Lauku labumi Vidzemē

„Rakšu” brīvdabas ZOO var redzēt vairāk kā 100 dzīvniekus – kamieļus, lamas, alpakas, Valē melnkakla kazas, Valē melndeguna aitas, Poitou ēzeļus un trusīšu ģimenes. Piedāvā veselīgo kamieļu piena pankūku degustāciju, pārgājienus ar lamām, izjādi ar kamieli, braucienu ēzeļa pajūgā, kā arī citas aktīvas izklaides. Maziem bērniem ir elektroauto parks, lielākiem - velokarti, ir arī spilvenbatuts un piknika vietas. Darbojas kafejnīca un suvenīru veikaliņš. 

Rakšos ir arī konceptviesnīca ar 12 dažādiem numuriņiem. Daļa no tiem iekārtoti marokāņu stilā, jo Maroka ir kamieļu dzimtene, savukārt daļa ir iekārtoti peruāņu stilā, jo Peru ir lamu un alpaku dzimtene. Katra numura interjers ir atšķirīgs. Viesnīca ir paredzēta tiem, kas vēlas pārnakšņot dabiskā  vidē un baudīt sajūtas, ko sniedz dabas un dzīvnieku klātbūtne. 

Darba kārtībā saglabājušās 19. gs. Latvijas mašīnfabrikā „Šūberts Rudzīts & b-dri” ražotā vilnas plucināmā un kāršamā iekārta, Vācijā ražota unikāla vērpšanas iekārta un graudu malšanas dzirnavas. Izsekojama vilnas pārstrādes gaita uz 100 gadus senām iekārtām, kur darina segas un spilvenus, kas pildīti ar aitas vilnas polsterējumu (roku darbs) un suvenīrus, ko var pasūtīt un iegādāties. Piedāvā ekskursijas, cep maizi.

“Veselības laboratorija” ir pašmāju stipro alkoholu ražotāji, kur tiek koptas Latvijas svētku tradīcijas, tautas medicīna un zināšanas, kas mantotas, apkopotas un pilnveidotas vairāk kā 30 gadu ilgā praksē. Klientiem tiek piedāvāti ne tikai augstākās kvalitātes produkti, bet arī nodrošināts niansēts un perfekts uzlējums ar bagātīgu garšas buķeti. Uzlējumi tiek gatavoti tikai no Latvijas biosistēmā iegūtām pavasara, vasaras un rudens ogām, aptverot  katra gadalaika, vitamīnu, krāsu un aromātu kombinācijas.
Piedāvā ekskursiju, kuras laikā iespēja apmeklēt ražotni, iepazīties ar “Veselības laboratorijas” vēsturi un pirmsākumu idejām. Iespēja paraudzīties, kā un kur tiek nostādināti un nogatavināti produkti. Ekskursijas laikā iespēja degustēt produkciju!

Kalēja darbnīcā apskatāmi darbi – lukturi, svečturi, eņģes, kamīna rīki, kāpņu margas, vārti, kā arī eksponāti no 18. gs. Skolēnu un tūristu grupām piedāvā ekskursiju un stāstu par senlietām un kalēju darbu. Apmeklētāji var paši izkalt naglu. Jauno pāru „pārbaudes” pie kalēja un sava laimes pakava kalšana. Pieņem pasūtījumus.

Laugas purvā pirmoreiz Latvijā (1992.g.) sāka audzēt lielogu dzērvenes. Šobrīd te zeļ 6 Latvijā izveidotas dzērveņu šķirnes, t.sk. dižbrūklene - Amerikas lielogu dzērvenes un Latvijas brūklenes krustojums. Piedāvā lekcijas, konsultācijas, ekskursiju pa Laugas purvu, dzērveņu un to pārstrādes produktu un ražojošu dzērveņu velēnu iegādi.

Tourists can learn about the history of the estate and the brewing of beer, beginning with raw materials and ending with finished products. The visit is enriched by tastings of live beer and stories about Latvia’s traditional holiday beverage. Alongside the brewery is a store which sells live beer, homemade goodies and selected souvenirs.

