Guided Adventure Tour Riga – Sigulda

If you want to experience a wonderful day in the proximity of Riga, this offer is meant for you! 4×4 Jeep Safari off road adventures, free flying in the vertical wind tunnel – just like a bird in the sky, ride in the real bobsleigh tack with the speed of almost 100 km/h – it is possible to experience and enjoy all this during one day, if you participate in the guided adventure tour Riga – Sigulda by Baltic Adventure Tours!

The Riga-Sigulda adventure tour starts in a scenic pine wood. There the 4×4 Jeep Safari adventures also begin – forest roads and off-roads with driving up and down some quite steep hills followed by some mud baths until the 4×4 off road jeeps arrive to a very beautiful place at the bank of river Liela Jugla. Here in the meadow the drivers can step out of their off road jeeps to get some fresh air.

After that, if the weather conditions allow, the guided adventure tour recommence with a steep descent from the bank to the river and continues with the river crossing! Now that is a real off road adventure – everyone who has enjoyed the water splashes against the doors of the 4×4 jeep confirms that! After crossing a meadow that is overgrovn with bushes the column of 4×4 jeeps enters the pine wood. Now the main task of the drivers is to drive around the big and deep puddles, from which it would be impossible to get out without a winch!

The guided tour of Jeep Safari continues in beautiful pine forest and drivers have few quite impressive hills to cross on their way. Now the first stage of the guided adventure tour Riga-Sigulda is completed and the tour continues on asphalt road until the next adventure – Aerodium vertical wind tunnel in the proximity of Sigulda.

Aerodium – the vertical wind tunnel

Aerodium - the vertical wind tunnel

The vertical wind tunnel is a device that was originally created for the trainings of military parachutists. The Aerodium vertical wind tunnel that was created in Latvia allows everyone to enjoy the feeling of flying in the most direct sense of the word – the enormous and strong stream of wind, created by a huge ventilator, allows the person to “lay” on it and fly. By changing the position of the body, you can perform different moves and acrobatic elements in the air and enjoy the emotions never experienced before. At the same time with the introduction of wind tunnel technologies, high safety settings are elaborated that creates a safe environment for bodyflying. Even winter is not an obstacle to enjoy the flying in the wind tunnel!
Everyone could watch and evaluate the work and achievements of the Aerodium team during the closing ceremony of Torino Winter Olympics in 2006. An Aerodium vertical wind tunnel created especially for the show was used, with the help of which flyers from Latvia demonstrated an unforgettable air acrobatic show, flying at a height of 25 metres off the ground!

Flying into Aerodium

Before flying everyone must participate in the 30-minute preparation course, where you will be trained and provided with the necessary gear – the outfit, goggles, helmet, and gloves. Then, together with the instructor, you will go to the wind tunnel, where the created air flow with the speed of nearly 200 km/h will lift you up in a free flight. If necessary, the instructor will provide you with constant support during the flight. The duration of flight is not very long, however 3 minutes spent in the air for the first time is more than enough for long lasting emotions!

When all the participants of the guided adventure tour Riga – Sigulda have “landed”, they proceed to the next breathtaking adventure – Sigulda bobsleigh, luge and skeleton track.

Sigulda bobsleigh, luge and skeleton track

Sigulda bobsleigh, luge and skeleton track

The Sigulda bobsleigh, luge and skeleton track is located in Sigulda. The first records about the beginning of the bobsleigh here are from the end of 19 century when Prince Kropotkin built the first bobsleigh track in his manor. It was 900 metres long and had one turn.
The today’s track was designed in the scientific centre of Leipzig sports bureau, and it was built by the company “Graming” from Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. The track was finished in 1986. It’s total length is 1420 metres, number of turns – 16, the maximum possible speed – 126 km/h.
The track is suitable for the organization of bobsleigh, luge and skeleton competitions. Every year local and internation competitions take place in Sigulda bobsleigh, luge and skeleton track.

Ride by “vucko” in Sigulda bobsleigh track

Nobody can’t express and explain the feelings that you have during the ride in the bobsleigh track. Everyone must experience it himself! However, the privilege of piloting the bob is held for the local pilots of the track.

After the fun ride, you can climb up the platform of the starting place, where a sightseeing platform is located, and enjoy the wonderful magnificence of primeval valley of the most beautiful river of Latvia – Gauja, because the track is located in the territory of Gauja National Park.

After the enjoyment of this wonderful landscape, the drivers of the 4×4 jeeps take the travellers to have a lunch in a cosy restaurant in Sigulda. After a good meal the guided tour starts the way back to Riga. But on the way there will be some off road surprises in the Jeep Safari track!

With a pleasant tiredness and a happy smile on their faces, the participants of guided adventure tour Riga-Sigulda return in Riga. This tour is over!

