This is an easy 3-day route, suitable for any traveller ready to take some steps outside the capital and get into the woods. You will start the tour by taking a train from Rīga to Ķemeri. The walk will start in the Ķemeri resort park leading to the legendary sulphur spring and continue to the “Forest House” – the visitor’s centre of the Ķemeri National Park. The park is established for the protection of mainly wetlands – the shallow coast of the Gulf of Riga, the overgrown seaside lakes, the vast marshlands, mires (forests) and flood plans. Besides, there is the wooden plank Melnalkšņu swamp forest trail. Next, the Forest Trail takes one to the Lake Sloka, a shallow coastal lake with rich aquatic plants, sulphur springs and important migratory bird rest areas. On the banks of it, there is a 7 m high floating bird-watching tower. Further, the Forest Trail runs to the Gulf of Riga in the small fishermen village of Bigauņciems, where it joins with the Baltic Coastal Hiking Route (E9 European long distance path). From there on, the trail runs along the coast direction Jūrmala – the most popular resort town in Latvia with the widest sandy beaches. The tour ends in Ragakāpa Nature Park, which is established to preserve the dunes covered in old pine forests and natural diversity of the seaside. The Jūrmala Open-Air Museum is a place to get to know a traditional local fishermen’s farmstead.

Located in the southern part of Feimaņi, the church was built between 1756 and 1760. The local estate was owned by the Korff dynasty, and the denomination of the congregation changed when the family converted from Lutheranism to Catholicism.  This church has the largest number of artistic monuments among all churches in the Rēzekne Administrative District, including a confessional bench, pews, an organ prospectus, silver cups and three altar wood engravings from the 18th century.  Above the gate is a bell tower with four bells.  During Holy Week, clappers are used instead of bells.  They are about 2 m long and 1 m high and are reminiscent of ancient laundry rolls.  Feimaņi is also home to one of three flag workshops in Latvia, and it has state-of-the-art equipment.  The flag of Latgale was “born” here in ideological and physical terms.

The trail climbs up and down along the bluffs of lower River Pilsupe and reveals a fascinating sight of three white dune exposures (the largest is called the White Dune). The dune range has formed in the period of the Littorina Sea several thousands of years ago. The time required to walk the trail is ~0.3 h. Evidence of Stone Age settlements have been found in the vicinity. 

The tower is on the western shore of the lake, next to the dam and the Zvidze canal. From here you will see the overgrowth north-western part of the lake, Akmeņsala Island, and a wide area of open water. The third is on the southern shore of the lake, by the dam and the Īdeņa canal. Here you will find typical views of wetlands – areas of reeds, shrubbery, wet meadows and the overgrown lake.

Ainavisks, ap 340 m garš un līdz 15 m augsts atsegums, kas atrodas nepilnu kilometru lejpus Raunas ietekas Gaujā, kreisajā pamatkrastā. To veido sarkandzeltenīgi Gaujas svītas smilšakmeņi. Gar Kazu ieža austrumu daļas pakāji izkaisīiti vairāki lieli laukakmeņi, kas ērti iekārtojušies uz smilšakmeņos izskalotas pamatnes.

The Kaļķupe River valley was established as the Pilsupe River (formed by Kaļķupe River and Mazupe River) crossed the Blue hills of Šlītere to the South of Vīdale and Kaļķi. The distinct river valley has a branched network of gullies in which Devonian sandstone has been uncovered and can be seen in some locations. Puiškalns Hill (located at confluence of Kaļķupe River and Mazupe River), which was used as a castle hill and as a sacred location long in the past, is one of the most distinctive parts of the area. It is a popular tourist destination in the Talsi District. Hillside forests, various kinds of meadows and a wide range of plants are also of value in the local environment.

 This is a small river in a very deep and broad valley that is crossed by the Vecumnieki-Ilūkste road. Vilkupe was named in relation to the ambitious plan of Duke Jacob of Courland to link the river basins of the Daugava and the Lielupe rivers. Vilkupe was meant to be one of the components in this canal. This is a good place to think about the scope and innovation of Medieval people and their ideas. A fragment of the canal is marked and can be seen a bit less than 4 km from the populated location that is also called Vilkupe.

This tour offers visiting UNESCO World Heritage sites – Helsinki, Stockholm, Riga, Tallinn, travelling by ferries and cruise ships and adding value to the trip by exploring the Baltic countries beyond the capitals. The sites outside cities present traditional folk cultures of Finland, Sweden, Estonia and Latvia and a variety of farms showing today’s life in the countryside. The roundtrip includes two overnights on cruise ships.