The “Valmiermuižas alus virtuve” saloon popularises Latvian beers and uses beer in various dishes. A modern approach to homemade products is used to prepare foods and beer-based snacks. There is a beer garden during the summer, and the saloon merges traditional things with modern ones.

Latvian cuisine: Smoked pork, filet of pike from Lake Burtnieks, green pea mash, with loganberries, quince, pumpkin birch juice and mushroom sauce as accompaniments.

Special foods: Slice of pork marinated in unfiltered winter beer.

The owner of the farm offers attractive tours during which you will learn about chinchillas, animal enclosures, as well as quails which you can view and purchase.

This family company offers high-quality and traditional beekeeping products in the Gauja National Park. There are some 110 hives of bees, and the products include honey, pollen, bee bread, wax and propolis. The owners also produce new and unprecedented products which satisfy the demand of clients for something that is unusual, but healthy. You can take a tour and purchase honey.

This farm has the widest range of pumpkins in Latvia – as many as 80 different types. The owner will talk about how pumpkins are grown and how important they are for healthy nutrition. She offers products under the “Lucky Pumpkin” brand name – candies, nectar, mashed pumpkins, marinated pumpkins and marmalades. During the autumn there is an impressive exhibition of the various types of pumpkins.

The farm produces candies, marmalades, syrups and other goodies from quince. During the season, chicken eggs can be purchased. The farm has bred wild horses since 2002, and these can be viewed with the assistance of a guide.

The owner of the guesthouse produces homemade wine from blackberries, black currants, lingonberries, oak leaves, birch sap, strawberries, gooseberries, apples, cranberries, cowslip, and 20 other raw materials. You can taste the wines, learn about how it is produced, and purchase some to take along with you.

The spoon workshop offers useful objects such as wooden spoons, cutting boards, butter knives, pans, spatulas, etc. You can produce your own wooden spoon and look at finished spoons made of more than 17 different types of wood from Latvia. During the summer the owners offer “pancake tours” with tasty jams. You can purchase spoons and homemade wine.

Open-air functional exhibition of medicinal plants introduces you to a “green pharmacy”. There are more than 300 different plants. Every healthy lifestyle enthusiast can find the secrets of fitotherapy and learn how to use the plants in many different ways – making sauna besoms, aromatic pillows, healthy teas, bath scrubs etc.
Facilities: excursion through medicinal plant garden and collection, tasting of green cocktails.

Abuls is one of the most experienced cider makers in Latvia. They craft artisanal cider near Smiltene, in Northern Vidzeme.

Our Story 
Cider making began in 2000, with passionate experimentation using local apples each year. Later, inspiration was drawn from visiting cider regions in Normandy, Asturias, Somerset, and the Basque Country. Since 2018, cider has been made in a newly built cider cellar near an orchard, at the very source of the Abuls River.

Apples
The cider orchard hosts about 400 apple trees - some are special English cider apples, local wild apples, paradise apples, and local late autumn apple varieties. True apple varieties are also sought on expeditions in Latvian nature - in forest edges, ditches, and abandoned gardens.

Ciders
The ciders are crafted using white wine-making techniques, which help preserve the freshness and local apple aroma as much as possible. All Abuls ciders are handmade. The cider is also fermented using the wild yeasts found on apple skins, which adds a natural sweetness of apple juice.

For Visitors 
The offer includes a tour of the cidery and orchard, a tasting of all available ciders, stories about cider culture, and the cider-making process.

Where to Buy 
The cider is available in bottles and on tap in kegs. Abuls ciders can be purchased in bars, cafes, and stores, as well as in markets and festivals, at the Abuls cider cellar, and online at the e-shop bode.abuls.lv.

В красивой построенной в сельской среде мастерской можно приобрести и заказать интересные работы, в которых объединены разные материалы - камень, стекло и металл. Можно договориться о демонстрационных работах ремесленников со стеклом и камнем, а также самым поучаствовать в творчестве.