| No | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
The barrow which offers a good view is at the northern end of the Dunduri meadows – at the end of Melnragi. It is an artificial barrow which follows along with the bed of the little Slampe River. The meadows are home to livestock allowed to live in the wild, and you can see a bit of the restored Slampe. The view is particularly interesting during flooding season, when the surrounding wetlands become saturated. This is a location for bird-watching.
|
||
|
For the introduction into the Latvian craftsmanship make a visit to the Open-Air Ethnographic Museum in Riga where skillful masters will show you traditional skills. Out of Riga visit birch juice and wine maker which tells and shows how the birch juice is extracted and how preserved. You could taste it as well. Then go the area connected with ancient historic legends. Visit the museum of famous Latvian hero Lacplesis to see there Lielvarde Belt where the story is written using ancient secret symbols. At Koknese have a Viking boat trip around the picturesque Koknese castle ruins. Then visit farm which grows hemp and makes traditional hemp butter, goats farm and home-made traditional beer producer. Latgale region is famous for its pottery schools and "black" ceramics. You visit few workshops on the way as well as Ludzas Crafts Centre which provides great insight into local traditions. At the typical Latgalian farm try traditional sauna ritual and have proper regional meal. Further on stop at the Aglona Basilica which is a pilgrimage place. But for stomach pleasures visit Bread Museum, farm which produces tasty cheeses and other healthy diary products as well as visit herbal tea maker and learn there few health tips. Sightseeing of Daugavpils historic centre, impressive 19th century' s fortress are followed by visit to Lead Shot Factory where is a biggest shot towers in Europe which still works. On the way to Riga visit impressive Baltic pearl - Rundale Palace. |
||
|
The route includes some of the most authentic local expediencies travelling through blue lake districts along the Eastern part of Latvia and Lithuania. This is a region where mass tourism has not yet arrived, and you find very sincere and hospitable people, traditional villages, many churches and cult locations which bring together paganism, Roman Catholicism, Lutheranism, Russian Orthodoxy and Old believers, |
||
|
Your visit to the Sēlija tree farm will include an exciting story from the owner, Mendriķis, about apple trees. You can tour the orchard, warehouses and processing facilities, enjoying a glass of apple juice or listening to the story about winemakers while sipping a glass of apple wine. |
||
|
Mushrooming is one of the most popular autumn activities in Latvia. The tour is lead by a professional mycologist and combines the mysterious world of funghi with local historic heritage and mushroom preparation traditions. Mushrooming starts at one the most popular mushroom pickers' sites in the suburbs of Riga. Then it's on to try various locations in the mushrooming paradise of the Gauja National Park, walk nature trail along the Amata river and have a picnic at picturesque outcrop Zvārtes Rock. Further on, the route reaches charming Ungurmuiža Manor park with its ancient oak trees and some specific fungal species. Next the tour visits a shiitake mushroom grower and mysterious Zilaiskalns hill featuring a highland landscape as well as the flatlands of Lake Burtnieks. Zīle Forest is a rare European biotope with ancient oak forest and park type meadows while the natural coniferous forest at Mežole is one of the richest interms of biological diversity. Here you can find mushrooms which are indicators of natural forest. You also visit oyster mushroom growers along the route. Then it's Āraiši reconstructed Bronze Age settlement built on a lake where there are good examples of how mushrooms can damage and destroy man made objects. At one of the guest houses the chef will demonstrate how to cook your collected mushrooms the local way. |
||
|
The duration of this route is 9 days with an option to extend it for 12 days. The target audience for this route - independent travellers with transportation like bicycle and canoe boat. The total length sums up to ~ 446 km cycling and ~ 7 km canoeing. Itinerary: Rīga - Gauja National Park - Otepaa - River Ahja - Tartu - Lahemaa National Park - Tallinn. |
||
|
This crafts centre is located at the former Svēte Estate, and it organises creative workshops. You can purchase ready-made or commission original ceramic ware. |
||
|
Šis ir viens no 6 ceļojuma maršrutiem sērijā "Baudi laukus!", un tas aicina apmeklēt Lauku Labumus – visdažādāko veidu un nozaru saimniecības un uzņēmumus, kas atvērti apmeklētājiem, piedāvā ekskursijas, nogaršot, apskatīt un iegādāties savus ražojumus. Tur apskatāmi mājdzīvnieki, mūsdienīgas lauku saimniecības, amatnieku darbnīcas, iegādājami lauku produkti – maize, medus, mājas vīns un alus, siers, ogas, augļi, zivis, gaļa, dārzeņi, tējas un citi laukos audzēti labumi. Pa ceļam iespējams ieturēt pusdienas lauku krodziņos. |
||
|
The pride of this guesthouse is the cellar which houses a large collection of wines produced at the farm. You can buy apple, grape, cherry, blackberry, cranberry, gooseberry and rhubarb wine. |
||
|
This territory was established to protect the lovely central section of the Neries River, local species, and Lithuania’s largest oak forest.
