This is the home of singer and oral tradition keeper Lidija Jansone, who is a holder of the Latvian Order of Tree Stars and a fierce defender of the cultural heritage of the Suiti people.  She will tell you about her community’s history and traditions and about the special bourdon singing of the Suiti.  Lidija will also talk about how beer was once brewed by our ancestors for various celebrations.

Eine der eindrucksvollen Reliefgestaltungen im Baltikum. Bei Sigulda erreicht das Urstromtal eine maximale Tiefe von 85 m ( Breite ung. 1 km). Schöne Sandsteinaufschlüsse aus dem Devon ist ein Anziehungspunkt.

Atrodas t.s. Baznīcu kalnā – 18. novembra ielā 66. Apjoma ziņā – lielākais Daugavpils luterāņu dievnams, kuru cēla laikā no 1891. - 1893. g. neogotiskā stilā no sarkanajiem ķieģeļiem (arhitekts Vilhelms Neimanis). 1941. g. baznīcā izcēlās ugunsgrēks un gāja bojā lielākā daļa no tās sākotnējās iekārtas. Turpmāko divu gadu laikā baznīcu daļēji atjaunoja, taču vēlāk tajā izveidoja noliktavu u.c. baznīcai „nepiederīgas” iestādes. 1985. g. ēka vēlreiz cieta ugunsgrēkā. Pagājušā gadsimta deviņdesmito gadu sākumā uzsāka baznīcas atjaunošanas darbus, uzstādīja solus un altāri, kas ir Ogres Amatniecības vidusskolas audzēkņu darinājums.

Cēsis is in the centre of the Gauja National Park, but it is not part of the park as such. There are many interesting places in Cēsis to visit and examine. The oldest part of the town is of key interest. The origins of Cēsis can be found at Riekstu hill, which is 18 metres high. Between the 11th and 13th century, there was a wooden castle here built by the Vendians. The hill is in the central part of the castle park, and it offers a good view of the park, pond and the ruins of the Cēsis castle, which can be accessed via a long cascade of stairs. The Cēsis castle (see below) was built in the early 13th century as a residence for masters of the Livonian Order, and it was one of the strongest fortresses in the Baltic territories. Alongside it is the New Cēsis castle, which was built in 1777 where the gate fortifications once stood. The Cēsis Museum of History and Art is in the building, alongside which is a visitors centre and the Cēsis Tourism Information Centre. From the tower of the castle, there is a fine view of the castle ruins, St John's Lutheran church and the northern part of the town. Opposite the New Cēsis castle are stables and a wheelhouse (both from the first half of the 19th century). The Cēsis Exhibition Hall is there today. You can look at the exteriors of the granary, the hut for coachmen, and the old brewery. On the other side of the street is the romantic Maija park, which was installed in the 1830s. The park is popular among parents with children, because there is a playground there. From this area, you can walk down some of the old streets of the town – Lielās Katrīnas, Mazās Katrīnas, Mazā Kalēju, Kalēju and Lielā Līvu streets, plus Līvu Square. The wooden buildings along the streets date back to the late 18th and early 19th century. Torņa Street, which weaves its way along the defensive walls of the Medieval castle, offers a look outside the church of a sculpture by Matiass Jansons, "As the Centuries Pass". Legend says that if you rub the lantern carred by the Old Man of Time, you 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 for the Livonian Order. It is a basilica built in the Roman style and with Gothic elements. The tower, which is 65 m high, was built in 1853. The building was reconstructed several times during the 20th century. Inside the building are grave epitaphs for masters of the Livonian Order and for bishops. The pulpit was installed in 1748, the oak altar followed in 1858, and the altar painting "The Crucified One" dates back to 1862. The stained glass windows around the altar are of great artistic value. The organ was built in 1907 by the E.F. Walker Company, and the instrument is one of the best concert organs in Latvia. A sun clock featuring the year 1744 is at the south-western corner of the church. It is worth climbing the church's tower. At the foot of the building is Rose Square, which began as a market square in the mid-19th century, remained in place until 1927, and was restored in 2008. This is the central square in the town today. During the Medieval Era, there were stockades here, along with the city's well. Rīgas Street has been the main street of the old town from the very beginning, and it is here that you will find the most architecturally outstanding buildings in town from the 18th and 19th centuries. They include the former Cēsis City Hall, the Fābers building, and the Princess building. At one end of the street is Līvu Square, where, during the 13th century, there was a church, a cemetery and a gate in the town walls. Today the square features a lighted fountain which is on the site of a 13th century well known as Lejas Šķimbēgs. At the other end of the street is a reconstruction of the foundations and surface elements of the Rauna gate that was a part of the town walls in the 14th and 15th centuries. The site offers a good idea about Medieval fortifications and the size and mightiness of gates therein.

