One of the biggest castle hills in Estonia, which is surrounded by walls built of stone. It is mentioned in Livonian Chronicle of Henry as one of the best fortifications at that time.

The Archangel Michael Catholic Church of Subate is in the historical centre of Subate. The building, which does not have a tower, was built of fieldstones in 1831, with financing from Count Mikhail Sieberg-Plater. An impressive bell tower was built in front of it. The church contains a sculptural group, “Golgotha,” from the late 18^th century, along with a crucifix and a major altar relief that is made of carved wood. It is based on the globally famous Leonardo da Vinci fresco “The Holy Supper.”

These meadows are of distinction because of the curvy Slampe River, which has caused a gradual recovery of damp meadows, complete with species of plants and animals that are typical of such areas.  Domestic animals adapted for life in the wild can be seen here, and a bird watching tower on the location will offer you an excellent opportunity to view them.  You can get to the meadows via a narrow corridor known as the Melnragu throat.  The gravel road will lead to a hillock called Kurgāns from which you can have an excellent view of the surrounding landscape.

In 1685, a military leader from Krakow, Belinsky, paid for the construction of a wooden church in the current location.  It was restored in 1749 and lasted until 1887, when it burned down during a storm.  A church with two steeples was designed in the Gothic style, and construction of it began one year later.  The church was consecrated in 1904 and is one of the most impressive churches in Latvia.  Attention should be paid to stained glass windows that feature images of St Meinhard and Albert.  Alongside the church is the centre of the Rēzekne-Aglona diocese, which is the seat of the local bishop.

Ancient trade routes distributed not just products, but also knowledge, culture and everything that was new and unknown.  Pastor Ernest Glück, for instance, may have already started work on a translation of the Bible into Latvian when he travelled from the Daugavgrīva fortress near Rīga to Alūksne.  There he finished his masterpiece and planted two oak trees alongside the manse that are still there.  Glück also established the first school in Vidzeme for Latvian children.  He was a pastor, translator, author and teacher.  Thanks to him, the Hernhutian movement of brethren flourished in Vidzeme after the Great Northern War.  It directed spiritual and political development and brought Latvians closer to their national awakening.

Of great importance in the Path of Light is Piebalga, which became very important in terms of culture in Latvia.  Culture, science and even politics took on new meaning and sounds.  This is where Kārlis Skalbe, the Kaudzītes brothers, Jānis Poruks, Antons Austriņš and other major figures from the national awakening lived and worked.  The very spiritual aura in this place has not disappeared to this very day.

The fantastic Cesvaine castle has been renovated, and the narrow-gauge railroad between Gulbene and Alūksne is still rolling alone.  The ruins of the Marienburg castle in Alūksne conjure up visions of the hidden wealth of the Order of Templates and the young woman who was bricked into the castle’s walls.  No less intriguing is the story of Marta Skovronsky, who would rise to become Empress Catherine the Great of Russia.

The Madona Regional Research and Art Museum offers a look at the past and present, while the Ate windmill at Kancempji offers a look at more than 4,000 unique items from the history of our countryside, complete with buildings that are more than 100 years old.

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.

Atrodas Tirdzniecības kanāla dienvidu krastā, kas padomju laikā bija slēgta zona ar pierobežas režīma statusu. Tagad lieliska pastaigu vieta, kur var vērot kuģīšus un jahtas. Promenādes visā garumā izvietojušies vēsturiskie spīķeri. Šeit meklējami krodziņi, viesnīcas, mūzikas klubs, mākslas galerija un Dzintara pulkstenis.

“Kalna Kaibēni” is on Kaibēni Hill (226 m above sea level) and 7 km to the West of Ineši. Nominated as Latvia’s oldest memorial museum (1929), this is a place with buildings from the 18^th and 19^th century. Inside you will see exhibits which speak to the lives and contributions of the schoolteachers and authors Reinis (1839-1920) and Matīss (1848-1926) Kaudzīte. The authentic farm includes a garden which the two brothers planted themselves, and the wooden sculptures which were produced by Krišjānis Kugra present characters from the brothers’ famous novel “Age of the Surveyors”.

Andris Roze is one of very few kokle makers in Latvia who manufactures the instrument and helps others to do so at master’s classes.  Roze also manufactures other traditional musical instruments, demonstrates them, offers consultations about them, collects them and gathers together historical information.  He works at the Drabeši Crafts House, where people can learn traditional skills such as weaving, processing of leather, felting, pottery and construction of musical instruments.

Baltijā lielākās HES celtniecību uzsāka 1961. g., bet pabeidza 1966. g. Tajā uzstādīto 10 hidroagregātu projektētā jauda bija 825 MW. Pļaviņu HES tiek uzskatīta par unikālu, jo pirmoreiz HES būvniecības praksē tā konstrukcija tika balstīta uz mālsmilts un smilšmālu gruntīm ar maksimālo spiedienaugstumu - 40 m! Pļaviņu HES ēka ir apvienota ar ūdens pārgāzi, zem kuras atrodas Latvijas garākais tunelis - Enerģētiķu iela. 20. gs. deviņdesmitajos gados Pļaviņu HES rekonstruēja un tagad tās jauda ir sasniegusi 870 MW. Apmeklētāji var iepazīt mašīnzāli, skatu laukumus un HES maketu.