The Northern Vidzeme Milk Tour

The craftsman represents the fifth generation of the oldest dynasty of Latvian barrel makers. The family began such work in the early 19^th century, and he is continuing on with traditions related to barrels that are made of oak and ash. He will talk about the various aspects of making a barrel, and you will be able to watch him at work. The craftsman produces barrels, wooden tubs, scoops for saunas, etc. You can order and purchase these items.

This is on the north-western shore of Lake Lielezers of Limbaži, at the start of the Lielezers nature trail. The tower opens up a view of the lake and its lovely shores. It is worth walking the trail, which is several kilometres long, because it is an interesting one. This is part of the ZBR.

The creamery or clock tower (so known because a clock was installed in the round roof window of the structure) is near the gate to the Naukšēni Estate.  The eight-corner brick building has a domed roof that is covered with tin.  The clock tower has two floors.  The second is easily ventilated because of small windows on all sides of the building.  The creamery is seen in a picture drawn by J.K. Brotze around 1800.  It suggests that the building has not lost its initial shape even today.  The tower deteriorated during the Soviet era, when a barn was attached to it and a large gate opening was broken into it.  In 2002, the tower was renovated (architect Inese Maurāne).  The interior preserves the historical brick floor and the stairs to the second floor.  Historical objects are displayed in the creamery, and today it is one of the main tourist attractions for the Naukšēni Estate.

This workshop is in a lovely location, and you can commission and purchase interesting artworks made of various materials such as stone, glass and metal. The craftsman will demonstrate his work with glass and stone, also allowing you to take part in creative activities.

The history of Cēsis begins at the Riekstu hill, which is 18 m high and the surrounding area.  There was a wooden castle built by the Vendian tribe that stood there from the 11th to the 13th century.  The hill is in the central part of the castle’s park, and it offers a fine view of the park, a pond and the ruins of the Cēsis Castle.  A long staircase leads to the hill.  The Cēsis Castle was built in the early 13th century as the residence of masters of the Livonian Order, and it was one of the most fortified forts in the Baltic region.  Alongside is the New Cēsis Castle, which was built in 1777 in a place where gate fortifications had been before.  The building houses the Cēsis Museum of History and Art, and an annex contains the Castle Visitor Centre and the Cēsis Tourism Information Centre.  From the tower of the castle, we get a good view of the castle ruins, St John’s Lutheran Church and the northern stretches of the city.  Opposite the new castle is the stable of the Cēsis Castle Estate and a wheelhouse (both from the first half of the 19th century).  Today these house the Cēsis Exhibition Hall.  Other buildings include a granary, a hut for coachmen and an old brewery.  On the other side of the street is the romantic May park, which was installed during the 1830s.  Streets in Cēsis include Lielā Katrīna, Mazā Katrīna, Mazā Kalēju, Kalēju and Lielā Līvu streets and Līvu square with wooden buildings from the late 18th and early 19th century.  Torņa Street stretches along the walls of the Medieval castle.  Outside the church is a sculpture, “As the Centuries Pass By,” and legend has it that anyone who rubs the lantern of the Old Time Man can see the future.  One of the most impressive buildings in Cēsis is St John’s Lutheran Church, which was built in the late 13th century by the Livonian Order.  The Roman-style three-segment basilica has elements of Gothic design and a 65 m steeple that was installed in 1853.  The building was reconstructed several times during the 20th century and contains grave plaques relates to masters of the Livonian Order and local bishops.  The pulpit dates back to 1748, the oak altar was manufactured in 1858, and the altar painting “Crucified One” was painted in 1862.  The windows of the altar part of the church contain artistically valuable stained glass.  The organ was manufactured in 1907 by the E.F. Walker firm, and it is one of the best concert organs in Latvia.  The solar clock with the number 1744 is in the south-wester corner of the church.  It is worth scaling the viewing tower of the church.  At its foot is Rose Square, which was a market square from the mid-13th century until 1927 and was restored in 2008.  This is the central square in the city.  During the Middle Ages, a punishment pole and the city well were here.  Rīgas Street has been the main street in the old part of the city from the very start, and here we find most of the architecturally distinguished buildings from the 18th and 19th century – the former city hall, the Fābers house and the Princess house.  At one end of the street is Liv Square, where there a church, cemetery and the Rīga gate in the city’s walls existed in the 13th century.  Today the square is decorated by a lighted fountain at a place where a well was found in the 13th century.  On the other end of the street we find a reconstruction of the foundations of the Rauna gate from the 14th and 15th century, offering a good look at Medieval walls and the size and strength of the gates.  It is commonly claimed that the national flag of Latvia was born in Cēsis, but it must be emphasised that the flag that is mentioned in chronicles was designed in Cēsis in 1279 as the ideological prototype of the current Latvian flag, while the story of the first national flag actually comes from Valmiera, where it was sewn in 1916.

