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This is an interesting viewing tower which is part of one of the farm buildings. It offers a lovely view of the surrounding area.
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You can learn about the lives of bees and buy honey made from all kinds of flowers, propolis, propolis blankets and wax candles. Apian therapy is offered here. This is an ancient method which involves a bed under which there are beehives. The bees create warmth, vibration and a biofield. |
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Со стороны шоссе Рига – Даугавпилс (А6) (напротив кафе «Бордертаун») стоит необычный (построенный из складывающихся конструкций) храм, который изготовлен в Одессе в 1866 году. Церковь служила передвижной церковью царской армии и стоит на этом месте с 1904 года. Раньше (с 1886 г.) она находилась в Даугавпилсе. При храме построен деревянный дом-молельня, который открыт целые сутки. |
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 1 day
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Ekskursijas laikā apmeklējiet dabas taku, kurā ir iespēja iepazīt Amatas novada dabas objektus gar Kumadas upes, Dančupītes un Amatas upes krastu. Pēc tam apmeklējiet Cēsu pils kompleksu. Viduslaiku pils sniedz iespēju iejusties 800 gadus tālā pagātnē, uzkāpt ar sveču lukturīšiem Rietumu tornī, nokāpt cietumā, kā arī redzēt, kā kalējs darina latgaļu rotas. Blakus esošā Jaunā pils ir 18. gs. celta pilsmuižas kunga māja, kurā tagad atrodas Cēsu Vēsture un Mākslas muzejs. Ekskursijas noslēgumā dodieties uz lauku māju Smiltenes novadā, lai iepazītu maizes cepšanu pēc sentēvu tradīcijām, kā arī pašiem izveidot savu maizes kukulīti. |
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The farm makes goat’s milk cheese and other goat’s milk products. Goats, sheep, rabbits and domestic birds are bred here. You can purchase products by ordering in advance, excursions on the farm are organised during summer. |
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 2 days
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This section of the Baltic Coastal Hiking Route is suitable to hardy hikers who like to travel across uninhabited places. In many places, reeds, floodplains with pastures and wetlands stretch across the Estonian seacoast, which is why the itinerary often leads you along forest and country roads. In the second half of summer you can pick the mushrooms and berries in the coastal forests. Pärnu is a popular resort city with many cafés, live music, SPAs, hotels and a beautiful Old Town. |
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 8 days
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The Daugava River is known as our river of destiny, the Daugava of our hearts, or our beloved mommy. It is a large and full-blooded artery of water that has flowed through our land and our history. The Vikings were aware of the river during the 5th century AD. Krāslava is the site of an ancient castle hill, and the fearless sailors were well aware of it in that downriver from it, the ships could sail with raised sails. It is known in Viking sagas as Dynasaiforgarðr. Goods from the East sail down the river to Rīga, where it is reloaded into seafaring ships for delivery to Europe. That has been the case for many centuries. Many powers wanted to control and govern the process, as is seen in the large number of castle hills, castles and populated areas around the river’s banks. The majestic ruins of the Koknese Castle, Krustpils, the grassy and mighty castle hill at Aizkraukle, another one at Daugmale. The unique fortresses at Daugavgrīva and Daugavpils are like large keys that lock or unlock this mighty and ancient trade route. Under the water in the Daugava are the ruins of the ancient Ikšķile Castle that was built by St Maynard himself. It is seen as the first brick building in the Baltic States. Nearby is Death Island, where Latvian riflemen fought for the future of their country and their land, defending each square metre of land. The Daugava proved insurmountable for Bermont’s troops, and the riflemen defended Rīga successfully. The curves of Daugava are unique. The village of Slutišķi is particularly known because the Daugava there is just like it has been in the past. The high dolomite shorelines and canyons that once made the Daugava unique in all of Northern Europe have now been lost in the reservoirs of hydroelectric power plants, as has the eternally weeping cliff of Staburags, the Liepavotu stream and the Pērse waterfall. The age of national renaissance in Latvia importantly began with a battle against the construction of another power plant on the Daugava, which would have fully destroyed the beauty of the noble river. We managed to protect it, if only a small part of it, but we succeeded. We must not stop! |