|
||
|
This is an ancient Liv village, known as Mustanumm is the last village in the south-easterly direction, and during the mid-20th century, just a few Livonians lived there. Of 307 inhabitants in 1935, only 15 were Livonians. At the beginning of the 19th century, there were six farms and a lagoon here, but at the end of the century there were 63 farms. The valley of the Baķupīte River and the sea had remnants of pilings that provided evidence about a Medieval port. Legends say that the sea robber Trommel had a castle on the left bank of the river during the 14th century. Sailing ships were once built in the region, as well. Two locations of cultural and historical importance in Melnsils are the ancient cult location that is the Baķi castle hill, and the castle hill of a sea pirate Trommel. |
||
|
The Crucifix of Ružina is made of wood according to old Latgalian traditions.
|
||
|
The biological agronomical farm specializes on growing vegetables and their reprocessing. Grain products – flour, groats, pearl barley. Also available vegetable and flower saplings; flowers. |
||
|
Sēlijā, 5 km attālumā no Aknīstes, mājā "Skārdupītes" atrodas biedrība “Sēlijas laivas”. Kamēr teritorijā vēl tikai tiek attīstīta aktīvā tūrisma bāze, jau tagad viesiem tiek sniegts ieskats laivošanas kultūras attīstībā, kā arī ir iespējama dažādu laivu veidu noma un laivošanas tehnikas apmācība. Papildus: vides gida pakalpojumi ar iespēju laivojot iepazīt upes ekosistēmu, floru un faunu. |
||
|
The complex is on the northern shore of Latvia’s second-largest lake, Lake Rāzna. The windows of the “Kastānis” café offer a view of one of the loveliest lakes in the country. |
||
|
Historians say that the Livs or Livonians lived in the territory of Latvia long ago, starting in the 10th century. They populated Northern Kurzeme and the river banks of the Daugava and Gauja rivers. They asked the first German tradesmen who appeared in the area about the price of textiles at the market in Visby. This means that they were familiar with the island of Gotland. The Livonians were courageous and spiritually strong seafarers, because only strong men can live with the sea, go fishing and seal trapping, and take root in the by no means fertile sands of the seashore. The territory between Ģipka and Ovīši is known as the Livonian coastline. There are still romantic seashore fishing villages of Livonian origin, as well as Cape Kolka, where the great Latvian activist Krišjānis Valdemārs insisted that it was the centre of Europe. Livonians all along the seashore responded to his call by taking part in building sailing ships all the way up to Ainaži, where there was a maritime school. That allowed the ships to sail to the far corners of the world, thus creating a century of sailing ships. This wasn’t possible without the Livonians. Also on the coastline are the oldest lighthouses in Latvia, with the one at Ovīši still serving as a star that shows the route for seaborne ships that are heading for Rīga. The Livonian heritage is also seen in the tradition of fishing for lamprey eels – something that is still very much in place in Carnikava, Svētciems and Salacgrīva. Old-time fishing equipment that cannot be seen anywhere else is on display in the latter town. The Latvian nation emerged when the Livonians flowed together with the Lettigalians, the Livonians joke. It may be that there is some truth in the anecdote. Liv or Livonian culture, lifestyles and history are closely linked to Latvia and cannot be separated from it. |
||
|
The Varakļāni Estate has a mansion which is known as one of the most outstanding monuments to Classicism in Latgale. It was built between 1783 and 1789 and designed by the Italian architect Vincento Macotti, and it was owned by Earl Michael Johan Borch. Late in the 18th century, the same architect designed the estate’s lovely and romantic landscape park, which was one of the first parks of its kind in Latvia. The Varakļāni Administrative District Museum is housed in the mansion today. |
||
|
The Lojas farm in the Mazsalaca Administrative District is a mixed-use farm, including grain farming (wheat, barley, rye, rapeseed) and manufacturing of straw granules as litter for animals. The farm breeds beef cattle. |
||
|
This museum was opened 1927 and is focused on the culture, literature, history, agriculture and technical history of the region of Anīkšči. Throughout the year, visitors are welcome to stroll through the park of the museum, which commemorates two distinguished Lithuanian authors. |
||
|
Koņuciems of Pape is one of the few seashore fishing villages in Latvia to have preserved an authentic environment to the present day. The Latvian Open-Air Ethnographic Museum has a branch here, “Vītolnieki”, and this is an authentic and ancient fisherman’s farm. +371-2926-2283. The sad fact is that some people have built modern buildings in the village, and it has now lost its earlier untouched charm. |
||