See you tomorrow!
Baltic Adventure Tours – your adventure guide in Latvia

Remarks:
– Recommended clothing: depending on weather conditions – warm and light sportwear clothes for whom you don’t have to worry if they get dirty. The main thing is that you can move freely and feel comfortable. Sport shoes with a flexible sole are advisable.
- Recommended age of the participants: 14 to 70 years; weight: 20 to 100 kg; height: up to 2 metres.

Autumn Overland Tour to Sēlija

Fantastic off road driving day – that’s how we could describe in one sentence the Autumn Overland Tour, organized by Baltic Adventure Tours, to Sēlija – the most mysterious region of Latvia.

Sēlija (Selonia)

Traditional Yard in Sēlija (Selonia)

Sēlija (Selonia) is a cultural region of Latvia, around one hundred kilometers to South from the capital city Riga. It has outer borders with Lithuania and Belarus. Sēlija is quite underpopulated, there are large forest tracts and a lot of swamps. In 13 century it was inhabited by selonians (sēļi). The name of the region and the inhabitants is derived from the Livonian name sälli which means the upper (people). And with this name the local inhabitants were known to the Livonians and German travelers. The Selonian language existed until 14 or 15 century. Today Sēlija is an unexplored territory for a big part of Latvian population.

The Saturday morning begins with the preparation of picnic basket for a nice meal in the woods. Thermos gets some nice and sweet black tea, cheese lies on bread of “Lāči” which is very popular in Latvia, smoked chicken gyros comes from the place of similar popularity – “Rubeņi” and dark chocolate for the dessert.

It seems that this day of November is going to be sunny; it is around +6°C and in some places on the edge of forest the swaths of fog are rolling, warmed by the first beams of the morning sun. At 10 a.m. fourteen 4×4 jeeps are gathering in Ķegums to participate in overland tour and get a taste of Latvian autumn in the woods and off-roads of Sēlija.

Some of the 4×4 jeeps are well prepared for off road driving. They are lifted, equipped with winches, towing ropes, GPS navigation devices and good mud tyres. Several drivers are going in this off road adventure with less equipped Toyota Land Cruiser 120. But the greatest intrigue is about completely new 2010 Range Rover Supercharger that is totally unequipped for off road driving, but still is going to participate in Overland Tour.

Edvīns, the managing director of Baltic Adventure Tours, hands out the route maps to all the drivers of 4×4 jeeps and holds a short meeting where he reminds the most important off road driving tips. It is 10.40 a.m. and the Autumn Overland Tour can begin. With Māris as pilot and Edvīns as co-driver we are leaving Ķegums and heading in the direction of Jaunjelgava with well equipped 1985 Toyota Land Cruiser RJ 70 of short wheel base. We turn to the Lindes park to see the ruins of Lindes manor house. The road leads us to the shore of Daugava, where probably used to be the crossing place of the river.

We take some pictures near the arch-shaped gate of the manor and the column of 4×4 jeeps proceeds deeper in the woods of Sēlija, where the first off road adventures of Autumn Overland Tour will soon begin. All of a sudden we have been given our first off road driving exam on a narrow forest road – there is a fully loaded logging truck Volvo FH12 with trailer on our way and to interchange with it, the off road jeeps must flee into the wood.

After a while the column of 4×4 jeeps turn off the road and continue to drive on soft and scrubby off road. After we have crossed the mud we stop and walk back to watch with real interest – how our companion with his completely new Range Rover that has run only 1350 km yet and has common summer tyres would cross this small but muddy off road area! The Range Rover off road jeep dealt with this task very well, though a little later he discovered that he must change the rear tyre which was stabbed.

After we got back on the road, we began the change of Range Rover tyre in the 21-century style. All the participants of this off road tour helped the driver of Range Rover to find the most convenient spot for the highjack between the body of the off road jeep and the electric doorsteps, that slide out automatically every time the doors are opened. This change of the tyre is being filmed with Samsung iPad-type tablet. And so we had spent half an hour in fun and laughter, hoping that there will be no need to change the other tyre.

Further on the track of Autumn Overland Tour there will be a small river that we will have to cross. Edvīns promises that this is the place where the most exciting off road adventures of Overland Tour are expected. We are driving through a farmstead where 4 dogs and a bunch of turkeys greet us. Edvīns has already prepared champagne and chocolate for the landlady as a small gratitude for the fact that she allows several off road jeeps to drive through her yard. Some of the off road drivers are taking pictures with the turkeys and the landlady warns us to be careful when crossing the “dreadful” ditch near the house, because “once even her dog fell in there”. We smile and proceed.

