicks(Jovibarba sobolifera), Nothorhina muricata, Wryneck (Jynx torquilla), Woodlark (Lullula arborea).

In the nature reserve, there is a “Vabu square” – a deflation in the dune where for centuries local fishermen have been drying nets. In the 18th and 19th centuries ships were built here. Nine ships have been built here in 1882 - 1925. The four-masted gaff-rigged schooner with hoisting engine “Eurasia” was completed in 1925, the largest ship built by the Kurzeme fishermen. It was one of the works of Martin Morgenstern (1866-1945), a famous shipbuilding master.

Thanks to dunes, Plieņciems village was a popular holiday resort and has been mentioned in written sources already in 1738. Clergymen and landlords with their families used to stay here. In 1808, a merchant from Riga bought the local pub and replaced it with a massive two-storey building with a large ball-room and dining hall. On July 15, 1810, a sea bathing facility was opened for health treatment. For arrival of the empress Elisabeth Alexeievna, the wife of emperor Alexander I of Russia, who was a grandson of Catherine the Great, the road from Tukums town was repaired, the two highest hills were levelled, a road passage was dug across the Plieņciems dune, and a lime-tree alley was planted to facilitate access to the beach and bathing spot. Later, in 1920ies, the resort circles consisted mainly of the Kurzeme region landlords. There was a dance-floor in the park of Plieņciems village, and a special orchestra played music for resort guests three times a day.

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Māras birzs atrodas apmēram 4 km no Īles, Zebrenes virzienā. 2012.gada pavasarī iestādītā piemiņas birzs ir biedrības „Zebrus draugi” veltījums šīs apkaimes ļaudīm un viņu dzimtajām mājām, kas pēdējā gadsimtā ir zudušas no Latvijas kartes. Valsts meža izcirtumā iestādīto jauno kļavu, liepu un ozolu birzs centrā izveidots Māras altāris – simbolisks akmeņu krāvums, kurā katrs, kas jūt piederību šim apvidum, var pievienot savu akmeni. Birzs projekta un altāra autors - V.Lukjanovs.

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The stadium was opened in 1938 and has been rebuilt several times since then.  Outside the stadium is a memorial stone to honour of Jānis Dāliņš (1904-1978), who set several world records in race walking.  He won a silver medal at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1932.  The first Three Star Olympiad was held in the stadium in 1993.  The stadium is of national importance as an athletics stadium that hosts international competitions and various athletic activities.  It is known as the most youth-friendly facility of its type.

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The farm breeds some 400 rabbits and also grows strawberries. Breeding rabbits, rabbit meat, strawberry plants (3-4 different kinds) and berries can be purchases. Lettuce is available in the spring and vegetables are on offer in the fall. You can take a tour of the farm and learn about rabbit breeding.