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The history of Cēsis begins at the Riekstu hill, which is 18 m high and the surrounding area. There was a wooden castle built by the Vendian tribe that stood there from the 11th to the 13th century. The hill is in the central part of the castle’s park, and it offers a fine view of the park, a pond and the ruins of the Cēsis Castle. A long staircase leads to the hill. The Cēsis Castle was built in the early 13th century as the residence of masters of the Livonian Order, and it was one of the most fortified forts in the Baltic region. Alongside is the New Cēsis Castle, which was built in 1777 in a place where gate fortifications had been before. The building houses the Cēsis Museum of History and Art, and an annex contains the Castle Visitor Centre and the Cēsis Tourism Information Centre. From the tower of the castle, we get a good view of the castle ruins, St John’s Lutheran Church and the northern stretches of the city. Opposite the new castle is the stable of the Cēsis Castle Estate and a wheelhouse (both from the first half of the 19th century). Today these house the Cēsis Exhibition Hall. Other buildings include a granary, a hut for coachmen and an old brewery. On the other side of the street is the romantic May park, which was installed during the 1830s. Streets in Cēsis include Lielā Katrīna, Mazā Katrīna, Mazā Kalēju, Kalēju and Lielā Līvu streets and Līvu square with wooden buildings from the late 18th and early 19th century. Torņa Street stretches along the walls of the Medieval castle. Outside the church is a sculpture, “As the Centuries Pass By,” and legend has it that anyone who rubs the lantern of the Old Time Man can see the future. One of the most impressive buildings in Cēsis is St John’s Lutheran Church, which was built in the late 13th century by the Livonian Order. The Roman-style three-segment basilica has elements of Gothic design and a 65 m steeple that was installed in 1853. The building was reconstructed several times during the 20th century and contains grave plaques relates to masters of the Livonian Order and local bishops. The pulpit dates back to 1748, the oak altar was manufactured in 1858, and the altar painting “Crucified One” was painted in 1862. The windows of the altar part of the church contain artistically valuable stained glass. The organ was manufactured in 1907 by the E.F. Walker firm, and it is one of the best concert organs in Latvia. The solar clock with the number 1744 is in the south-wester corner of the church. It is worth scaling the viewing tower of the church. At its foot is Rose Square, which was a market square from the mid-13th century until 1927 and was restored in 2008. This is the central square in the city. During the Middle Ages, a punishment pole and the city well were here. Rīgas Street has been the main street in the old part of the city from the very start, and here we find most of the architecturally distinguished buildings from the 18th and 19th century – the former city hall, the Fābers house and the Princess house. At one end of the street is Liv Square, where there a church, cemetery and the Rīga gate in the city’s walls existed in the 13th century. Today the square is decorated by a lighted fountain at a place where a well was found in the 13th century. On the other end of the street we find a reconstruction of the foundations of the Rauna gate from the 14th and 15th century, offering a good look at Medieval walls and the size and strength of the gates. It is commonly claimed that the national flag of Latvia was born in Cēsis, but it must be emphasised that the flag that is mentioned in chronicles was designed in Cēsis in 1279 as the ideological prototype of the current Latvian flag, while the story of the first national flag actually comes from Valmiera, where it was sewn in 1916. |
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This farm breeds sheep, rabbits, horses, African ostriches and other fowl, as well as shitake mushrooms. You can order and buy mushrooms, souvenirs made of ostrich feathers, and other farm products. |
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This is an unusually shaped pine which, according to legend, was planted by the king of Sweden during the Great Northern War.
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An important complex of the coastline and its sand dunes along with the mouths of three major rivers – the Lielupe, the Daugava and the Gauja. This area has ancient traditions of recreation and spa services. The territory has lovely shoreline landscapes and features one of the few coastline meadows in Latvia. The nature park includes several restricted areas – the meadows of the Lielupe estuary, Vakarbuļļi, Daugavgrīva, Vecdaugava and Ummis (see the section on “Restricted Natural Areas”). Interesting elements of nature in this area include the amphitheatre of the Garciems dunes, along with individual dunes such as the Legzdiņi dune and the so-called ski mountain dune. Visitors will be attracted by various cultural and historical monuments – fortifications on the Mangaļi peninsula, military buildings from the period of the Russian tsars all the way through the late period of the Soviet occupation, the fortress of Daugavgrīva, the Vecāķi spa with its old shoreline buildings, and the beaches at Daugavgrīva and Vecāķi. The proximity of the city of Rīga and various important recreational resources are the reason for the massive anthropogenic burden that is placed on this territory. The nature park is appropriate for active tourism (hiking, bicycling, boating, driving), distance skiing, nature and bird-watching, cultural tourism, passive leisure and educational tourism. There are nature trails at Daugavgrīva and the Rožu dunes, along with other elements of infrastructure. |
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Visiting a blacksmith has always been something special. Does this job still exist, and is it still importance? Some may wonder who is a blacksmith is in the first place. The DUDU Nests open-air smithy will answer all of your questions. The blacksmith will teach you all about his profession, talking about the tools and materials that are necessary, the relevant traditions and the everyday work of blacksmiths today. You can forge your own nail to test the difficulty of the work. The blacksmith will happily attend your event with his open-air forge. This is perfect for students, smaller children, wedding guests or individual visitors.