The small river meets the 4×4 jeeps of Autumn Overland Tour with deep, muddy wheel tracks on both shores. Toyota Land Cruiser, piloted by Māris, crosses the river with no problems and stops to watch how the other off road drivers will succeed. Again the greatest intrigue is about Range Rover Supercharger of 510 h.p.

This time a surprise form the side of one short wheelbase Toyota Land Cruiser 120 – it fails the river crossing and is not able to get out without assistance. Another Toyota helps to draw it out. The off road drivers consider that the soft rubber Bridgestone Blizzak winter tyres could be blamed in this situation, because the protector of these tyres is not able to depurate from the mud.

Now it is time for the Range Rover to cross the river, but… no surprises here this time – the new and shiny off road jeep with the first scratches of the branches on the sides and smooth Continental summer tyres crosses the river with no problems and almost manages to drive up the slope on the other shore. Just a little help is required and another off road jeep helps and draws the “sitting” Range Rover out of the wheel tracks.

When the river crossing show is over, we all stop at a sunny and nice edge of the forest to have a lunch. The picnic basked with the hot tea is just the right thing that’s necessary to reinforce for the further off road adventures.

Edvīns has one peaty place in mind, so together with Māris he is going to examine it before other drivers. He wants to make sure that all the off road drivers will be able to cross it and would get in time at culmination point of Autumn Overland Tour – the fantastic Kankaļi Church near the border of Lithuania, where a meeting with the bishop is arranged.

It took around one hour while all off road drivers get over the peaty stage of approximately 50 metres. Most of the 4×4 jeeps couldn’t get through without wincing. The fancy Range Rover also stuck in the peat and was towed out by winch. For another off road driver it is a solemn moment – his Toyota Land Cruiser 120 off road jeep will be able to test the new winch.

During the winching Edvīns assists several participants of Autumn Overland Tour who have little experience in off road driving – he suggests the best ways of using the winch in different situations.

On the right side there’s Lake Aklais and a scenic road curve with bent swamp birches on the sides and nice bluish-grey Iceland lichens on the slopes. There are several new hunting towers placed like guards on the sides of the road. But we didn’t see any hunter though it is Saturday and at the very beginning of the Overland Tour we assumed that in this area some hunting would probably take place.

The participants of Autumn Overland Tour say goodbye to the last sunbeams and just before the twilight Edvīns organizes a little “roller coaster” – steep, sandy slopes and descends on forest firebreaks. Our Toyota 4×4 jeep with the experienced off road driver Māris at the wheel overcomes almost all the slopes without the front axle switched on. Still we must do it at the steepest upgrade.

We still have some time to spend before arriving in Kankaļi Church and we decide to try another excellent place of off road adventures. It turns out to bet so wet that even our Toyota Land Cruiser RJ 70 that is very well equipped for off road driving can’t get out without winching and without turning-on the ARB differential lockers. We understand that for the off road jeeps that are not so well equipped, not even talking about 3 tonne Range Rover, this off road stage is going to be too difficult and is going to take more time than we have, so this time we decide to pass it.

On the edge of a big field in a misty twilight solitude the there is Kankaļi Church and it’s bell-tower that stands aside. While the participants of Autumn Overland Tour are taking pictures, we are witnesses of a scene just like from the old days – right across the meadow the bishop is coming together with some parishioners that have arrived specially due to our visit from the heart of the Sēlija region – Nereta.

The choir starts singing in the little wooden church and in the candlelight the off road drivers are introduced to the history of Kankaļi wooden Church that was built in 1893. As turns out, due to the little population, the religious service in Kankaļi Church is held only one in a year – on June 24, St. John the Baptist Day – just like priest Rancāns had stated in the Consecration Act of the Church. We had the chance to see the original of this Act and according to this relic document the Kankaļi Church was consecrated in June 24, 1923 and ever since the religious services are held every year in that date.

The Autumn Overland Tour is slowly approaching to its ending. It is completely dark outside and we are taking some narrow and winding forest roads and are going in the direction of Jaunjelgava where in the pub “Pie Aivara” there is dinner served for the off road drivers. Still one last off road adventure appears on our way in a form of wet and short pothole on the forest road. Some 4×4 jeeps must use the winch.

After half an hour of activities in the light of lamps the participants of Autumn Overland Tour are ready to continue their way to Jaunjelgava.
It is already a tradition of Baltic Adventure Tours that during the dinner Edvīns, the organizer of Autumn Overland Tour, awards the off road drivers with memorial diplomas. A nice 3 meal dinner strengthens for the way back to Riga, so that we’ll meet again sometime around the Christmas in the next off road adventure tour by Baltic Adventure Tours. See Autumn Overland Tour’s gallery

The route of Autumn Overland Tour to Sēlija

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Natural Landscape Off Road Tour near Riga

Natural Landscape Off Road Tour will create a memory that will remain vivid for a lifetime because of the wonderful landscapes with the backcountry and small forest roads. During this off road tour you will see Latvia beyond the walls of city – meadows, forests, rivers. As the tour goes mostly through underpopulated regions, there’s a great chance to meet some wild animals.

