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The Soviet Border Guard facility at Mērsrags was the start of the border regime zone. Absolutely nothing of the facility is left for perusal today.
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Die dritlängste (in seiner Zeit auch eine der modernsten Brücken) Backsteinbrücke Europas (164 m), gebaut 1873 – 1874. |
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The farmwoman grows vegetables and fruits to produce tasty preserves, syrups, jams, chutneys and dried fruit. You can taste and purchase the products, go on a tour of an escargot farm, and taste escargots cooked in the Burgundy style. Children’s camps can be organised. |
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Roman Catholic Church of Divine Grace – On 19 April 1998, the so-called “White Sunday” or the Day of Divine Grace, Saulkrasti Roman Catholic Church of Divine Grace was consecrated. The building is 24 m long and its tower is 16 m high. The 300-seat church was designed by the architect Jānis Šrēders. The image of Christ on the altarpiece was derived from the vision of the saint, Sister Faustina, of 22 February 1931 in a monastery in Poland. The altarpiece was created by the artist Ēriks Pudzēns. 14 paintings on the walls of the church depict Christ’s path of suffering from conviction to resurrection. The altar is built of ash. On 2 August 1998, a 7.38 m tall cross was consecrated by Saulkrasti Roman Catholic Church of Divine Grace. At night this cross is illuminated. The cross is similar to the cross of Golgotha in Jerusalem where Jesus Christ was crucified. |
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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. |
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The museum at Valdemāra Street 47 was opened in 1969 in the building of the maritime school that was opened in 1864 at the suggestion of Krišjānis Valdemārs. The school trained more than 1,000 sea captains and helmsmen. The exhibition at the museum relates to the operations of the school, as well as the building of sailing ships on the Vidzeme shoreline during the latter half of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century. There is a collection of anchors, as well as the top of the Ainaži lighthouse, which was once washed away by the sea, but has been restored. |
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"Cēsu maize" is located in the very heart of Cēsis, Riga street 18. Bakery makes bread from organic cultivated grains in Latvia and with natural grass. The offer includes products such as: Spelled whole wheat bread, whole wheat bread with sun-dried tomatoes and olives and spelled sweet bread. |
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This territory is around 9 square kilometres in size and is found to the North of the village of Kūdra, where the so-called old peat quarries are found. Peat was extracted here during the first period of Latvian independence. Today the territory is overgrown, preserving the old and flooded quarries which offer a very unusual landscape. The best way to examine them is on foot or bike, taking the road from the Kūdra railroad station which leads to Lake Sloka. |
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Small farm with a special lifestyle on Saaremaa that grows, manufactures, processes and sells medicinal plants and herbs. Guests can take a walk in the garden, pick the plants themselves and take part in training workshops. |
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The shadowy cellar of the estate is a great place to hear about how homemade wine is made. You can taste rhubarb, black currant and strawberry wine along with local goodies such as cheese. Local farmers provide the ingredients for the wine. |
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The Grey Dune of Pāvilosta nature reserve covers 42 hectares of land and has been designated to protect Latvia’s widest dune (1.5 km parallel the seacoast, and 812m in the direction from the sea to inland) and the biotopes and species found there. A two-storied watching platform is built to savour the scenery. In Soviet time, local fishermen used to dry seaweed in dunes for production of agar, and thus rich vegetation developed in the dune. The Gray Dune is part of a unique landscape with the sea view, the traditional architecture of Pāvilosta fishing town, and biotopes, including protected, which border the nature reserve: pine forest, embryonic dunes, white dunes, and wet beech where once can find springs. Biotope 2130, “Fixed dunes with herbaceous vegetation (grey dunes)” is found here. At present, pines are taking over the biotope, therefore some maintenance activities are required. The Grey Dune is most beautiful in the second half of July and in August when the blossoming Breckland Thyme (Thymus serpyllum) and Narrowleaf Hawkweed (Hieracium