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This is a large, outstanding and expressive tree, Latvia’s thickest Norway Maple (Accer platanoides).
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Takas sākums atrodas pie Veclaicenes pagasta pārvaldes (autosvālaukums). Tā izlokas gar Ievas, Trumulīša un Raipala ezeru dienvidu krastiem un pa ziemeļu krastu nogāzēm atgriežas atpakaļ sākumpunktā. Apļveida takas garums – ap 8 km. Atrodas Augšzemes aizsargājamo ainavu apvidū, Kornetu – Peļļu subglaciālajā vagā. |
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A distinct area of the lower reaches of the Vitrupe River, with small sandstone cliffs and many rare species of plants and molluscs. Visitors can visit the Ķirbiži Forest Museum and its information and botany trail. It weaves along both banks of the river and allows people to look at the most typical examples of flora in the region. The noble Vāloži oak tree is a key element there.
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Guests to the Dīķīši homestead in the Amata Parish will be greeted by several Samoyed dogs and intelligent little donkeys that will bring the guests to a place for glamping next to the pond. You can hike down two trails of different lengths of enjoy the opportunities that exist when Latvians share places where they find mushrooms and berries. A special adventure is creating artworks from natural materials that have been collected in the forest. The accommodations are appropriate for people who use a wheelchair. The lavatory has been adapted to the needs of such people, as well. People who are interested in cultural history can tour a collection of Latvian folk costumes, trying them on and organising their own photo session. People who enjoy extreme feelings will enjoy a ride on a quadricycle. If you love to go fishing, bring your own inventory. We organise fire rituals for birthdays and family celebrations, and we’ll also offer soup that has been cooked on a campfire, as well as a master class in cheesemaking. |
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This is a part of Latvia in which various manifestations related to layers of earth made up of water-soluble lime can be found. The most unusual elements here are Lake Vecezers and Lake Linezers. The water of the latter lake has flowed underground several times over the last few decades, with the remaining lake hole as much as nine metres deep. No one can fully explain how this happens. A tourist trail encircles Lake Linezers.
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This is one of few open air objects to honour the globally unique Baltic Way demonstration, during which several million residents of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia joined hands in an unbroken chain that stretched from Tallinn all the way to Vilnius. The monument is at the former border crossing point at Unguriņi on the border between Latvia and Estonia, and it was installed on the 20th anniversary of the demonstration on August 23, 2009. It was designed by the metal artist Andris Dukurs. |
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This route passes along one of the most diverse and beautiful parts of the coastline of the Bay of Rīga. You will see the Randu meadows, which are known as Latvia’s open-air “herbarium” because of the diversity of plants that can be found there. The coast features various sizes of rocks and stones, as well as no shortage of lovely and sandy beaches. This is the only place in Latvia where Devonian sandstone cliffs can be seen. Past each horn there is a different landscape, and the last 20 kilometres of the route are paradise for bird watchers during migration season. The route is in the Northern Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve. Route information from Latvijas Lauku forums |
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Atrodas austrumos no Alūksnes Tempļa kalna un dienvidos no Lieliem kapiem – Tempļa kalna parkā. Skatu torņa platforma atrodas apmēram 30 m augstumā virs Alūksnes ezera ūdeņiem. Labi redzama Marijas sala, Alūksnes parks, Alūksnes ezera piekraste līdz Kolberģim un Lāzberģim. Izcili ainavisks skats! |
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Vannūzis (Bath) – A building of the five-building complex “Kurhaus”. During the times of the Neibāde resort, this small building used to be a bath place. In order for the guests of the resort to be able to take a dip in the sea water even in bad weather, barrels of water were delivered by horses to the bath place. |
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The restaurant is located in the Mālpils manor building that was renovated in 2008 and is a classicism architectural monument of the 19th century. The restaurant's menu changes and is updated according to the season. Combination of exquisite flavour nuances with an elegant manor interior. |
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The saloon is on the shore of Lake Alūksne and the Jaunsētas country tourism and leisure centre. The log saloon’s interior is based on the style of the 17th century, when a girl was born in the area who was raised by her foster father Ernst Glick and would later become Empress Catharine the Great, Wife of Peter the Great of Russia. |
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Eine Floßhauptstadt Lettlands mit dem jährlichen Flößerfest im Mai. |
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Periodically flooded flood-land meadows on the eastern and southern shores of Lake Burtnieks are an important nesting location for the rarely seen corncrake. A nature and information trail has been established at Vīsrags with directions, information stands and a viewing tower.
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Latvijas Valsts mežu laivu bāzē, kas atrodas Kaņiera ezera dienviddaļā (redzama no Lapmežciema – Antiņciema ceļa) kopā ar laivu bāzes ēku apvienots skatu tornis, no kura lieliski pārredzama ezera austrumdaļa. |
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These two lakes, along with Lake Mazezers, Lake Auziņš, Lake Skuja and Lake Bruņķītis, are found in a sub-glacial depression with shores and hillsides that are home to various kinds of forest, including stands of broadband trees such as ash. These are protected habitats. Alongside the Priedītes homestead there is a well-appointed nature trail for visitors who wish to study Lake Dziļezers and its surroundings. A boating facility is on the north-eastern shore of the Lake.
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