The crew of Baltic Adventure Tours considers that the route of Natural Landscape Off Road Tour is the most beautiful tour in the proximity of Riga – the capital city of Latvia. The first off road adventures starts already thirty minutes after 4×4 jeeps have left the centre of Riga and enters in a beautiful pine wood. There are hilly forest roads with some pretty steep slopes that are frequently accompanied by loud screams from the representatives of the fair sex! After a while the hilly relief turns to plain area and the adventures continue with off road driving through mud baths that seem impassable at the first sight…

Still the 4×4 jeeps that are prepared for off road adventures easily manage to get through and continue the tour on asphalt road. But not for long. Soon they are jolting on a very bumpy, but beautiful road along the coast of river Lielā Jugla. Drivers can step out from their 4×4 jeeps in a nice and romantic meadow on the shore of the river to have a breath of fresh air and listen to the loquacious water of the river.

Ten minutes later the off road tour continues and already with a surprise – a steep slope on the shore and the crossing of the river! For those who have never crossed the river by 4×4 jeep, this off road adventure will definitely stick in the memory for the whole life! We recommend to open the windows of your 4×4 jeeps – so that you can better hear and feel the splashes of the water on the sides of the jeep! On the other side of the river the column of 4×4 jeeps drives through the meadow that is overgrown with bushes and then enters the pine wood. The road leads to the high-voltage electric line and for a little while goes along it.

Here the drivers must be especially careful and try to drive around the big and deep puddles, from which it would be impossible to get out without a winch! Then there’s a long passage along some beautiful pine forests with a few impressive hills on the way. The drivers of 4×4 jeeps pull up for a while, so that the travellers could take a rest from this off road tour.

The tour continues on more populated areas, across the highways of Vidzeme and Tallin, through the village of Ādaži and along the Ādaži Airfield. Here it is possible to fly with one of the small airplanes and see the forests, the meadows, the entry of the second largest river of Latvia – Gauja – into the sea and also a little part of Baltic Sea – the Gulf of Riga. You can order and book the flight for additional price together with the Natural Landscape Off Road Tour. After the flight we get into the 4×4 jeeps and start our way back to Riga.

Leaving the airfield behind and under favorable weather conditions, the travellers go to Nature Park “Piejūra”. There, after a short walk through the wood, they reach the beach with white sand and can touch the water in the Baltic Sea.

After the visit of the beach, the column of 4×4 jeeps return to Riga – that is only a city, though so beautiful!

Nature Park “Piejūra”

Nature Park Piejūra

Nature Park “Piejūra” was founded in 1962 and the area of the Park is 4315 ha. The park is a part of the territory of Natura 2000 network. The park is a specially protected area where you can find rare coastal habitats, wooden dunes and old boreal forests, as well as embryonic dunes, rare plant and animal species. There are several rare bat species found near Garezers.
Some interesting trees grow on the territory of Nature Park “Piejūra”, it is recommended to see for example Vilkaču (Werewolf) pine-tree that is protected nature object and Lielā (Big) pine-tree that is approximately 250 years old and is 2,4 meters in girth.
The parabolic dune of Garezers and the amphitheatre of dunes are important natural sites. It is the biggest formation of dunes on the coast of the Gulf of Riga. The formation of parabolic dune started on the 18 century, after the deforestation of the area. It changed continuously its location for almost 200 years and thus partly filled up the river Langa and threatened to pour with sand the village of Langa (now – Garciems). Now the dune is planted with trees.
On the North East side of the parabolic dune is the highest point of the Nature Park – the Peak Labošanās (Improvement) with 27,6 meters above sea level. There’s a legend that the beautiful and wide view from the peak sends away all the bad thoughts, which is why the peak is called Labošanās (Improvement). The ancient fishermen used this peak as landmark, because it is visible from the distance of 7 km.

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Remark
The Organizer of the Off Road Adventure tour shall retain the rights to make changes in the route of Natural Landscape Off Road Tour, which does not change the essential character of the off road adventure tour and doesn’t lessen the intensity. Changes are introduced mainly due to the changes in weather conditions and special features of different seasons.

Adventure Tours to Latgale

Why to go on adventure tour to Latgale? It’s not going to be a simple off road tour. It is going to be an exclusive adventure tour for 2 days to the most scenic region of Latvia – Latgale, with the possibility to explore the backcountry of the region and appreciate the magnificence of its traditions.