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The first church in Vecpiebalga was built in 1345, and the next one was built between 1839 and 1845 by the Livonian builder Mārcis Sārums. The church was destroyed in 1944 and restored between 1995 and 1997 (architect Ausma Skumiņa). The altar painting is titled “Christ Walking in the Land of Piebalga.” Outside the church is a rock to commemorate those who suffered from political repressions in Latvia. |
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 5 days
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The "Baltic Way" route is in honour of a unique demonstration on August 23, 1989, when residents of the three Baltic States joined hands in a chain of participants that stretched along a nearly 600 km distance to link the three capital cities of Vilnius, Rīga and Tallinn. In historical terms, this route was used from the 14th or 15th century or even earlier than that. Grain-based foods in this region have a long history. Tasty and yeasty rye bread is common, and in Vidzeme, try it with some hemp butter. Barley is used to bake buns and for porridges. Wheat is used to bake water pretzels with caraway seeds. Visit farms and restored windmills to track the route of grain. A special cheese is part of Summer Solstice celebrations, and on a daily basis you can enjoy other tasty cheeses made of cow and goat milk. Various river and lake fishes are popular, as are local meat and fowl dishes and wild game with tasty sauces. A roast or a pot of soup cooked on a live campfire will have a lovely aroma, and it will be served with vegetables, greens, beans, peas and mushrooms. Wild plants such as sorrel, dandelion or young nettle leaves are added to soups and salads. Treat yourself with fresh honey, bacon pies, sheet cakes, pastries, rye bread desserts, honey cakes and gingerbread. You will find simple and traditional dishes, romantic meals in castles and estates, as well as a special knighthood repast with spices typical in the age of the Livonian Order. Slake your thirst with herbal teas, birch juice, berry beverages, tasty beer or wine or a glass of something stronger. |
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 3 days
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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. |
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This museum is along the road from Jaunpiebalga and Vecpiebalga and was opened in 1969. It focuses on the life and work of two distinguished Latvians – the composer Emīls Dārziņš (1875-1910) and the poet and writer Jānis Sudrabkalns (1894-1975). It features items related to the lives of the two men. Music by Dārziņš can be heard in the museum, tours are offered to individual visitors and groups, and thematic and musical events are held at the museum. |
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Established: 1931. The arboretum was set up at the suggestion of Latvia’s distinguished author Anna Brigadere. After her death and until 1935, the arboretum was supported and expanded by book publisher Jānis Rapa. There are some 180 foreign trees and shrubs of various kinds here. Some of the plants are outside the arboretum itself.
Unique plants: The Bunge’s Ash (Fraxinus chinensis), the Eastern Black Walnut (Juglans nigra), the American Buckeye (Aesculus glabra), the Smoketree (Cotinus coggyria), the White Mulberry (Morus Alba), and the Kentucky Yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea).
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Lauku mājā "Celmiņi" iespējams dzirdēt farmaceites Valentīnas Dāboliņas stāstus par veselību stiprinošiem ārstniecības augiem. Tiek piedāvāta augu atpazīšana un tēju vākšana, kā arī tēju degustācija un iegāde. |
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In 1951, when it died, the pine tree had a circumference of 4.63 metres. It was the thickest pine tree in the Baltic States
This is one of the few trees with such a long history for which age has been determined by counting up circles – 370 years. All that’s left is a conserved part of the stump at the side of the road. Cross-sections of the stump are on exhibit at the Latvian Museum of Nature and the Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum.