„Limbažu sieram” ir vairāk nekā 90 gadus ilga pieredze piena pārstrādes jomā. Siera ražošanas procesā tiek izmantots tikai vietējais piens – no Vidzemes zemniekiem, bet tehnoloģiskās iekārtas ir atvestas no Šveices. 95 % no saražotās produkcijas tiek eksportēta uz ārzemēm. Blakus uzņēmumam iepretim Limbažu pilsdrupām ir veikaliņš, kurā var iegādāties produkciju.

„Smiltenes piens” lepojas ar vairāk kā 100 gadus ilgu vēsturi. Šobrīd uzņēmums ir trešais lielākais siera ražotājs un sestais lielākais piena pārstrādes uzņēmums Latvijā. Sadarbojas ar ~ 150 kvalitatīva Latvijas piena piegādātājiem. „Smiltenes piens” ir vienīgais, kur ražo „Latvijas sieru”. Uzņēmuma produkti ieguvuši „Zaļo karotīti”. Produkciju eksportē uz 5 pasaules valstīm. Produktus var iegādāties „Smiltenes piena” veikalā Smiltenē, kas atrodas netālu no uzņēmuma.

Oleru muižas vietas aizsākumi meklējami 16. gadsimtā, 17. gadsimtā te saimniekoja fon Engelhartu dzimta un no 1836. gada – fon Krīdeneru dzimta. Sākotnēji muižas apbūvi veidoja no koka celta kungu māja un saimniecības ēkas. Jaunu muižas centru uzcēla 18. gs. beigās agrīnā klasicisma stilā. Pēc agrārās reformas muižas dzīvojamā ēkā izvietoja pamatskolu. Oleru muižas kungu ēka cieta ugunsgrēkā 2000. g., taču pēc ugunsnelaimes tika uzsākta tās atjaunošana, kurā liels ieguldījums bija un joprojām ir biedrībai „Oleru muiža”. Kungu māja pazīstama ar agrā klasicisma sienu gleznojumiem, no kuriem unikāla ir t.s. „Medaljonu telpa”. Kungu māju ieskauj romantisks ainavu parks. Oleru muiža pazīstama ar kamermūzikas koncertiem. Netālu no muižas atrodas Oleru purvs ar laipu un skatu tornīti.

Apmeklējums iepriekš jāpiesaka!

Kafejnīca "Kukaburra" atrodas Rīgas - Veclaicenes šosejas (A2) 115. km. Iespējams apskatīt maizes muzeju un piedalīties maizes cepšanā, kas notiek katru nedēļas nogali. Latvisks interjers, mājražotāju un zemnieku produkti.

Bīriņu muižas komplekss un parks veidots 18.-19. gs. 1860. gadā celtajā Bīriņu pilī atrodas viesnīca, kā arī restorāns. Tāpat tiek piedāvātas telpas pasākumiem un semināriem. Pili ieskauj parka takas un vairākas saglabājušās saimniecības ēkas, kā Ūdensdzirnavas, Ūdenstornis un staļļi, kas katru dienu pieejami apskatei.

Pils restorāns ir atvērts katru dienu, un tā ēdienkartē iekļauti gan eiropeiski, gan latviski ēdieni. Tajos tiek izmantota arī rupjmaize, pasniedzot tādus ēdienus kā, piemēram, rupjmaizes kārtojums.

Siera ražotne Raunā ir Ceriņu ģimenes uzņēmums, kas nu jau 10 gadus pircējiem piedāvā 23 kvalitatīvus un augstvērtīgus produktus – sierus, sviestu un makaronus. Iecienītākais ražotnē tapušais produkts ir „Zaļais siers”, kura viena no galvenajām sastāvdaļām – sierāboliņš – tiek audzēts pašu dārzā. Sierāboliņš ir viengadīga kultūra – pieclapu āboliņš ar ziliem ziediņiem. Kamēr jaunie dzinumi ir mīksti, tos novāc un kaltē ar malku kurināmā žāvētavā. Pēc izkaltēšanas sierāboliņu samaļ, izsijā un pievieno olbaltumvielu masai, ko plānā kārtā saber īpaši izgatavotās koka kastēs un žāvē. Pēc sierāboliņa pievienošanas produkts iegūst raksturīgo Zaļā siera garšu, krāsu un smaržu. Ar iepriekšēju pieteikšanos grupām (virs 10 pers.) ir iespēja apskatīt ražotni un iepazīties ar produktu ražošanas procesu.

Raunas pilsdrupās (pils celtniecību uzsāka 1262. g un tā bija viena no galvenajām arhibīskapa rezidencēm) mūsdienās izveidots skatu tornis, no kura redzami iespaidīgie pils mūri, kādreizējā viduslaiku pilsētas vieta un Raunas centrs. Torņa atslēgas meklējamas Raunas tūrisma informācijas centrā.

Jauna saimniecība, kas ražo sierus un gaida apmeklētāju grupas. Ekskursanti var piedalīties siera siešanas procesā, degustēt sieru un iegādāties to. „Lejnieki” ieguvuši Valkas novada sakoptākās ražojošās zemnieku saimniecības balvu.