Latgale is one of the most picturesque regions of Latvia where people speak the local dialect called latgalian. Region is rich in traditions, has unbelievably beautiful landscapes and diverse relief with many lakes, woods, fields and hills. This diversity of nature and relief makes 4×4 off road adventure tours even more unforgettable! And what’s more – our tour is planned in autumn, when Latgale has put on her beautiful and colourful autumn coat. That’s why every minute and each and every kilometre is worth to choose the adventure tour to Latgale.

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Read more about Latgale adventure tour:
Adventure Tours to Latgale: Day 1
Adventure Tours to Latgale: Day 2

Adventure Tour to Latgale: Day First

It is Saturday, September 25. It really is a wonderful Indian summer day as promised by meteorologists and the weather is fabulous. I wake up at 5:00 AM so that I could be in Viļāni (213 km from Riga) at 10:00 AM. Viļāni is the place from where usually start the adventure tours with 4×4 off road jeeps to Latgale, organized by Edvīns – the managing director of Baltic Adventure Tours.

At 6:30 AM I sit in Edvin’s Toyota Hilux – a 4×4 jeep for off road adventures – and we are passing the scenic Vidzeme elevation and rushing to meet all other participants of Latgale adventure tour. In Viļāni we meet Uldis with his friends and their Toyota Land Cruiser 120 series and Olga and Nikolajs, who have just returned from adventure tour in Iceland with their Toyota Land Cruiser 120 series Short Wheel Base. They promise to show pictures and travel notes in the evening.

After a meal in a pub “Lāču leja” in Viļāni, Nikolajs reduces the pressure in the tyres of his off road jeep to 1,5 atm in order to make a better road adhesion and achieve a greater comfort during off road driving.

We start our adventure tour at 11:00 AM as we go to south-east, in the direction of Malta. And soon a beautiful landscape of Latgale with its russet-yellow autumn leaves and its wide, elongated and hilly relief reveals to our sight. Cultivated fields interchange with fallow lands, every here and there we can see farmers picking potatoes and in general we have an impression that economic activity in Latgale is high.

A surprise awaits us in Paramonovka -a small village in Latgale. There we found a simple wooden church with very interesting “bell” – it was a piece of rail, left from the time of German occupation, hanged in the chains. But it chimed even better than some regular church bells. But the deeper in Latgale you go, the bigger and notable churches there are, because Roman Catholicism predominates in this region.

We approach slowly to the first stage of off road of our adventure tour. During the adventure tours, Edvīns uses detailed maps of the region and GPS navigation devices to orientate in the region, although most of all the little roads he knows by heart.

Part of the road near Marnova used to be very interesting and attractive for off road adventures but now it is reconstructed, so we can only grumble at the “evil” road workers that have repaired a good off road. But after a few moments we cross the ditch and drive through an overgrown meadow and finally find what we’ve been expecting for – our first obstacle of this off road adventure. After entering the forest that is decorated with the orange autumn leaves, we have to put the saw in action, because several trees have been knocked down on the road by the recent storm.

After the accomplishment of this off road stage, an unforgettable and glittering view on Lake Salmejs reveals to our sight. We take some pictures and after a short reflection on “how nice it would be to live here”, we reconcile with the thought that it is way too far from Riga and continue our off road adventure and we cross the ford that has been “improved” by tractor. Slowly, passing by autumn landscapes of Latgale lakes, we reach the top of the hill and a wonderful view on the neighbourhood greets us there.

We can se from the hill the most beautiful places in Rāzna National Park – hills Mākoņkalns and Lielais Liepukalns. Our adventure tour will soon take us there, but now it’s time for a picnic, so we organize a table right on the cargo box of Toyota Hilux to have some meal before we can continue our off road driving. As we notice a fire fighting tower, we have the temptation to climb it up, but it is closed for the visitors.

Usually Edvīns leads the adventure tours both on well known roads and off roads and at the same time he also makes experiments is searching for some new roads (to be precise – off roads) that are marked on the USSR army maps, because clients demand more and more off road adventures. In the language of off road driving it means – more puddles, more water and more mud.

However we must admit that off roads in Latgale are quite dry this weekend and there are very few muddy places. And we proceed with our quest for adrenaline and continue our adventure tour in beautiful and hilly pinewood, where we drive on very steep clearances. Olga, frightened by the steepness, tries to get out from the wheel tracks and needlessly turns the steering wheel to the left, but her Toyota just continue to slide down along the well-beaten wheel tracks. But it turned out well at the end and we could sigh with relief and stop worrying whether this off road jeep is going to roll over or not.

