(formerly Pize and Pizā in Livonian).  The current name of the village comes from a lighthouse (Mihailovskii majak) that was built during the age of the Russian Empire and named for the nephew of Tsar Alexander II.  The lighthouse that is there now is the third one to be built on the site.  It was built in 1957 and is the highest lighthouse in Latvia (57 m, can only be viewed from the outside).  The Lutheran church in Mikeļtornis was built in 1893, and nearby is the Pize Saloon (1857), which is terrible condition.  The saloon has a typical design from the 19th century and is the only venue of its type on the Livonian coastline.  The first Livonian cultural activist, Jānis Princis (1796-1868), was born in Miķeļtornis, and he and son Jānis translated the Gospel of Matthew into the Western Livonian language.  The two of them also wrote a collection of poetry, "Holy Songs and Prayers for Sailors."  The only poetry book in Latvia prior to that was published by Blind Indriķis.  A student of Vilhelms Purvītis, Livonian painter Andrejs Šulcs (1910-2006), was born at the Olmaņi homestead in Miķeļtornis.  A monument to Livonian poets was installed at the local cemetery in 1978 and was the first monument dedicated to Livonians.  There are plans to open an environmental object by artist Ģirts Burvis, "Century of Sailing Ships", in 2019.

This is an open territory which is 3.5 km long and 2 km wide.  It is located on the left bank of the Lielupe River between the village of Pavasari and the Odiņi homestead.  The polder was established during the Soviet era to obtain farmland, and back then it was used very intensively.  Today, it is slowly becoming overgrown, and despite this, this is one of the most important locations in Europe for corn-crakes.  A gravel road crosses the polder from the North to the South, and this is an excellent place to hear the songs of the corn-crake.

The German order built a stone castle here in 1242, and only a few fragments of it remain along with a vaulted cellar in which local wines can be tasted if you register in advance.  The castle of the Duke of Courland was here later, but it was destroyed during the Great Northern War in 1701.  Reconstruction of the park involved wooden pathways and bridges, information stands, a pergola and a fountain.  There are 22 sculptures in the park that are the work of Līvija Razevska.

The farm breeds some 400 rabbits and also grows strawberries. Breeding rabbits, rabbit meat, strawberry plants (3-4 different kinds) and berries can be purchases. Lettuce is available in the spring and vegetables are on offer in the fall. You can take a tour of the farm and learn about rabbit breeding.

Eine von Nadelbaumwäldern bedeckte Halbinsel. Malerisches Käsmu Steinfeld, Matsikivi Stein, Vana Jüri Stein u.a. Bei passenden Bedingungen kann man sich auf einer steinernen Landzunge bis zur 0,5 km entfernt liegenden Insel Saartneem schleppen. 

The craftsman produces pottery typical of Vidzeme, but with the range of colours that is typical of Latgale. These products fit in very nicely with the lovely landscape of Racupkalns. You can take a tour, watch the master at work, and work with clay yourself. You can also watch as he opens a Lettigalian ditch kiln. You can commission and purchase the products, as well.

A tour of professional farms to offer a look at modern and technologically developed farms.  During the introductory day, participants will tour Rīga, which is part of the UNESCO List of World Heritage, and the Rīga Central Market, which is one of the largest closed markets of its type in Europe.  The next day there will be a meeting with specialists from the Latvian Agriculture Ministry and agricultural NGOs.  Next we will tour an ecological facility for farm waste, which is a pan-European initiative in the context of which heat that is manufactured is used to heat greenhouses, thus ensuring an ideal environment for farming (flowers and tomatoes).  We will visit innovative farms that collect birch juice for products such as biological birch juice wine (rose, semi-sec), biological birch juice foaming wine, birch juice lemonade, and syrup.  The next morning will begin with a visit to a farm that produces high-quality vegetables and potatoes, successfully dealing with the storage and sale of it produce, as well as with logistical aspects of the process.  Along the way, we will visit the ruins of the Koknese castle, which is on the banks of Latvia’s legendary Daugava River.  We will also visit a farm that grows hemp for various food products.  We will spend the night at an aristocratic estate that is now a complex for accommodations and spa treatments.  The next morning, we will be off to one of Latvia’s newest beer breweries for a tour and tastings.  Around noon, we will visit a farm that manufactures co-generated biomass head during the winter and heats greenhouses.  We will return to Rīga in the evening.

This farm is in a lovely location on the western side of the Talsi hillocks, offering a look at Talsi and its area.  This is an open farm with grows and processes apples (dried apples, apple chips, apple juice).  Visitors are offered an informative tour, with a chance to taste and purchase the products.  The farm is in a protected natural area -- the Talsi Hillocks Nature Park.  There is an area for tenting during the summer.  The owners will teach you to produce a crown from fruit tree branches. The gardens of the farm stretch across the hillocks, and there are several types of local apple trees that are nurtured by the lady of the house.  An informative stand alongside the farm features information about the most important values of the nature park.

The bakery is on the main pedestrian thoroughfare in town. It uses old recipes to bake wedding cakes and other baked goods. The bakery works with local producers of ingredients.

Latvian cuisine: Cold soup, dumpling soup, hazelnut-loganberry and strawberry-rhubarb wedding cakes, pierogi, sheet cakes and other treats.