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This is a unique opportunity to watch the work of various craftspeople (amber workers, jewellers, weavers, seamstresses, etc.) and purchase their masterful work. You will see the world’s longest amber necklace (123 m, 19 kg!!), which was made with bits of amber that were contributed by local residents. Creative workshops are organised for children. |
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The guest house is located in Odziena, Vietalva Parish, Plavinas Region. The house has 5 bedrooms, guests can enjoy a sauna, a pool and a swim in the pond, as well as fishing. There is a large surrounding area for organizing activities and other classes - the guest house is suitable for both relaxation and celebrations. |
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The Slītere National Park (established in 2000) is known, with good reason, as an open-air museum which shows the historical development of the Baltic Sea. Nowadays evidence of geological events is seen in the Blue Hills of Slītere, which stand 20 to 30 metres high above what was the shore of the Baltic lake of ice 10,000 years ago. The Stiebri hills were former 8,000 or 9,000 years ago, while the Littorina Sea formed Europe’s largest set of dune ramparts and damp hollows between those ramparts. This occurred between 4,000 and 7,000 years ago. The gentle climate of Northern Kurzeme is the reason why so many rare plants are found in the park – some 860 in all including Common Yew (Taxus baccata) and Baltic Ivy (Hedera helix var. baltica). Of certain value in the preservation of these treasures was the Soviet military machine, which has left behind army bases and other military objects in the area. The presence of the military meant that the area of what is now the Slītere National Park remained largely undisturbed for 50 years. The park includes one of the most popular tourist destinations in Latvia – the Cape of Kolka, which is visited by more than 50,000 travellers each year. During the spring migration of birds, more than 60,000 birds cross the cape each hour. Along the shore of the Baltic Sea is the so-called Livonian coast, which stretches from Kolka to Sīkrags and Ovīši. Fishing villages and other cultural objects established by the world’s smallest ethnic minority, the Livonians, can be found here. Tourists will enjoy interesting four nature trails, bicycling routes, viewing tower, etc. The visitors centre is located at the Slītere lighthouse. Administration of National park is organising environmental education events on regular basis open to everyone. |
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Autumn is a peak bird migration time when huge flocks frequently cross the sky above your head. Cranes perform impressive displays in the fields. There are still some dragonflies and butterflies to see, plus wild animals including wild boar, deer and beaver. The landscape acquires its beautiful autumn colours while we people can enjoy oursleves gathering the wild autumn harvest - mushrooms, cranberries, cowberries and much more. From Riga the tour goes along the Vidzeme sea coast with areas of Devonian sandstone, coastal meadows and numerous places to watching wading birds. At Salacgriva you visit the traditonal lamprey weirs and can taste them grilled. The tour goes to Seda bog, which is an important nesting site for water birds. Here you might see several types of geese, swans and cranes as well as some mammals and dragonflies. Then the route goes to natural coniferous forests at Mežole with great biological diversity. Next the tour focuses on mushrooms and berries in the Gauja National Park which also provides great views of the river valley with some steep Devonian banks with several medieval castles and manors perched on top. Then the tour goes back to Riga and on to two important national parks. Ķemeri National Park has a Black Alder trail through wet forest, ideal for spotting woodpeckers. In contrast the Big Heath trail passes though a landscape of raised and transit bog and sulphurous springs. At Slītere National Park you have a wildlife day visiting a beaver lodge, tracking variousforestanimals and possibly seeing some of them. Cape Kolka offers excellent costal migration action. The tour goes along the steep sea coast of Jurkalne, stops at Ventspils town for lunch with a bracing walk along its breakwater, then turns inland towards Riga. On the way there are stops at the Abava ancient valley and Sabile wine hill. |
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The Capital of Lithuania. One of the biggest East Europe's old towns (included in UNESCO World's Cultural Heritage list) where there is a lot of representation of various architecture styles like Classicism, Baroque, Gothique, etc. |
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The shadowy cellar of the estate is a great place to hear about how homemade wine is made. You can taste rhubarb, black currant and strawberry wine along with local goodies such as cheese. Local farmers provide the ingredients for the wine. |
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The word zivis means fish, and the name of the street is derived from a fish market that once existed at the end of the street near Kurši Square. There are old log warehouses in the yard of Zivju Street 4/6 and the yard of Peldu Street 2. One of the most popular destinations for tourists is the Latvian alley of fame for musicians (since 2006), with bronze replications of the palms of hands of 35 Latvian musicians. There are ten plaques dedicated to popular bands in Latvia, with five others focusing on musicians who have passed away. The largest guitar in Latvia is right nearby. |
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Saaremaa and Hiumaa are the two largest ones amongst 1500 other Estonian islands. In fact Saaremaa is the common name for Muhu and Saaremaa islands which are connected by the causeway like Hiumaa and Kassari islands. |