There is one quite big gravel-pit on the way to Mākoņkalns hill. It’s a place where the drivers of 4×4 off road jeeps can compete and compare their skills by driving up a little slope. The gravel on the slope turned out to be dry and loose, that’s why neither Edvīns with Toyota Hilux, nor Uldis with his Toyota Land Cruiser 120 series Long Wheel Base together with 3 passengers inside, managed to drive up.

Our off road adventure tour is approaching Mākoņkalns hill. It is almost 5:00 PM and as the sun sets, it highlights even more the scenic hills of Latgale and golden autumn leaves. We are making jokes that in Latgale every lake has its own hill, and every hill – its own lake. But actually it is not a joke – there really are so many lakes in Latgale.

Near Mākoņlakns hill Edvīns decide to search for a new off road and after a while we knock against a little ditch with very steep banks. According to off road driving tips, we start with exploring the neighbourhood and estimating the best trajectory for the crossing. At first we dig off the banks a little and Edvīns is submerging slowly the nose of his Toyota Hilux in the ditch. Soon we realize that there isn’t going to be any problems for the front part to drive through. But as quickly as that, we also understand that the draw hook is going to get stuck. Yet Edvīns manages to drive out of the ditch without skidding and we can continue our off road adventure on other roads.

Rāzna National Park

Rāzna National Park

Rāzna National Park was founded with the aim to preserve the special rustic charm of Latgale Region, its amazing landscapes with woods, hills and lakes as well as to protect the diversity of species and the habitat diversity of Lake Rāzna and the surrounding territories. There are many lakes on the territory of park. With a surface area of 57.56 square kilometres Lake Rāzna is the largest lake in the park and the second largest lake in Latvia. Because of its sandy beaches it is often called the Sea of Latgale. Among all lakes on the territory of Rāzna National Park, Lake Rāzna is the richest in fish. There are 27 different fish species in the lake and it is approximately 90 % off all fish species living in Latvia’s lakes. Seven of these species are specially protected species whose use is limited.
Lake Ežezers is unique in Latvia and also in all Europe, because in this scenic lake there are around 30 isles. The third highest hill of Latvia – hill Lielais Liepukalns (289 metres above sea level) – is located in the territory of the Park. And it stands out with its impressive relative height in the scale of Baltic States – 89 metres!
But from Mākoņkalns hill (248 m a.s.l.) there’s an unforgettable view over Lake Rāzna and its surroundings. On the top of the hill Mākoņkalns there are ruins and fragments of wall from Volkenberga Stone Castle, which was built by the Livonian Order in the 13th century and was almost inaccessible. In the territory of National Park there are representatives of all orders of terrestrial mammals and 12 specially protected species of mammals. There is also a great variety of birds in the Park with many rare and protected species.

At the culmination point of this adventure tour there is Mākoņkalns hill that is 247m high and reveals to our sight an unforgettable and fantastic view over Lake Rāzna – the second biggest lake (according to the territory) in Latvia. On the shores of the lake there are guest houses and other populated areas.

Our adventure tour will continue around the Lake Rāzna so that by nightfall we would manage to get to the place of the overnight stay – this time it is going to be guest house “Rāznas pērle”, that is located on the shore of the lake.

We are driving through very charming villages – Lipuški and Zosna. We are heading north and once again we are facing with the “evil work” of road workers, who have reconstructed a country road that used to be an interesting challenge for off road driving just 3 years ago. Near house named “Bulāni” we turn and drive away from lake to accomplish an interesting off road stage that goes through an overgrown meadow. Here we have to put our Fiskars machetes in use – all the off road jeeps that participate in this adventure tour are relatively new and we take care of them and try not to scratch them too much.

There are only 25 minutes left till the sunset and we are on top of a little hill on the east side of the lake and enjoy the beautiful view from there. We take some pictures and then with our stomachs already rumbling, we rush to the guest house, where the dinner with nice and warm home made food awaits us. The conversation at the dinner table fluently passes over to Olga and Nikolajs who are reporting about their off road adventures in Iceland in august. We are drinking cumin flavoured liquor from Iceland, eating smoked eels offered by our host Staņislavs and the guest house is slowly filling up with the songs in the accompaniment of a guitar, played by Edvīns.

Staņislavs tells us where the best off roads are in the neighbourhood and we decide to try them the next day.

Read next:
Adventure Tours to Latgale: Day 2

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Adventure Tour to Latgale: Day Second

The Sunday morning is nice and the day starts with a little fog over Lake Rāzna. I wake up at 8:00 AM to perform a ritual – go to swim in the lake. The water here is warmer than in Lielupe, I think it could be some 13°…14°C. But to reach the depth that is suitable for swimming one must go quite far from the shore, which I don’t do otherwise my legs would freeze.

