The company has a history of more than 40 years, and today it is a competitive dairy processing company at the Baltic level, producing milk, kefir, cottage cheese, yogurt, butter, cheese and other dairy products.  A store alongside the factory sells the products, and Valmieras Dairy is one of five companies in Latvia that can manufacture an EU guaranteed traditional product, "Summer Solstice Cheese".

Latvia is the land of apples, so producing cider here is only natural! The ancient traditions of apple growing in our country, as well as the variety of high-quality apple cultivars, are key advantages of Latvia's cider culture. In our climate zone, it is challenging to grow good grapes for wine production, but the local conditions are particularly suitable for making apple cider. This is a natural consequence that local cider producers are increasingly mastering with excellence.

The Cider Route will take you to various cideries in Latvia, as well as to restaurants and pubs that serve it. The Cider Route allows you to understand the specifics of Latvian cider, introducing you to the culinary traditions and cultural heritage of different regions. You will have the opportunity to meet the cider makers themselves, who run small farms, tend to the orchards, share about their work, and even let you participate in it.

After the establishment of the Livonian state, the pope consecrated this land in honour of the holy Virgin Mary.  This created Terra Mariana or Māra’s Land.  The road between Ludza, Rēzekne and Daugavpils runs along an ancient trading route that once connected Vilnius and Kaunas to Pskov and, later, to St Petersburg and Warsaw.

Very beautiful and poetically picturesque with rivers and lakes that are in Latvia’s forested land and among hillocks that offer a wonderful look at the distant horizon – that is Māra’s Land, which is also known as the Land of Blue Lakes.  Lake Rāzna is the second largest in Latvia, and when the weather is clear, Mākoņkalns Hill or Padebešu Hill is reflected in its water.  Atop the hill are the oldest ruins of fortifications in Latgale, dating back to the Livonian era.

Rēzekne is known as the heart of Latgale, because it has always been the centre for Lettigalian culture and education.  People contributed donations for the 1939 construction of a monument to Māra of Latgale.  It is dedicated to those who fell during Latvia’s independence battles and the liberation of Latgale.  The monument also speaks to the Catholic identity of Latgale.  The monument was rededicated on August 13, 1992, the date of the assumption of the Virgin Mary.  A Catholic festival at Aglona and the monument to Māra of Latgale – these are integral components of this part of Latvia.  The present day is marked out clearly by the new Gors concert hall in Rēzekne, and well as the Zeimuļš student interest education centre.

Daugavpils is Latvia’s second city and an important centre for industry, culture, education and sports.  The Daugavpils pellet factory is unique, and the oldest pellet casting tower in Europe is now open to visitors, as are the restored Daugavpils fortress and the new Rothko Museum.

Not far from Daugavpils are the small Birķeneļi semi-estate and the Rainis Museum.  Latgale was the “land of new days” for the poet, and the museum now hosts gatherings of young artists and craftspeople.  The ancient tradition of ceramic art that is typical specifically of this part of Latvia is still thriving.

The Krimulda Estate was first recorded in documents in the 15th century.  The Krimulda Castle that can be seen now is on the right bank of the ancient Gauja River valley opposite the aerial tram.  There are outstanding views of the ancient river valley from the castle and the opposite shore.  The Krimulda Castle is a Neo-Classical structure which was built by a local nobleman in the 19th century.  In the 1920s, the castle was expropriated and turned over to the Latvian Red Cross, which installed a children's sanatorium there.  Today the Krimulda rehabilitation hospital is in the building, and among other structures, the ones that have survived include the stables, threshing barn, servants' quarters, governor's quarters, and the so-called Swiss house.  Educational tours are available, and overnight stays are possible at the estate.

The rock is not too big (2.1 m high, 15 m in circumference), but since the early 20^th century it has been a popular tourist destination.  There is a lovely view of the Abava River valley from the rock.

The biography of Krišjānis Valdemārs tells us that during the summer of 1839, teachers and students from the Lubezere school spent a few days on the coastline in Roja, where Valdemārs would later help to build a maritime school.  The area was breath-taking and unforgettable for the little boy.  “The noble appearance of the sea grabbed the spirit of the young man so powerfully that during those three days, I thought about nothing other than the noble sea, with childish courage that allowed me to prepare a plan for a deeper port in the Roja River so that larger boats and small ships could enter it,” Valdemārs wrote. (Source: Roja TIC)

Sarkanās klintis savu vārdu ieguvušas pateicoties sarkanajiem iežiem. Tieši sarkanā ir mīlestības krāsa, tāpēc sarkanās klintis ir romatiska pastaigas vieta mīlniekiem. Smilšakmens klintīs redzamas plaisas, kas sašķeļ sarkanīgos iežus, radot neparastu dabas mākslas darbu. To virsma ir diezgan izrobota, kas veido klintīs nelielas alas un nišas. Sarkanajās klintīs ir arī daudz dažādu avotiņu. Pazīstamākais no tiem ir Rūcamavots. Tam ir šāds nosaukums, jo tas, nākot ārā no zemes, izdod nelielu rūkoņu.

A scenic and tradition-rich stretch of the Forest Trail symbolised by the onion. Onions were brought to the region by Old Believers in the 17th century. Ladies and gentlemen selling home-made onion strings on the roadside have become somewhat of a business card of the villages. The villages on the twenty-four kilometre stretch of road between Varnja and Kallaste are connected by the tourist route called Onion Road. The landscape is decorated by colourful wooden houses, small fish shops and a restaurant where you can enjoy tea made in the samovar, true to the traditions of Old Believers. You can visit the Kostja’s onion farm, where the host welcomes the guests and shows them onion cultivation. It is also worth visiting the Chicory Museum in Kolkja to get acquainted with the history of chicory cultivation in row villages near Lake Peipus. At the end of the trail you will reach Alatskivi, where the famous Alatskivi Castle is located.

Found at Rīgas Street 22A, this impressive building was suggested by Latvian President Kārlis Ulmanis and built in 1936 and 1937 after a design by the architect Verners Vitands.  It is seen as one of the most outstanding architectural monuments from the first period of Latvian independence, and it is said that it was once the most modern multifunctional building in all of Europe.  The building now houses the Daugavpils Theatre, the Latgale Central Library, the Latvian Cultural Centre, the Latvian House, the US Information Centre, the Daugavpils Tourism Information Centre and other institutions.  Unity Square is alongside the building, and beautiful compositions of flowers are nearby during the growing season.

Saimniecība "Baltiņi" atrodas Auces novadā un nodarbojas ar lopkopību un lauksaimniecību. Viesiem ir iespēja redzēt un izzināt piena ražošanas procesu, kā arī iepazīt saimniecības dzīvniekus. Saimnieki piedāvā apskatīt padomju laiku auto kolekciju, pieejama arī suvenīru un trauku kolekcija ar govs motīviem.