The nature park near the town of Ogre is a popular place for leisure, hiking and, in the winter, cross-country skiing. Most of the park is covered with coniferous trees that are on a long and comparatively narrow line of hillocks with steep sides – another element of nature left behind in Latvia by the Ice Age. Many different plants can be found here. The Jaunogres castle hill is one of the most distinct hillocks in the area.

Renda is a very old town, first mentioned in historical sources in 1230.  During the 13th century, Renda was one of the centres of the ancient Courlandian land of Vanema.  When Courland was split up in 1235, Renda was taken over by the German Order, and local residents were forcibly drafted into its military.  During the age of the Duchy of Courland (1562-1795), the region flourished despite wars, the bubonic plague and other problems, particularly during the rule of Duke Jacob (1642-1682).   During the 17th century, Renda became something of a manufacturing centre, churning out timber products, with local lime kilns, watermills, flax weaving facilities, a glass factory and a boiling house for saltpetre and soap.  Wine, perfumes and barrels were produced in Renda, as was cast iron for nails and many other things.  The court at the Jelgava Castle loved the sour wines from Renda.  All of this was destroyed during the Great Northern War (1700-1721).  During the 19th century, a chemicals factory was built on the site of the burned Renda castle, and nearby was one of the largest leather tanning plants in Kurzeme, along with a manufacturing facility for turpentine.  Cultural life began to develop in parallel to this.  Renda suffered much during the two world wars and the subsequent Soviet repressions.  The so-called Courelian Battalion of partisans went into the forests after the occupation to continue their struggle against the Soviet regime.  Renda today is a small and quiet village with the Lielrenda Estate, a local church, the “devil’s boat” at the Abava River, and the Īvande waterfalls.

The town of Subate was first listed in documents in 1570, when Duke Gotthard Kettler of the Duchy of Courland sold the Subāte marketplace to Count G. Plater-Sieberg. When the Plater-Sieberg dynasty converted to Catholicism in the mid-17^th century, Lutherans in Subate protested by moving to the eastern bank of Lake Subate. That was the property of the Prode Estate (only ruins remain at this time), which was owned by the Osten-Sacken dynasty. In 1685, the Osten-Sackens built a Lutheran church for the “refugees,” and Jaunsubate was established around it. Both parts of the town were merged again in 1894. During Latvia’s liberation battles in 1919, Subate was liberated by Lithuanians, at which time the town was divided up between Latvia and Lithuania (though the border between the two countries was set at the previous line in 1921). The historical centre of Subate was established between the 16^th and the 19^th century, and it includes four churches for various congregations and low wooden buildings which stretch along narrow and curvy streets. The town is on the shores of a sub-glacial depression with Great Lake Subate and Lesser Lake Subate therein. This provides the town with unusual landscapes for Latvia.

In Metsanurme Village Centre you can see restored old threshing barn, limestone barn oven and few tools that were used ages ago. You could be also interested in seeing an outdoor exhibition which focuses on historical agricultural tools. All of this is made to look interesting to not only locals but also visitors.

Sēlijā, pie Slates sila, atrodas "Kalnaleiskini". Saimnieks Mārtiņš Uzkurs ir galdnieks, bet sieva Lelde - dizainere abu kopējā galdniecības uzņēmumā un Latvijas Ornitoloģijas biedrības biedre ar pieredzi ekskursiju vadīšanā. 

The Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre is a multi-functional institution of culture, arts and education, located inside of the fortress' Arsenal building. It is a unique place in the Eastern Europe, where are located the original paintings of Mark Rothko – a great artist of the XX cent., a founder of the abstract expressionism movement, best known for his enigmatic color field paintings.

Atrodas Burtnieka ezera austrumu krastā – uz ezera poldera dambja. Pavasara un rudens migrāciju laikā – laba putnu vērošanas vieta. Putni redzami ne tikai ezera piekrastē, bet arī poldera mitrajās pļavās.

Here you will learn about home-based manufacturers, farms, companies and others in southern Vidzeme that produce various dairy products such as milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese, ice cream, etc.  From Rīga, take the Vidzeme Highway and turn toward Mālpils.  On the way to Ērgļi and Jumurda, you’ll be delighted by the hillocks of the Vidzeme highlands and the lovely landscape that they represent.  Near Ērgļi you will find Braki, the home of the classical Latvian author Rūdolfs Blaumanis, Meņģeļi, home of the Jurjāns brothers, and the Jumurda Estate.  Drive on through Cesvaine, stopping to look at its impressive castle, and on to Madona, where you can have a delicious meal.  From Madona, follow the lovely banks of the Daugava River to Koknese (Destiny Island, the Koknese castle, park and church), and on to Skrīveri, where the author Andrejs Upītis was born.  There’s a homemade ice cream place and the factory that produces the universally known penuche candy that is sold under the “Gotiņa” brand name in Latvia.  Then drive to Ogre for some Sierštelle cheeses and then back to Rīga.

Koka skatu tornis atrodas blakus Kolkasraga priežu takai. No tā redzama ar priedītēm aizaugusi „stiga” – t.s. Šautuve, kuru padomju laikā izmantoja šaušanas apmācībām. No torņa skatu platformas labi saskatāma Kolkas bāka, kas atrodas 5 km attālumā no Kolkasraga.