Since ancient times bread has been our staple food, and formed part of breakfast, lunch and our evening meal. We bake bread from rye, wheat, buckwheat and barley. Both fine-ground and wholemeal flour is used. Bread baking is one of the most honoured traditional skills in Latvia. Caunītes country house keeps Latvian traditions alive and demonstrates them to visitors. The house is designed and decorated in the traditional Latvian style and exudes an authentic ambience while having modern facilities.

Under the guidance of the hostess, visitors will bake their own loaf of sweet-and-sour bread in a wood-fired bread oven. In Latvian families it was traditionally one of the main duties of the lady of the house to bake a week’s supply of bread for the whole family every Saturday morning. Every woman was proud of her own unique recipe and passed it down to her daughters and granddaughters through the generations. There are many traditional beliefs, sayings and riddles linked with bread in Latvian folklore. Today, there is great interest in the old recipes, bread-baking methods and the use of organic ingredients as many families are opting for a healthy lifestyle.

During this tour you experience the different ways of using milk either for edible products or body treatments.

From Riga, through historic sea and spa resort Jurmala, the route goes to goats farms where you taste cheeses as well as exclusive ice-cream from goats milk. Then visit Dundaga Castle and try local diary products there. At Roja experience local traditions having fishermen meal and attractions Then the route goes along unspoiled seaside beaches of Cape Kolka to well maintained town of Ventspils from where it turns inland to the picturesque Kuldiga with well preserved wooden architecture. Further on enjoy beautiful Milk Manor where you could experience lavish spa treatments based on milk. There is also Milk Museum located where you can follow the milk route from a cow to the tables, also possible to try some old fashioned practical jobs like butter making. Further on the tour turns sweet. Visit candy factory in Saldus where traditional hand-made toffees are made. Then on menu is ice-cream at Druva. Next - sightseeing at Jelgava which used to be the main seat of the Duke of Courland. Visit cheese producer at Eleja and before returning to Riga visit splendid Rundale Palace which is regarded as a beautiful pearl of the Baltics.

In the 15th century, Preili manor became the property of Count Borhs family. Borhs were living here until the 60ties of 19th century. The city itself formed in the first half of the 19th century by fusion of Preili Manor, the village and free village - settlement of traders and craftsman. In the 19th century a luxurious palace was built in Preili and Landscape Park was created. Today Preili is an important economic centre of Latgale (cheese and sewing plants), where t folklore, crafts and Catholicism traditions are fostered. Preili tour in the guidance of TIC employee Irena Kjarkuza is highly recommended.

An impressive set of military structures between the Baltic Sea and Lake Liepāja and Lake Tosmare.  Construction of the fortress began in the late 19th century on the basis of a decree by Russian Tsar Alexander III, and it cost 45 million gold roubles.  The fortress includes accommodations and elements of fortifications – sites for cannons, trenches, gunpowder cellars, systems of canals, a narrow-gauge rail line, etc.  In 1908, the fortress was shut down because of a change in Russia’s defence concept, and the construction of it was declared to have been a strategic mistake.  There were attempts to blow up the underground structures and cellars during World War I, but that did not really succeed.  Some elements of the fortress were of great importance in Latvia’s liberation battles.  Surviving today are the Northern forts, the Central fort, the Eastern fort, the Southern fort, the shoreline defensive batteries (No. 23, 3), Redāns, Lunete, and others.  Most are not improved, so visits may be dangerous.  The northern part of the fortress includes the Military Port, which has experienced seven different armies and regimes. During the Soviet years, it was closed to civilians.  There are many outstanding monuments to military history.  Tourists love the Karosta prison, which offers educational programmes.

This nature park features the most beautiful and distinct parts of the Vanema hillocks in Northern Kurzeme, and the aim is to protect the hillocks of Talsi. This is one of the loveliest parts of Kurzeme, with small but distinct hillocks and ravines among them. There are small but fairly deep lakes in the area – the Lake Ābeļi, Lake Čumals, Lake Sirdsezers, etc. Some of them are reminiscent of nothing other than deep craters. The territory is very good for active tourists – hikers (there are nature trails), bicyclists, etc.

Since the 1970s, these ruins have been on a small (100 m long) island that is part of the reservoir of the Rīga hydroelectric power plant.  The island is named after St Meinhard and the ruins are part of the oldest stone building in Latvia.  Work on the church began in 1184, but it was rebuilt and sacked several times, most recently in 1916.  The ruins have been conserved and are protected by a metal cover.  The shores of the island have been strengthened.  The 10 metre metal cross on the island was designed by E. Samovičs, while the stone altar was sculpted by J. Karlobs.

This territory is on both sides of the central section of the Raķupe River. On the banks of the river, there are many different meadow habitats, as well as massive oaks growing in the places of former farmsteads which are uninhabited by now. This is an important place for rare plants and animals. There is no tourism infrastructure for visitors in the area. Visitors who are especially interested in the environmental cognition are advised to visit the territory in attendance of experienced local guide. Raķupe is not usable for water tourism because of tilts of trees and beaver dams.

This outing combines fine dining at one of the most beautiful estates in Latvia with an outdoor experience at a cranberry plantation tasting cranberry-based products.

The Bīriņi Castle complex is part of Latvia’s national architectural heritage. The Neo-Gothic main castle building is surrounded by a picturesque park and buildings including the stables and the water tower, which showcase the country’s industrial heritage. The castle hotel is a very popular venue for wedding celebrations.

The cranberry plantation in Laugas swamp at Gundegas Farm was started in 1989 as a research farm. Cranberries are well known for their refreshing taste and medicinal qualities. They are used both for culinary purposes and in traditional medicine. Today six types of cranberries are grown in Latvia. The cranberry plantation offers the opportunity for guests to ‘pick-your-own’ during the harvest in September.