umbellatum) colour the dune in shades of yellow and violet. The most typical species here are Pasqueflower (Pulsatilla pretense), Grey Hair-grass(Corynephorus canescens), Blue Hair Grass (Koeleria glauca), Sand Pink (Dianthus arenarius). The Gray Dune earned wide recognition when a group of enthusiasts actively campaigned for six years to achieve the status of the nature reserve. Guna Grimsta, a group representative remembers that they organised events and activities throughout Latvia involving large part of the society, prominent personalities, church parishes, NGOs, school youth and university students. The activists were writing letters, making videos, doing research articles, composing music, collecting signatures and submitting proposals to achieve official status of the Grey Dune as an especially protected nature site. They organised seminars, concerts, art plenaires and exhibitions, educational excursions, joint-work, musical church services, meetings with high officials and their on-site visits to the Gray Dune. In 2006 the group received the title „Proudness of Latvia” awarded by the national TV3 broadcasting company and daily paper „Diena”. |
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Mud ponds for regeneration are used by
the spa and the rehabilitation centre. The mud
is purified from biological additives over the
course of a longer period of time, after which it
can once again be used for the famous
treatments offered at Ķemeri.
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In the 400-year old manor’s cellars (possibly the oldest in Latvia) one is offered to taste the home-made wines produced in Kurzeme (3-7 different wines), as well as the special wine of Shlokenbeka manor with the indigenous countryside goods (you are promised a suprise!) |
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Until 13th century, Smiltene region was a part of Talava country, inhabited by Latgalians. After Crusaders invasion it was won by the Archbishop of Riga, and he built a stone castle on the steep river bank of Abuls in 1370. The following wars and epidemics did not spare the development of settlement, nor the people. Present shape of the town began to emerge in 19th century along with the vigorous activities of owner of Smiltene manor first Lieven. Until the World War I, wood working factory, hydroelectric power plant (established in 1901, first in the Baltics), and other companies were operating in Smiltene. In 1944 when the German forces retreated, much of the Smiltene historical buildings were destroyed in the fire. |
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This restaurant-burger shop specialises in 100% Latvian beef burgers, selected pizzas and natural french fries. |
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The owners have maintained a historical windmill (built in 1885) and its mechanisms. You can go on a tour of the structure, look at the mechanisms of the mill and taste local baked goods and country bread. |
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The Lejenieki homestead is 1.1 km north of Bangas. Vilis Plūdons (1874-1940) was an outstanding Latvian poet, a representative of the style of National Romanticism, and a schoolteacher. His real name was Vilis Lejnieks, and he was born in at the Lejenieki homestead in the Bauska region. His father was Jānis Lejnieks. As a boy, Vilis was enchanted by fairy tales told by his granny and by folk songs that she sang. Plūdons is buried nearby in the family cemetery. Lejenieki offers an exhibition about the poet’s life and work. The local sauna features sculptures of rabbits, thus recalling Plūdons’ poem, “Rabbit Sauna.” |
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Of the many islands in Lake Rušons, ten are restricted natural areas so as to protect the broadleaf forests which are on the islands and the endangered plants found therein. An ancient cult location – the Rušons Sacrificial Rock – is found on Upursala island.
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Pēteris Barisons (1904-1947) was a Latvian composer and conductor, and this is his birthplace – the Skudras homestead. The exhibition features the composer’s personal items, including musical instruments, documents and other bits of evidence about his life. Call +371-6512-9504 to arrange for a visit. |
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The castle diner is situated next to Koknese castle ruins. Either before or after boating, Nordic walking, visiting the castle ruins, enjoy tasty coffee, baked buns, snacks, french fries, grilled sausages, ice-cream or buy a soft drink to go with your sandwiches and to drink while sitting in the courtyard of the ancient castle and watching an amazing view of Perse and Daugava crossing. Upon special request we can also cook our very tasty Firesoup. |
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