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This is an uncommon landscape for the Kurzeme region with a protected biotope – open inland dunes with meadows of silver grass and forests of deciduous trees, including the common hornbeam. Tourists can visit the Muiža (Lejas) sacred stream on the right bank of the Sventāja valley, above which they will find Latvia’s most noble bird-cherry trees. A nice reed pergola has been installed above the stream. Wide are of Sventāja River valley can be overseen from the road before the stream. |
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The beautiful, tidy and artfully laid out farmstead is situated in Jaunpiebalga district. The farmstead is naturally encorporated into the landscape, the old barn is renovated and its top floor is a place for the owner’s workshop and exhibition (she is a softwares artist). The old log house has also been renovated, and the sauna has been rebuilt. A small river flows through the farmstead, and there is also a Tuleja mound on the territory, which is a natural landmark protected by the state. |
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The dairy makes cheese from old Latvian recipes, doing so by hand, as was the case centuries ago. The products have been awarded the “Green Teaspoon.” Fresh cheese can be smoked. Tours of the company are available, and the dairy accepts orders and delivers finished products. |
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Vieta, bez kuras apmeklējuma nav iedomājama Dzūkijas vēstures un kultūras izziņa! Muzejs meklējams Marcinkones centrā, netālu no dzelzceļa stacijas. To noteikti ir jāiepazīst vietējā gida pavadībā, kas pastāstīs daudz interesantus faktus par dzūku tradīcijām un attiecībām ar mežu. Muzejā ir apskatāma dzīvojamā ēka ar ikdienas sadzīves priekšmetiem un rija, kas pārsteidz ne tikai ar savu plašumu, bet arī vairākiem interesantiem eksponātiem, no kuriem ir jāpiemin milzīgs sēņu grozs (tajā iegāja 110 kg gaileņu!), 750 gadus veca vienkoča paliekas, bitenieku un vietējo amatnieku instrumenti u.c. Rijā notiek ikgadēji ar dzūku kultūru un vēsturi saistīti pasākumi. Visbeidzot, te var iegādāties vietējos suvenīrus un medu. Ja ir vēlme iepazīt Marcinkones tuvāko apkaimi, ar kājām var doties pa 13 km garo Zackagira dabas taku (Zackagirio gamtinis takas). |
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Atrodas 0,9 km no Jaunpiebalgas muižas pils, Jaunpiebalgas centra virzienā. Redzot šo ēku, nav jāpārliecina, ka tā ir viena no garākajām Vidzemē. Tik gara, ka grūti pat „iedabūt kadrā”. |
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 5 days
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Duke Jacob of Courland was a ruler of the Duchy of Courland and Zemgale for 40 years (1642-1682). There were great changes during his rule, with the ship building industry developing rapidly, the first factories appearing, and agricultural output improving. The duke had a large fleet that brought grain, meat, butter, wool, timber and all that was manufactured at baronial estates in Zemgale and Courland to Western Europe. The fleet was so big and strong that its ships sailed not just to Europe, but also all the way to Tobago and Gambia, where colonies were established to bring sugar, coffee and spices to Europe. The duchy built ships, manufactured paper and saltpetre and wove textiles, brocade and tapestries. Iron manufacturing was highly developed, and ore was imported from Sweden. This made it possible to forge nails, anchors, bells, cannons and other firearms. The duchy produced vodka, vinegar and gunpowder for which there was great demand in Europe, because there were attacks and defences that required it. As much as 25 tonnes of gunpowder were produced each year. One of the gunpowder towers is still in Kandava, though it has been rebuilt many times. The duchy manufactured sails and ropes, as well as hemp ropes. It was said that the fleet of the Queen of England would not have existed without those ropes. The duke also thought about selection of grain, bred livestock, improved land with land reclamation and tried to expand output from his fields. Jacob did not manage to do everything that he wanted to do. A canal to avoid the Venta rapids was not finished, and plans such as the colonisation of Australia were not finished. Yet the era of Duke Jacob was a period of great change in the territory of Latvia, and it has not gone unnoticed that the great achievements of the duke occurred on a small plot of European land. That proves that wise management can ensure lots of progress. |
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