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A café, located in the Town Square of Kuldīga, the very centre of Kuldīga Old Town, that offers dishes for every taste, ranging from refined salads to hearty meals. The café houses the Curonia coffee roastery and offers its guests fresh and delicious coffee. |
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The craftsman produces wooden dishware and other products, making use of many local species of trees. The technique is unusual and reveals the specific texture of timber. The artist has masterfully integrated amber, bone and animal horn in his dishware. He also engraves spoons with ethnographic signs. You can commission or purchase products from the master craftsman, who also restores wooden furniture. |
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Summer cafe "Divjurinas" is located at Kolkasrags, open from May to October. |
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Holiday house Ugaraja Kotkaapesa is a cosy place where the owners offer homemade dishes to their guests from ingredients grown locally. The holiday house has a large lounge and sauna, and the area is suitable for hiking. |
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Atrodas 4,5 km ziemeļos no Rīgas – Daugavpils šosejas (A 6), klajā laukā (ap 3 m augsts, ainavisks). Viens no izcilākajiem Latvijas muldakmeņiem, tādēļ ir vērts izmest kādu loku. Akmens augšdaļā ir iekalts gandrīz 2 m garš un ~ 20 cm dziļš muldveida iedobums. Atrodamas ziņas, ka vēl 19. gs. vidū pie akmens ir ziedots ēdiens, monētas u.c. priekšmeti. Pie tā dedzināti ugunskuri un svinēti svētki. Teikas vēsta, ka velns muldā lējis ūdeni un gribējis mīcīt mīklu, kā arī parāvis zem akmens tuvējo māju saimnieku. |
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An age-old twisting postal road between Tartu and Võru takes travellers to Varbuse postal station dating from 1863. The Estonian Road Museum is housed in this well-preserved complex of a postal station which creates a wonderful setting for displaying the history of travelling and roads, traffic regulation and machinery. Cross-sections of road pavements disclose the secrets of road building. An outdoor display shows stretches of historic roads from Estonia and former Livonia creating an authentic ambience of the past. |
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Guest house Pinska is a family-owned company located on the former Lõpinska country manor land. The food is prepared from local ingredients and according to local traditions. |
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Kuldiga is deservedly considered the most beautiful small town of medieval times in Latvia. Instead of it already in the 13th century the Bandava centre of the ancient Cours land was located. In 1242 construction of stone castle was begun at Venta Falls by the Livonian Order. Populated area formed beside the castle, which was the first to acquire the rights of a city in Kurzeme (in 1378). Significant was also its participation in the Hanza Union. From 1561 until 1795 Kuldīga was the capital city of Kurzeme Dukedom. Naturally, in the first half of the 17th century it experienced rapid economic growth, which was terminated by the beginning of the Northern War and plague epidemic. The pride of Kurzeme residents and the lack of larger industrial objects was the reason, why during the Soviet times larger masses of immigrants did not flood the city, therefore today Kuldiga is one of the most Latvian cities in Kurzeme. It is worth to visit Kuldiga and stay there for more than one day, because there is plenty to do here. Nature fans may observe the flying fish, but for researchers of cultural history a really vast field of work opens here. |
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The restaurant is on the shore of the Bay of Rīga, between the VIA Baltica highway (A1) and the sea. It is part of the “Kapteiņu Osta” territory, which is surrounded by the meadows of Randa. The restaurant has a summer terrace with beautiful sunsets. Latvian cuisine: Cold beet soup, potatoes with cottage cheese and herring, smoked eel, oven-baked catfish, baked pike-perch with hemp butter, cottage cheese buns, strawberry soup. Special foods: Fish soup. |
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Along with the Nagļu ponds, these are Latvia’s largest fishing ponds. They were established on the flood-land peat areas of Lake Lubāns in the 1970s, when the hydrotechnical system of the lake was first established. The Lubāna-Gaigalava road bisects the Kvāpāni-Īdeņa ponds. There are three bird-watching towers on the dams of the ponds. The ponds are a major location for water bird nests, as well as places for migrating birds to rest. There are extensive bird-watching opportunities in the area.
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In the Berzini homestead they bake exceptionally tasty wheat and rye bread in accordance with the old folk recipes. The taste and smell is the result of baking bread in a special oven which is more than 70 years old. It is possible to order bread, or, having booked a visit beforehand, to make and bake your own bread loaf. The owners will teach you bread baking traditions and use recipes from their ancestors to bake loaves in a true bread oven. |
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The Livonian Order built a fortified castle on the largest island in Lake Alūksne – Marijas Island (Pilssala Island) in 1342. It was linked to the land by a 120 m drawbridge. The castle had several forecastles, and it was regularly modernised and expanded until the end of the 17th century. It was one of the largest Livonian Order Castles, with similar ones found in Vastelina and Izborsk. Defensive barriers were put up around the castle, which survived until the Great Northern War. Its central part was blown up by the defeated Swedish military in 1702, after which Russians completely sacked it. All that is left are the castle ruins on the island, which is now linked to Alūksne and Temple Hill by two wooden bridges. An open-air stage alongside the castle ruins is used for various public events. |
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