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The Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia in Riga offer the traditional Yule log Eve on December 17. Christian and pre-Christian traditions live along well in modern Latvia. Many Latvians celebrate Winter Solstice following old Latvian traditions. The idea of this celebration is the victory of light over the darkness as days are getting longer and nights are getting shorter. As in old times, to ward off the darkness, cold, last year's hard luck, bad work and thoughts, people roll the Yule Log from one farm to another and eventually burn it. The Yule Log burning symbolizes the beginning of a new solar year and the Sun itself, which is very important for farmers. And of course, it is time for ‘happiness casting’, fortune-telling, merrymaking and games.
Winter season reveals fascinating bog landscapes when shimmering snow crystals cover trees, majestic silence rules and abundance of fresh, snow-smelling air makes one happily dizzy.
Two young Latvian nature scientists came up with the idea to offer bog tours some years ago. Since then, their bog tours have become extremely popular in all seasons as family fun, team building experience or nature lovers’ escape. The tours are available for small groups, and the participants are given special snow shoes to make walking easier on the snow. The route length in the Great Ķemeru bog is 6km, and the guided tour takes ca 3-4 hours. The guide tells about plant and animal life, about nature processes in the bog and landscape. Even when temperatures are below 0°C, people feel warm as walking takes some physical effort. The Great Ķemeru bog offers and excellent and safe opportunity to spend a day in wild nature just 45km from Riga.
Pagājušajā nedēļā, 30. novembrī, Latvijas Nacionālajā bibliotēkā notika informatīvais seminārs „No kultūras zīmes “Latviskais mantojums” līdz UNESCO”, kura dalībniekiem bija iespēja uzzināt, kā saglabāt vietējo kultūras mantojumu, padarot to atraktīvu un atpazīstamu vietējiem un ārvalstu tūristiem, un kā nemateriālā kultūras mantojuma nesējiem iekļūt Nacionālajā nemateriālā kultūras mantojuma sarakstā, un vēlāk – UNESCO nemateriālā kultūras mantojuma sarakstā.
Esam izdevuši ceļvedi japāņu valodā, kas domāts individuāliem ceļotājiem - "GO RURAL - Latvija, Igaunija, Somijas dienvidu piekraste". Ceļvedī ietverta karte, kā arī praktiska informācija un norādes uz avotiem, kas palīdzēs saplānot ceļojumu, atrast transporta informāciju, naktsmītnes un citus pakalpojumus vai uzzināt vairāk par mūsu valstīm. Ceļveža mērķis ir aicināt individuālos ceļotājus ārpus galvaspilsētām un iepazīstināt ar to, ko var redzēt un darīt laukos. Ceļvedī raksturots mūsu reģiona ēdiens, naktsmītnes, daba, gadalaiki, iespējas apmeklēt lauku saimniecības, amatniekus, izmēģināt pirts tradīcijas, doties mežā sēņot vai pat nosvinēt kāzas lauku viesu mājā. Iepazīstinām arī ar Latvijai, Igaunijai un Somijai raksturīgiem suvenīriem. Šis izdevums būs noderīgs unērti lietojams gan plānojot, gan arī ceļojuma laikā.
We have come up with five new touring routes that offer colourful holiday experiences across three Baltic Sea states – Latvia, Estonia, and the South Coast region of Finland. The itineraries combine city and rural experiences offering the best highlights in each country and UNESCO heritage in all its diversity - from Art Nouveau architecture in capital cities to traditional smoke sauna in Estonian countryside. The countryside attractions are specialised in hospitality service and offer insight in small self-sustained farms, local food, arts and crafts, and nature while staying at comfortable guest houses, rural estates with gourmet restaurants or charming country homesteads that make you feel happy in simplicity and sincerity of real country life and home-made meals.
The tours can be organised on your own contacting the sites directly, or contacting Baltic Country Holidays for arrangement of services or modifications of the itineraries. Read further for itinerary descriptions and maps:
On 18th November 2018 Latvia as a country will celebrate its 100th anniversary. This anniversary is the biggest event in today’s Latvia’s history. It will be celebrated for five years (2017. – 2021.) with more than 800 different events all around Latvia and in 70 other countries, bringing in the light important events and persons that are connected to Latvia’s formation as an independent country while telling Latvia’s full story.
Dobele is a town in the cultural region Zemgale, in the central part of the country on the banks of the river Bērze. The town has long standing apple cultivation traditions. The Latvian national insitute of horticulture has its orchard there with some 600 sorts of apple trees. The orchard is named after Pēteris Upītits, a prominent Latvian horticulturist and breeder. For this reason Dobele is known as the Latvian capital of apples.
The 4th Apple festival will be held in Dobele on October 7, 2017. It promises a variety of events and activities like apple tasting, a competition to find the biggest, the most beautiful and the heaviest apple, pressing apple juice and making apple jam with produce tasting, the umurkumurs – a traditional pole-climbing contest, awarding ceremony of the Apple Order, singing and dancing performances, craft and farmers’ market, and much more fun for adults and children alike. The Dobele Crafts House will host the exhibition of apples from Pēteris Upītis orchard. The orchard will be open for excursions.
Esam beiguši vairāku mēnešu darbu, lai sagatavotu lauku tūrisma produktu rokasgrāmatu "Go rural" (Baudi laukus), kas paredzēta Japānas tūrisma operatoriem, nozares profesionāļiem un ceļotājiem. Rokasgrāmata ir izdota japāņu valodā (pieejama arī angliski digitāli), un tajā iekļauta praktiska informācija, lai saplānotu ceļojumu – maršrutu piemēri, naktsmītnes, nacionālie parki, apskates saimniecības, amatnieku darbnīcas laukos, informācija par transporta iespējām, kā arī Latvijas, Igaunijas un Somijas tūrisma operatoru kontakti. Ar šo rokasgrāmatu septembrī dosimies uz nozīmīgāko Japānas tūrisma izstādi JATA Tokijā.
Rokasgrāmatu skatiet ŠEIT.
Esam publicējuši rokasgrāmatu "Kā atvērt lauku labumu veikalu", kuras mērķauditorija ir mājražotāji un mazie uzņēmēji, kas vēlas atvērt savas produkcijas veikalu. Rokasgrāmatā apskatītas tēmas par procesa plānošanu un veikala iekārtošanu - sākot no likumdošanas, līdz pat telpu dizainam un mārketingam. Katra tēma ilustrēta ar praktiskiem piemēriem un atsaucēm, kur iespējams atrast plašāku informāciju. Rokasgrāmata ir pieejama latviešu, igauņu un norvēģu valodā.
The summer solstice in June 21-23 is one of the major Latvian summer festivities. Even convinced city people feel tempted to head out for the countryside and be a part of the overwhelming festive mood. Celebrations have to be prepared well in advance with special sort of cheese made, beer brewed, the festive place prepared, the house and yard decorated. There are ancient rituals and beliefs that have to be carried out for fertility of people and earth, to repel evil spirits. How to celebrate – this is up to you. Some will prefer sitting by the fire, eating delicious Jāņu cheese, drinking beer and singing songs with the traditional refrain Līgo, others would join the mystery and magic of ancient Midsummer rituals. To understand what this is all about read more about the Midsummer or Summer Solstice traditions and beliefs. Festive food is a significant part of the celebration with the specialty of the day – the Jāņu cheese. Get to know about its origins and meaning here, and feel tempted to enjoy Midsummer in the countryside!