After the breakfast at 9:50 AM we get into our off road jeeps and continue our off road adventure tour. For today we have planed to go up in the hill of Lielais Liepukalns, visit the workshop of local potter and drive the off roads that our host Staņislavs suggested.

We warm up slowly and after first kilometres on gravel road we turn to off road and pass 2 abandoned houses, wondering how people used to live here and how did they ever get somewhere. Both houses looked untouched from outside, all the glazing in windows was also there. But after we looked inside, we discovered that the ceiling and floors has been collapsed. Judging by the different household objects we found in the houses, nobody has lived there for at least 20 years. As we continue our adventure tour we reach the shores of the small and scenic Lake Astica, with flock of sheep and some fisherman on the shore.

We drive on the ancient and winding highway of Dagda and reach the hill of Lielais Liepukalns. We have enough time so we yield to the temptation to discover a new off road. It is marked on the USSR army map, but neither Edvīns, nor any of us have ever driven it. We set our Terratrip Rally Computer to zero to have a precise record of the performed distance and continue our off road driving on the avenue covered with orange leaves. Soon we realize that the road is very passable, it’s just pity that it is relatively dry.

After a few moments we must take out and use our saws and machetes to brake through the bushes and get to the house that is marked on the map. After every 100 metres the work of clearing the road gets harder and harder. All we see is trees, bushes and blue sky. We use all the available off road navigation devices to find the exact place of the road. After intensive sawing and 800 metres driven we arrive in the meadow with ruins of the house. Behind some fresh dug-outs, probably made by wild boars, we manage to find the road that leads to the ancient cemetery. But there is so many fallen trees on the road and it is so scrubby, that we decide not to spend our time there and continue our off road adventure tour on a known route.

While driving through the woods we keep the windows open so that we could feel and smell the special autumn-like scent of the leaves and thus increase even more the sense of off road adventure.

As we continue the adventure tour we drive along a beautiful off road, reach the hill of Lielais Liepukalns and get on the top of it. With its 290 metres it is the third highest hill in Latvia. There’s a little platform on the top of the hill with enough space for only 3…4 off road jeeps. The hill is covered with trees, but in between them opens a wonderful and unforgettable view over the open spaces of Latgale. We take some pictures, have a little meal and proceed to the potter’s workshop and on the quest for the suggested off road.

Potter Evalds Vasiļevskis meets us with a wide and philosophical introduction about what is clay, what is baking and how exactly the pottery are moulded. Latgale is famous with her ancient pottery tradition, because clay that is found in this region is considered to be one of the cleanest natural clays in the world. It can be used also in medicine, for facial masks, etc.

Not far from Ubogova Devil’s stone there’s an off road that our host in the guest house recommended as especially “interesting” and so we throw ourselves in another quest for undiscovered off roads in the frames of our adventure tour.

This off road starts with some dug-outs of wild boars. We gently roll our 4×4 off road jeeps over them and after a minute we start the next round of road clearing activities. Then for some 600 metres we have quite a successful drive, if we compare the distance with the effort put on the clearing of the road. The off road itself turned out to be relatively dry and passable and so we didn’t get the level of difficulty that was promised, because the forestry machinery hasn’t driven there for some 3 years.

However we are again forced to capitulate before the off road, because we understand that the clearing of the road can last longer than it would be necessary, besides we had almost run out of the fuel for the power-saw. Nevertheless we have found a new and promising off road for the next adventure tours.

Little by little we start our way back to Riga still wondering at the beautiful landscapes of Latgale. We visit also the little and mystical Lake Velnezers (Devil’s Lake) called also Čortoks, not far from Aglona, that is also one of Latvias clearest lakes. There are many different legends about this lake, that’s why a lot of people visit it.

Aglona basilica – popular Catholic Pilgrimage destination in Latvia

Aglona Basilica

We stop at the Aglona basilica as well. This church is international sacred site and a part of Latvia’s cultural heritage – a cultural monument, the most important Catholic Church in the country and a place of pilgrimage. This Baroque style church with 2 towers of 60 metres attracts every year thousands of pilgrims that arrive in Aglona for the magnificent and grandiose complex of events on the day of the Assumption of Mary. Different healing qualities have been ascribed to the altar piece of Aglona basilica “The Miracle-worker Our Lady of Aglona”. This icon is being uncovered only in ceremonious activities when religious celebrations are taking place. The impressive basilica is known also for its interior, made in 18th and 19th century, and attracts not only pilgrims but also art lovers and tourists.

Edvīns shows us some more scenic roads of Latgale. Especially beautiful seems the road from Jaunokra to Grāveri – along the right side of the road there are a lot of lakes surrounded by golden autumn-like trees that all together looks like a string of beads.