Is an ancient Courlandian castle hill and is found in the very centre of Alsunga.  It was named in 1659 when General Berg from Kurzeme put cannons on it to attack Swedish forces that had fortified themselves in the Alsunga castle.  The hill is 8 to 10 metres high and 24 x 54 metres wide, offering a lovely view of the St Michael Roman Catholic Church, as well as the Alsunga windmill lake that is alongside it.  There is a distinct terrace around the hill, and it once was the foundation of wooden defensive structures.  On the other side of the street, to the West of the castle hill, is a cemetery with fire graves of Courlandians that date back to the 11th to 13th century.  Archaeologists examined the area during the middle part of the last century.  The Suiti celebrate Easter and other holidays on the hill.  

Ancient trade routes distributed not just products, but also knowledge, culture and everything that was new and unknown.  Pastor Ernest Glück, for instance, may have already started work on a translation of the Bible into Latvian when he travelled from the Daugavgrīva fortress near Rīga to Alūksne.  There he finished his masterpiece and planted two oak trees alongside the manse that are still there.  Glück also established the first school in Vidzeme for Latvian children.  He was a pastor, translator, author and teacher.  Thanks to him, the Hernhutian movement of brethren flourished in Vidzeme after the Great Northern War.  It directed spiritual and political development and brought Latvians closer to their national awakening.

Of great importance in the Path of Light is Piebalga, which became very important in terms of culture in Latvia.  Culture, science and even politics took on new meaning and sounds.  This is where Kārlis Skalbe, the Kaudzītes brothers, Jānis Poruks, Antons Austriņš and other major figures from the national awakening lived and worked.  The very spiritual aura in this place has not disappeared to this very day.

The fantastic Cesvaine castle has been renovated, and the narrow-gauge railroad between Gulbene and Alūksne is still rolling alone.  The ruins of the Marienburg castle in Alūksne conjure up visions of the hidden wealth of the Order of Templates and the young woman who was bricked into the castle’s walls.  No less intriguing is the story of Marta Skovronsky, who would rise to become Empress Catherine the Great of Russia.

The Madona Regional Research and Art Museum offers a look at the past and present, while the Ate windmill at Kancempji offers a look at more than 4,000 unique items from the history of our countryside, complete with buildings that are more than 100 years old.

The Zasa park is an estate park that is on the shores of the little Zasa River near the Zasa millpond (toward the North of Zasa). The landscape park dates back to the 18^th century and is in the style of Romanticism. The park was installed when the mansion of the Zasa Estate was built. It was owned by Heinrich von Zass, after whom the Zasulauks neighbourhood of Rīga is named. When ownership of the estate changed in the 19^th century, the Zasa Estate was seen as one of the wealthiest and most beautiful estates in the region. It is worth hiking through the vast park with its many bridges, the Werewolf tree, the Devil’s rock and a sacred stream. There are guides who will accompany you on a tour of the park. +371-2633-7227.

The castle was commissioned by Baron Alexander von Fittinghof and built between 1859 and 1863 in the late Tudor Neo-Gothic style.  It is one of the most important monuments to this style in Latvia and has an ornate limestone façade.  The 7th Sigulda Infantry Brigade was housed in the castle from 1921 until 1940.  Today it is home to the Alūksne Museum with a permanent exhibition and an “environmental labyrinth.”  One of the most unusual exhibits is a set of fluorescent minerals that can be viewed under lights with various spectrums.

Tas atrodas pie „Burtnieku” mājām Īlē, kur viņš dzīvojis no 1837. – 1845. gadam. Tēvs Juris Barons apglabāts Īles kapsētā. Savu vārdu nemirstīgu Krišjānis Barons darījis, vācot, sistematizējot un sastādot Latvju Dainu krājumu. Tautasdziesmas jeb dainas ir mazi, ritmiski dzejolīši, parasti četrrindes. Pie Latvju dainu vākšanas Barons pavadījis sava mūža lielāko daļu – apmēram 25 gadus gandrīz dienu pie dienas.

This park is in an area which has not been affected much by humankind – sandstone cliffs, an undisturbed diversity of caves, other habitats, species and landscapes is the attractive aspect of this area. The Salaca River is one of the most important rivers in the Baltic Sea region for the spawning of salmon, and it is the second most popular river for water tourists in the Latvian region of Vidzeme. There are geological monuments which are very attractive to visitors – the Red cliffs, Skaņais Hill, the Neļķu cliff, the Velna (Devil’s) cave, etc. There are also cultural monuments such as the Livonian castle hill, the Vecsalaca baronial estate, the Livonian Museum, the Vantenberģi estate, the unique Salaca lamprey weirs, etc. Also in the park is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Northern Vidzeme – the Skaņākalna park, which has a dense network of footpaths. The Salaca is also popular among fishermen. This is part of the Northern Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve.