Destination Management Company
TOURS IN LATVIA
1. Half day tours in Riga & surroundings.
Riga City sightseeing tour
Duration: 3 h
A combined tour by bus (~1 h) + walking tour in the Old Town (~2 h)
Views from the bus:
the unique Boulevard Semi-Circle, the Russian Orthodox Church, the Academy of Arts, the
charming district of Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) buildings, the Monument of Liberty, the
University of Latvia .
The walking tour in the medieval Old Town of Riga will lead you down the
cobbled stone streets highlighting the most beautiful places of this ancient city:
Riga Castle, the Dome Square and Dome Cathedral, St. Peter's Church, the Town Hall
Square and the House of Blackheads , the Great and Small Guild Halls, Liivs’ Square and
the Great and the Small Guild Halls, Three Brothers – the architectural complex of the 15th and 17th centuries, Swedish Gates.
Suggested visits:

Dome Cathedral + Dome cloister.

St. Peter’s Church Tower from which you can enjoy bird’s eye view over the medieval Old Town
A walking tour in the Old Town of Riga
Duration: 2 h
The tour will lead through the medieval Old Town of Riga highlighting the most
impressive sights and historical events of this ancient city.
During the tour you are invited to visit the St. Peter’s Church Tower to enjoy a
bird’s eye-view over the Old Town, as well as to visit Riga Dome Cathedral.
Suggested visits:

Dome Cathedral + Dome cloister.

St. Peter’s Church Tower from which you can enjoy bird’s eye view over the
medieval Old Town
A visit to Menzendorf’s House
Duration: ~1 hour
The Menzendorf’s House is located in the very heart of the Old Town of Riga.
It brings you in a cosy atmosphere of the 17 th –18 th century dwelling house of
wealthy Riga merchant. The Museum is named after the last family who lived in this
house – the Mentzendorffs.
Magnificent and original wall and ceiling paintings dating back to the 17th and
18th centuries are the basis of the exposition. A fine selection of interior objects from
the Riga Museum of History and Navigation conforms to these colorful visions of the
past. You will visit a shop room, a kitchen with a unique mantel-chimney, a saloon, a
dancing hall, a “Poet's room”, a family chapel, premises of the owner of the house, a
“Young girl's room”. As well as, explore the vaults of the historical cellar, and enjoy
exhibition up in the attic exhibition hall.
The collection of the museum contains more than 2000 units – witnesses of the bygone times.
In the 17 th cent. the house belonged to a glazier Jürgen Helm and now the Mentzendorff's House is a home for a Glass Art
and Study Centre where any visitor can watch glass transforming into a piece of art or become a glass artist him/herself
arranging it in advance.
Suggested options:

for smaller groups of 10-30 persons it is possible to offer tea and pancakes fried on the 18 th century oven
during the visit.

Making of small glass souvenirs in the museum’s glass workshop; up to 10-15 persons at the time.
30-38, Tomsona Street, LV -1013,Riga, Latvia I Phone. + 371 6 7374975 .
Fax.+ 371 6 7374976 I info@touchandtravel.lv I
Destination Management Company
Opera Backstage Tour
Duration: ~ 0.40-1 hour
The Latvian National Opera House is located in the Riga City centre close to the
Old Town. The building of the opera house was designed by L. Bonschet and built in the
1860. After renovation, it is one of the most beautiful and luxurious opera houses in the
Eastern and Northern Europe. The tour will lead you behind the stage where a general
opera visitor does not have a chance to go. Explore the backstage and learn about the
history and most famous singers of this luxurious building.
It is advised to unite the opera backstage tour with an evening opera or ballet
performance.
Riga Art Nouveau Museum
Riga Art Nouveau Museum was opened on April 23rd, 2009. It is located in the apartment
where the outstanding Latvian architect Konstantīns Pēkšēns (1859 – 1928) lived until
1907.
The authentic interior of 1903 has been renovated in the museum. Renovation works were
done from 2008 to 2009. The current display of the museum shows the characteristic
furnishings of an apartment of a Riga inhabitant in the beginning of the 20th century.
The building is notable for its extremely powerful dimensions and expressive silhouette.
The ornamental reliefs, craftily incorporated in the architectonic shape, feature stylized
motifs from the local flora and fauna – fir needles and cones and squirrels. The building
has a spiral staircase with ornamental ceiling paintings, quite possibly sketched by the
prominent Latvian artist Janis Rozentāls. This Art Nouveau staircase is among the most impressive not only in Riga but also the
whole of Europe.
A visit to the Latvian Occupation Museum
Duration: ~1 hour
The Museum's goal is to portray life during the three occupation periods suffered
by Latvia and Latvians. The items of the exhibition tell about Latvia during the fifty+ yearlong subjugation: about power politics, about Soviet and Nazi terror, about the
destruction of Latvia's economy, about Soviet and Nazi totalitarian ideologies, about the
opposition to the regimes, and finally how Latvians regained their freedom in 1991.
The first section of the exhibit documents the events that led to Latvia's
occupation: Soviet and Nazi pact, finalized on 23 August 1939, by Molotov and
Ribbentrop, which divided East Europe into Soviet and Nazi spheres of influence.
Further on, the Museum visitors follow the events of the first Soviet occupation (1940-1941), then Nazi occupation period (19411944/45), and the second Soviet occupation (1944/45-1991). The exhibit concludes with documentation of the people's struggle
to renew their independence in the late 1980s and the reclaiming of sovereignty in 1991.
Tribute is paid also to Latvians living outside Latvia during the occupation (during World War Two approximately 200
000 Latvians fled West to escape the terror of renewed Soviet regime of which approximately 120 000 remained there), their
cultural life and their contribution to the struggle for a renewed independent Latvia.
A visit to the Latvian State Art Museum
Duration: ~1.5 hours
The Latvian State Art Museum holds over 52 000 items of Latvian and Baltic art
treasures . Its constant exhibition introduces with the Latvian art history and the greatest
Latvian artists starting from the 18th century till nowadays. You will find paintings of J.
Rozentals, V. Purvits, S. Vidbergs, J. Kazaks and many others.
The museum is located in the Riga City centre at a distance of 10-15 min walk
from the Old Town.
A tour to the Latvian Ethnography Open-air Museum
30-38, Tomsona Street, LV -1013,Riga, Latvia I Phone. + 371 6 7374975 .
Fax.+ 371 6 7374976 I info@touchandtravel.lv I
Destination Management Company
Duration: 3-4 hours
the tour includes bus/car transfer to and back from the museum
The Museum is located on the banks of the picturesque Lake Jugla surrounded
by pine forests, at a distance of 25 minutes' drive from the Riga City centre. Latvian
Ethnography Open-air Museum is one of the oldest open-air museums in Riga (opened in
1924). It contains about 100 authentic wooden houses, farmsteads, windmills, wooden
churches, and fishing villages that have been brought from all regions of Latvia and that
represent rural life in Latvia in the 16th – 19th century. A professional guide will also
introduce your into the Latvian traditional applied arts and ornaments, Latvian folk
traditions and pagan beliefs.
Suggested options:

Lunch / dinner at Sila Krogs (Pines’ Forest Inn) with Latvian folk show

A visit to seasonal celebrations at the museums: Midsummer, Easter, Winter Solstice

A visit to the annual traditional arts and crafts fair in the first weekend of June
30-38, Tomsona Street, LV -1013,Riga, Latvia I Phone. + 371 6 7374975 .
Fax.+ 371 6 7374976 I info@touchandtravel.lv I
Destination Management Company
A Tour to Jurmala, legendary Latvia’s resort town
Duration: 3-4 hours
A combined tour by bus/car and walking tour
Jurmala is located just 25 km from Riga. It is a summer resort-town that has
formed of numerous fishing villages and is famous for its charming wooden cottages dating
back to the 1890-s, pine forests, the calm River Lielupe, vigorous air and kilometres long
golden sand beaches.
The tour leads through the villages of Jurmala along the wooden summer cottages
and beautifully renovated rich houses. You will stop in Majori, the heart of the town for a
walk along the Jomas street, the liveliest street of Jurmala passing by along small coffeebars, restaurants of all kind of cuisines and small souvenir shops. The street ends at the
Dzintari Concert Hall and the beach of the Gulf of Riga. Enjoy a relaxing walk along the
beach, the rustle of the sea waves and wind.
Suggested options:

A visit to Jurmala history museum

A visit to Jurmala Open-air museum that holds exhibition of old fishermen’s buildings and offers picnic with
fresh smoked fish & local beer.
A Tour to the Old Car Museum
Duration: about 3 hours
the tour includes bus/car transfer to and back from the museum
Open: Mon 10:00-15:00, Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00
The museum exposes a unique collection of old cars from one of the first
motorcar’s produced by Daimler-Benz in 1886 and old Roll’s Royces to cars p roduced in
Latvia and Soviet limousines. The museum is especially famous for the Stalin’s armoured
Tchaika (with Stalin himself inside) and a wax figure of Brezhnev at his crashed Zil. Some of
the other famous exhibits are: a Khrushchev's car, Brezhnev's 1965 Rolls Royce Silver
Shadow - a handsome gift from President Richard Nixon) and other.
Suggested option:

Exclusive transfer to the museum in ancient cars
2. Full day tours from Riga
A Tour to Jurmala and the medieval Jaunpils Castle with medieval lunch!
Duration: ~ 7 hours
A tour by bus
Jurmala is Latvia’s summer resort town located by the Gulf of Riga just 25 km
from the capital. The town boasts kilometers long white sand beaches, green pine forests
and charming wooden cottages built at the end of the 19 th and in the beginning of the 20th
centuries. The tour will lead along the cottage areas and stop for a walk at the beach.
Further the tour continues through the countryside of Latvia to the medieval
Jaunpils Castle. It is one of the best-preserved castles in Latvia with medieval charm and
mysteriousness. The castle was started in 1301 by a Livonian master Gotfhried von Roga. It
is a typical knight’s castle built in Romanic style and from three sides surrounded by water
with only one entrance by land. They say it that preservation of the castle was possible only
thanks to the good castle ghost, one of its former owners Mathias von Reke, who received
the castle from the Polish king for his heroic spirit against Swedish King Karl IX, and even
after his death he is faithfully serving his castle. Up till now …
After your arrival in Jaunpils Castle you will be taken to romantic travel in the past
with “calm” brother Theodor, brisk Hilda and Castle love song singer. During the travel
minnesinger is singing Dante sonnets, every visitor gives knight oath, tries hand in weapon
management art and in using women protective equipment. In wine cellar in honor of the
new knight guests drain wine goblets. In vigorous atmosphere together with the castle
30-38, Tomsona Street, LV -1013,Riga, Latvia I Phone. + 371 6 7374975 .
Fax.+ 371 6 7374976 I info@touchandtravel.lv I
Destination Management Company
monk and Hilda guests discover the secrets of the castle, church and mill and in the end - in honor of guests – shot of cannon.
Suggested options:
•The guests who arrive to castle may be welcomed by a salute of a canon and joyful castle dwellers: the calm Brother
Theodor, brisk Hilde will lead a theatralized tour in the castle and its surroundings, including tasting of castle wine.
•After the tour you are welcomed to enjoy medieval feast at cellar hall of the the Jaunpils Castle
Full Day tour to Rundale Palace, Mezotne Palace & Bauska Castle.
Duration: ~ 8 hours
A tour by bus
Rundale Palace
Rundale Palace is Latvia’s version of Versailles Sans Soucis and a pearl of
Baroque architecture in the Baltics. It is located just 76 km from Riga surrounded by
plains and forests of Zemgale (the southern region of Latvia). The palace was built in the
18th century for Ernst Johan von Biron, the Duke of Courland. It was designed by the
famous Russian Court architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli, who has also designed the Winter
Palace in St. Petersburg.
Today this place is subtly restored and 40 of its more than 100 rooms and halls
with original interior and furniture are opened for visitors in all their splendour.
A French park that surrounds the palace also designed by F.B.Rastrelli lies in the
southern part of the palace territory. It is newly made according to the original design of the 18th century.
Suggested options:

A welcome drink upon arrival

A theatrilazed tour in the palace leaded by guides dressed in Baroque costumes

A private virginal music concert at one of the halls of the palace

Lunch / dinner at the restaurant of the palace.
Mezotne Palace
Only 10 km from Rundale stands the charming Mezotne Palace. The history of
the palace dates back to the 17th century to the age of the legendary Duke Jacob. Later
in 1775 the Russian empress Catherine II gave the palace to the governess of her
grandchildren, Scharlotte von Liewen. The currant look the palace got in the beginning of
the 19th century. Shaped in the style of Classicism, its interior was outstandingly modern
at the time.
Today the palace is subtly renovated and is used as a museum and a place for small
meetings and luxurious venues.
Suggested options:

Lunch / dinner at the restaurant or banquet halls of the palace
Bauska Castle
is a complex consisting of the ruins of an earlier castle and a later palace on the
outskirts of the Latvian city of Bauska.
The impressive castle, the remains of which were recently restored, stands on the narrow
peninsula at the confluence of the rivers Mūsa and Mēmele where they form the Lielupe
river. In ancient times, the hill was the site of an ancient Semigallian fortress. The first
stone buildings were established between 1443 and 1456 by the Livonian branch of the
Teutonic Knights and construction continued till the end of the 16th century. The old
section of the castle featured a great watch tower, 4-meter thick walls, a prison under the
tower, a garrison, and a drawbridge at the gates. After the collapse of the Teutonic Order
in this area in 1562, Bauska Castle became the residence of the Dukes of Courland, for
whom the adjacent palace was built in the 17th century. During the Great Northern War,
both castle and palace were blown up and left abandoned.
A Tour to Turaida Castle and the medieval town Cesis
Duration: ~8 hours
A tour by bus / car
Sigulda
Sigulda is the heart of the Gauja National Park. It is located just 55 km or 1
hour’s drive from Riga. Sigulda is often compared to a “Small Switzerland” due to its
30-38, Tomsona Street, LV -1013,Riga, Latvia I Phone. + 371 6 7374975 .
Fax.+ 371 6 7374976 I info@touchandtravel.lv I
Destination Management Company
unspoiled nature, the hills and valleys formed by the River Gauja and the medieval Turaida Castle that stands proud on the top
of a hill.
Sigulda has also a witness of numerous historical events dating back 12 th and 13th centuries. Today some of them have turned to
legends and stories the most famous of which is the legend of the Rose of Turaida – a legend a bout a beautiful girl Maija who
valued her love higher than her own life.
During the tour you will visit:
 Medieval Turaida Castle which today houses a museum and offers to enjoy a bird’s eye-view over the valley of the River
Gauja
 The Grave of the Rose of Turaida
 Dainu Hill (The Hill of Folk Songs)
 Turaida Church
 Gutmanis’ Cave
 The 13th century Sigulda Castle ruins
Cesis
Cesis is located at a distance of half an hour’s drive from Sigulda. It is a small
beautiful town with a charming medieval Old Town and the 13th century Cesis Castle
complex that includes the medieval Cesis Castle ruins, Cesis Palace and palace park. In
summer time it is a place of numerous festivals, concerts and other events.
In Cesis you will visit:
 Cesis Castle complex
 Medieval Old Town
You may also visit Araisi wooden castle near Cesis: an authentic settlement of ancient
Latvians built on the Lake Araisu, as well as enjoy lunch in a country farm.
Suggested options:

Theatrilized tour in the Cesis Castle leaded by a guide dressed in medieval costume; the tour may include
some medieval games

A visit to the smithy of ancient jewellery where a smith will show the Latvian ancient jewellery and the tools
and ways it was made

Theatrilized meal with Walter von Plettenberg in the Cesis palace with medieval meal and tour in the castle;

Lunch / dinner at a country farm close to Cesis with national meals and folk music
3. Two days tours from Riga
Two full days tour to Cesis, Sigulda & Open Air museum.
Duration: 2 full days
A tour by bus
AM tour to the Latvian Ethnography Open-air Museum
The Museum is located on the banks of the picturesque Lake Jugla surrounded
by pine forests, at a distance of 25 minutes' drive from the Riga City centre. Latvian
Ethnography Open-air Museum is one of the oldest open-air museums in Riga (opened in
1924). It contains about 100 authentic wooden houses, farmsteads, windmills, wooden
churches, and fishing villages that have been brought from all regions of Latvia and that
represent rural life in Latvia in the 16th – 19th century. A professional guide will also
introduce your into the Latvian traditional applied arts and ornaments, Latvian folk
traditions and pagan beliefs.
Lunch on the way to Cesis.
After the lunch, continue with visit to Araisi wooden castle near Cesis, an authentic settlement of ancient Latvians built on
the Lake Araisu.
Cesis is located at a distance of half an hour’s drive from Sigulda. It is a small beautiful town with a charming medieval
Old Town and the 13th century Cesis Castle complex that includes the medieval Cesis Castle ruins, Cesis Palace and palace park.
In summer time it is a place of numerous festivals, concerts and other events.
In Cesis you will visit:
 Medieval Old Town
 Cesis Castle complex

Theatrilized tour in the Cesis Castle leaded by a guide dressed in medieval costume; the tour will include some
medieval games;
30-38, Tomsona Street, LV -1013,Riga, Latvia I Phone. + 371 6 7374975 .
Fax.+ 371 6 7374976 I info@touchandtravel.lv I
Destination Management Company

Theatrilized meal with Walter von Plettenberg in the Cesis palace with medieval meal and tour in the castle;
Overnight in Cesis.
On the next day.
Continue to Sigulda with stop over on the way at rural farm “Rukšu” where camels and lamas have been rear.
Sigulda is the heart of the Gauja National Park. It is located just 55 km or 1 hour’s drive from Riga. Sigulda is often
compared to a “Small Switzerland” due to its unspoiled nature, the hills and valleys formed by the River Gauja and the medieval
Turaida Castle that stands proud on the top of a hill.
Sigulda has also a witness of numerous historical events dating back 12 th and 13th centuries. Today some of them have turned to
legends and stories the most famous of which is the legend of the Rose of Turaida – a legend a bout a beautiful girl Maija who
valued her love higher than her own life.
After the tour, lunch in Sigulda and tour back to Riga.
Two full days tour to Latgale, the Southern part of Latvia.
Duration: 2 full days
A tour by bus
Visit to the most remote and the most beautiful province of Latvia - the lake district
Latgale. The route will take you along the Daugava river via several former ancient port-towns
with the history dating back to crusaders' and vikings' times (Ikskile, Lielvarde, Aizkraukle) to
the town of Rezekne.
After the lunch, tour will continue to Aglona with visit to Aglona Basilica (15-18th
cent.). In 1993 the Basilica was renovated for the visit of the Pope of Rome.
Arrival in Rezekne and continue with city tour of Rezekne where you will visit Rezekne
castle hill; Jesus heart Cathedral; the oldest street in the city – Latgales Street, where the
buildings of 19th century are preserved; the central street of Rezekne – Atbrīvošanas aleja;
Latgale liberation monument “United for Latvia”; old-believers preaching house with biggest
bell in Latvia.
On the next day after breakfast, tour to Latgale ceramic master workshop where in
front of your eyes in the hands of the potter the clay will come alive and will alter. The province
of Latgale is popular for the very specific Latgale ceramics.
Lunch and Brief tour in Daugavpils, the second largest city in Latvia. During city tour
of Daugavpils you will visit the most prominent Daugavpils fortress of the late 18th-19th
centuries.
After the city tour of Daugavpils you will have an opportunity to visit museum of
military techniques and old soviet tanks!
Back to Riga.
A tour to Kurzeme, the western part of Latvia
Duration: 2 full days
The name Kurzeme comes from the word Kursi (Cours), a tribe speaking a Baltic
language who first settled here around 3 000 BC. They were a brave tribe who sailed to
Denmark and Sweden. In 1267 Kurzeme was occupied by the Sword Brotherhood Order.
The 17th century saw the region at the height of its prosperity. This encouraged economic
independence, shipbuilding and the development of trade. It even purchased an island, in
the Gambia and the Island of Tobago.
Kurzeme boasts its beautiful nature formed by the Rivers of Venta and Abava,
numerous lakes and the beautiful white sand beaches along the western sea coast, as well
as many beautiful small towns with charming wooden Old Towns, medieval castles and old manor houses.
The tour leads via the small towns of the western part of Latvia each of which has their own special charm. The first
stop will be in the town of Tukums with brief orientation tour in the Old Town. Continue tour to Ventspils, one of the main harbor
30-38, Tomsona Street, LV -1013,Riga, Latvia I Phone. + 371 6 7374975 .
Fax.+ 371 6 7374976 I info@touchandtravel.lv I
Destination Management Company
towns in Latvia. In Ventspils visit the 13th century Livonian Castle and the Seaside park that
represents the life of fishermen in the 17th-20th centuries. In the afternoon you can enjoy a
walk along the River Venta. Overnight in Ventspils.
On the next day the tour will lead to Kuldiga, the former capital of the Dukedom
of Kurzeme. Today Kuldiga is a charming town that boasts one of the best preserved old
towns in the Baltics and the widest water falls in Europe.
Further the tour will continue via the valley of the River Abava, that has been included in the
list of protected areas due to its untouched picturesque landscape. Drive though the small
town Sabile, the former wine town of the Dukedom of Kurzeme. A visit to Pedvale open-air
modern art exhibition-park.
Afternoon return back to Riga.
Exploring magnificent sights of Vidzeme with secret place in Ligatne!
Duration: 2 full days
A tour by bus
Departure from Riga.
In Vidzeme you can enjoy the picturesque beauty of rivers and lakes, to
rejoice at the landscapes made by woods, meadows, hills and lowlands. When visiting
the castles and manors of middle ages you can feel the breath of history as well as get
to know many interesting and fascinating facts about Latvian history, traditions and
different life-styles.
The ancient towns, each with its charm, its history and culture, keep significant
heritage of culture and architecture.
Our tour we will start with Sigulda and Turaida castle visit.
Sigulda is the heart of the Gauja National Park. It is located just 55 km or 1 hour’s
drive from Riga. Sigulda is often compared to a “Small Switzerland” due to its
unspoiled nature, the hills and valleys formed by the River Gauja and the medieval
Turaida Castle that stands proud on the top of a hill.
Sigulda has also a witness of numerous historical events dating back 12th and 13th
centuries. Today some of them have turned to legends and stories the most famous of
which is the legend of the Rose of Turaida – a legend a bout a beautiful girl Maija who
valued her love higher than her own life.
During the tour you will visit:
- Medieval Turaida Castle which today houses a museum and offers to enjoy a bird’s
eye-view over the valley of the River Gauja
- The Grave of the Rose of Turaida
- Dainu Hill (The Hill of Folk Songs)
- Turaida Church
- Gutmanis’ Cave
- The 13th century Sigulda Castle ruins
Option: GODESVERDER (“God's Island") with Medieval feast and games
After the tour lunch in Sigulda, at restaurant “Kungu Rija”.
Accommodation and dinner at „Dikļi Palace”.
Dikļi manor is an old property of the family of fon der Pahlens. The oldest facts date
back to the beginning of the 15th century, when the owner of the manor was Gotshalk
fon der Pahlen.
The present-day Dikļi Palace was built in 1896, when baron P. Volf owned the manor.
Modern neo-baroque building was constructed with mansard roof for the central part,
side parts and decorating facades in an elegant and plastic manner.
Dikļi manor house is one of few manor houses in Vidzeme that has retained original
interior features despite the experienced exploitation manners that were substantially
different from the initially planned.
The Dikļi manor park is around 20 ha large and stretches to the south of the Palace by
the shore of the River Mazbriede. A landscape park or forest park runs across the steep gullies of the river.
Option: Possibility to sense the SPA treatment magic in Dikli Palace SPA.
On the next day we will continue our tour via Valmiera, which is the largest town in Vidzeme. Valmiera is divided into
two parts by one of the most beautiful rivers in Latvia – the Gauja. Not far from Valmiera lies Zilaiskalns (Blue Hill) that is the
highest point in the northern part of Latvia.
30-38, Tomsona Street, LV -1013,Riga, Latvia I Phone. + 371 6 7374975 .
Fax.+ 371 6 7374976 I info@touchandtravel.lv I
Destination Management Company
Than we will visit Cesis town, which is located at a distance of half an hour’s
drive from Sigulda. It is a small beautiful town with a charming medieval Old Town and
the 13th century Cesis Castle complex that includes the medieval Cesis Castle ruins,
Cesis Palace and palace park. In summer time it is a place of numerous festivals,
concerts and other events.
In Cesis you will visit:
- Cesis Castle complex
- Medieval Old Town
Lunch in Cesis.
In order to finish our tour we will discover the Secret Soviet Bunker in Ligatne.
(Or omit it)
Duration: ~ 2 hours
In the territory of the rehabilitation centre Ligatne, 9 m underground, there is a wellequipped facility with a total area of 2,000 sq.m, whose secrecy grading was removed
only in 2003. Bunker was built for the needs of political and state authority elite of the
1980-ies for state administration in case of nuclear war.
- Secret concealment of the Secretaries General of the Soviet Communist Party
comrades Voss and Pugo!
- One of the most strategically important places in Soviet Latvia in case of a nuclear war.
- A powerful autonomous self-sustaining structure with all necessary and high-end (for that time) equipment.
- All authentic underground furnishings have been retained!
Return back to Riga.
Fascinating Manors and Art pearls in Kurzeme!
Duration: 2 full days
A tour by bus
Departure from Riga.
Kurzeme boasts its beautiful nature formed by the Rivers of Venta and Abava, numerous lakes and the beautiful white
sand beaches along the western sea coast, as well as many beautiful small towns with charming wooden Old Towns, medieval
castles and old manor houses.
The tour goes through the countryside of Latvia to the medieval Jaunpils
Castle. It is one of the best-preserved castles in Latvia with medieval charm and
mysteriousness. The castle was started in 1301 by a Livonian master Gotfhried von
Roga. It is a typical knight’s castle built in Romanic style and from three sides
surrounded by water with only one entrance by land. They say it that preservation of
the castle was possible only thanks to the good castle ghost, one of its former owners
Mathias von Reke, who received the castle from the Polish king for his heroic spirit
against Swedish King Karl IX, and even after his death he is faithfully serving his castle.
Up till now …
Suggested options:
The guests who arrive to castle may be welcomed by a salute of a canon and joyful castle dwellers: the calm Brother
Theodor, brisk Hilde will lead a theatralized tour in the castle and its surroundings, including tasting of
castle wine.
After the tour you are welcomed to enjoy medieval feast at cellar hall of the the Jaunpils
Castle.
You will be taken to romantic travel in the past with “calm” brother Theodor, brisk Hilda and Castle
love song singer. During the travel minnesinger is singing Dante sonnets, every visitor gives knight
oath, tries hand in weapon management art and in using women protective equipment. In wine cellar
in honor of the new knight guests drain wine goblets. In vigorous atmosphere together with the castle
monk and Hilda guests discover the secrets of the castle, church and mill and in the end - in honor of
guests – shot of cannon.
Medieval lunch in Jaunpils castle.
30-38, Tomsona Street, LV -1013,Riga, Latvia I Phone. + 371 6 7374975 .
Fax.+ 371 6 7374976 I info@touchandtravel.lv I
Destination Management Company
Accomodation and dinner at Kukšu Manor.
The grandeur of the ancient Latvian historic and cultural heritage is back. After
a nearly five year long restoration works Kukšu manor house is opening the doors to
welcome its guests.
Come over and enjoy the unforgettable atmosphere of the old manor house. The time
has stopped its pace here for you to feel the spirit of many centuries. Gorgeous carpets,
sparkling chandeliers, antique furniture, paintings, frescos and magnificent window
decorations show you into the unique world of Kukšu manor house. Each room of the
house has its own story to tell about the former owners and dwellers and of the
changing tastes of past centuries. The aura of the old manor house will surround you in
the comfortable guest rooms.
You may prefer to enjoy sports, visit the sauna, swim, hike, run short or long distances, walk, boat, cycle or play tennis
Open-Air Art Museum at Pedvale.
On the next day we will start with the Open-Air Art Museum at Pedvale, which
was opened by sculptor Ojars Arvids Feldbergs in 1991 and is now a State Historical
Monument. Its 100 hectares are covered with tilled fields, blooming meadows, gentle
slopes and deep ravines, rolling hills, a winding river, forests with birds and wildlife. It is
an ideal place in which creative professionals, — sculptors, painters, printmakers,
installation and performance artists — are free to express themselves.
The permanent collection of the Museum includes more than 150 works of art that have
been created during symposia, workshops and pleinairs. It also includes an exhibition of
the works by Ojars Feldbergs and temporary exhibits by local and foreign artists.
We continue with visit of the “Rumene Manor”.
The recently reconstructed Rumene Manor, located about one hour outside Riga, is one
of Latvia’s best-kept secret hideaways.
Guests who come to Rumene take a step back into the beauty and serenity of another
era. The 19th century neo-gothic manor house building lies on the shores of Rumene
Lake and is surrounded by a 7 ha landscaped park. Its period furnishings are in keeping
with the understated elegance of a private manor house, once inhabited by Baltic
German nobility. Yet the atmosphere is relaxed, fitting country life in an unspoiled area
of Northern Europe.
Rumene Manor is now operated as the country residence of 5 star Hotel Bergs, Riga,
Latvia, a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World™ and, accordingly, its services
meet the highest international standards.
A stay at Rumene can be complemented by a variety of activities – whether of an active outdoor nature, such as hiking, jogging,
biking, fishing, boating, golfing, skiing, horse-back riding, go-karting, etc., or of a restorative nature, such as walks in the park,
sauna and massage treatments, and simply enjoying the serene atmosphere.
A private hunting preserve located in the immediate vicinity provides excellent deer and wild boar hunting.
(Opened for visitors every month 2nd and 4th Thursdays!!)
After the tour is leading to Jurmala. Lunch at restaurant “Orizzonte”.
Jurmala is Latvia’s summer resort town located by the Gulf of Riga just 25 km from the
capital. The town boasts kilometers long white sand beaches, green pine forests and
charming wooden cottages built at the end of the 19th and in the beginning of the 20th
centuries. The tour will lead along the cottage areas and stop for a walk at the beach.
Return back to Riga.
30-38, Tomsona Street, LV -1013,Riga, Latvia I Phone. + 371 6 7374975 .
Fax.+ 371 6 7374976 I info@touchandtravel.lv I
Destination Management Company
4. Three days tours from Riga
Three full days tour to Kurzeme, the Western part of Latvia.
Duration: 3 full days
A tour by bus
The name Kurzeme comes from the word Kursi (Cours), a tribe speaking a Baltic language who first settled here around
3 000 BC. They were a brave tribe who sailed to Denmark and Sweden. In 1267 Kurzeme was occupied by the Sword
Brotherhood Order. The 17th century saw the region at the height of its prosperity. This encouraged economic independence,
shipbuilding and the development of trade. It even purchased an island, in the Gambia and the Island of Tobago.
Kurzeme boasts its beautiful nature formed by the Rivers of Venta and Abava, numerous lakes and the beautiful white
sand beaches along the western sea coast, as well as many beautiful small towns with charming wooden Old Towns, medieval
castles and old manor houses.
The tour leads via the small towns of the western part of Latvia each of which has their own special charm. The first
stop will be in the town of Tukums with brief orientation tour in the Old Town.
Lunch on the way to Kuldiga.
Further the tour will continue via the valley of the River Abava which has been
included in the list of protected areas due to its untouched picturesque landscape. Drive
though the small town Sabile, the former wine town of the Dukedom of Kurzeme.
A visit to Pedvale open-air modern art exhibition-park.
Continue tour to Kuldiga, the former capital of the Dukedom of Kurzeme. Today
Kuldiga is a charming town that boasts one of the best preserved old towns in the Baltics
and the widest water falls in Europe.
Dinner & Overnight in Liepaja.
On the next day after the breakfast, continue with sightseeing tour in Liepaja,
the third largest city in Latvia, a city of successful changes as the people living here on the
stretch of sand between the amber sea and the lake for more than 750 years have always
been tough, wise and daring. During your visit in Liepaja you will visit Karosta and see the
Officer’s Palace, Marine Cathedral, Riding Manege, Fortifications and the Northern
Breakwater and interactive tour to Old Prison.
After the prison you will visit Holy Trinity Church to hear the world’s largest
historic unreconstructed organ with 141 stops and 7000 pipes.
Lunch in Liepaja and continue to Ventspils.
Arrival in Venstpils, that is a city in northwestern Latvia in the Kurzeme
(Courland) region of Latvia, the sixth largest city in the country. Ventspils is situated on
the Venta River and the Baltic Sea, and has an ice-free port. During the sightseeing tour
of Ventspils you will make a stop at town hall and Livonian order castle.
30-38, Tomsona Street, LV -1013,Riga, Latvia I Phone. + 371 6 7374975 .
Fax.+ 371 6 7374976 I info@touchandtravel.lv I
Destination Management Company
On the third day breakfast at the hotel and continue Irbenes radio telescope
(locator).
The object was abandoned by Russian troops, which includes two steerable parabolic
antenna reflectors 32 and 16 m in diameter. There is conjecture that the Soviet army
used aerial espionage - the tone and interception of enemy satellites.
On the way back to Riga you will pass by several beautiful fishing towns and in
Vaide city you will have an opportunity to visit "Horn Museum” and view the impressive
collection of different host-horn collectors, as well as many birds look well stuffed.
Lunch in restaurant in Roja. After the lunch drive back to Riga.
30-38, Tomsona Street, LV -1013,Riga, Latvia I Phone. + 371 6 7374975 .
Fax.+ 371 6 7374976 I info@touchandtravel.lv I