A wonderful conclusion of our off road adventure tour is the crossing of a wide ford on river Dubna. Near Višķi we drive out on Višķi – Nīcgale highway to continue our way home. This off road adventure tour to Latgale will remain in memory for long time because of the sense of the real backcountry that it gave to the participants, as well with the beautiful nature and landscapes.

Read previous:
Adventure Tours to Latgale: Day 1

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Full Day Vidzeme Off Road Adventure Tour

Vidzeme Off Road Tour is an exciting and unforgettable adventure tour with 4×4 jeeps on the winding roads, small backcountry tracks and forest roads and off roads of Vidzeme elevation – one of Latvia’s most beautiful landscape regions! This adventure tour leads you through the most beautiful areas of Vidzeme that are still wild and in many cases untouched by the civilization. There will be river crossing and driving through mud. Part of the tour takes place in the territory of nature park of Ogre River valley.

Vidzeme elevation

Vidzeme elevation

Vidzeme elevation is the second highest elevation in Baltic States, its average height is 250 m. The elevation contains the highest point of Latvia, the Gaiziņkalns hill (311,5 m a.s.l.)
The climate of the Vidzeme region is characteristic with low temperatures in January (-6°C) and in July (+16,5°C), high-rainfall (750 mm), high number of cloudy days and a thick sheet of snow in winter. The average thickness of the sheet of snow is over 40 cm.
There are a lot of rivers in the region that have great slopes; also there are deep valleys and lakes. Vidzeme highland is beautiful in all seasons and it has a great diversity of landscapes that are visited by numerous tourists every year. The long winter and thick sheet of snow attracts many admirers of skiing.

Vidzeme Off Road Adventure Tour starts the capital of Latvia, in Riga. 4×4 jeeps start the tour by going east – the direction of Vidzeme elevation. Strangely enough, but this motor road of a national significance is covered with asphalt only the fist 30 km. Then after a sharp curve, the asphalt ends and the drivers suddenly find themselves driving on a winding gravel road with steep slopes in Kangari hill. After approximately 20 km the first off road adventure awaits the travellers – there’s a bridge but the access roads on the both sides are flushed away by the river and it is now impossible to get on the bridge. The 4×4 jeeps must cross the river driving across the ford.

Then it’s approximately 20 minutes driving on the first class road when the real off road adventure starts in the surrounding area of Taurupe! The roads become narrow, lead through regions with low population density and in some places they turn into way-less off roads – places where only 4×4 jeeps that are prepared for off road driving and have experienced drivers can drive through!

On Vidzeme Off Road Adventure Tour the hills and valleys, the meadows and forests outline the landscape – this region in beautiful in all seasons! There are some farmsteads and ruins of abandoned buildings on the way. During the off road adventure tour we can quite often meet forest animals – roes, elks, hares and wild boars.

After 2 hours of jolting and driving on winding roads the route of Vidzeme Off Road Adventure Tour leads the 4×4 jeeps to the territory of nature park of Ogre River valley. The winding country roads continue and we reach the ford of river Līčupe – tributary of Ogre River. The next object of interest is the railway bridge of demounted railway line Rīga – Ērgļi. The deck of the bridge is approximately 18 metres above the river – it is the second highest railway bridge in Latvia and in all Baltic States.

The level of adrenaline rises even more after the discovery of the fact that the bridge has no parapets – drivers must be especially cautious when they cross the bridge with 4×4 jeeps. River Līčupe itself is a very beautiful river with clear water and a lot of rocks – like all other big and small rivers in the neighbourhood.

Ogre River valley Nature park

Ogre River valley

Nature park “Ogres ieleja” (Ogre River valley) is a part of territory of NATURA 2000 that starts in the Vidzeme elevation right below Ērgļi and continues along Ogre River almost reaching its entry in Daugava – the largest river of Latvia – that is approximately 120 km long.
In the territory of Ogre River valley there is a great concentration of areas of specially protected species and biotopes. There are almost twenty specially protected biotopes – forests of slopes and ravines, outstanding overfalls, park-like meadows, fallow land and natural alluvial meadows rich with different plant species, mixed forests of oaks, ashes and wych-elms and other biotopes that are nowadays almost extinct in densely populated areas of Europe. The banks of Ogre River are clearly directed to the north and to the south – that is why each shore has its own microclimate – when there is green grass and flowers are blossoming on one shore, there is still melting snow on the other side of the river. The special worth of the river is the fact that it has never been dredged.

The next off road adventure after the crossing of railway bridge is the crossing of Ogre River near the hydroelectric power station of Vecogre. Once there used to be bridge, but it has been blown up during the Second World War. So now, if you want to get on the other shore, you must drive almost 100 metres on the river bed with your 4×4 jeep.

But that’s exactly what a participant of off road adventure tour needs! After a half an hour of driving along beautiful landscapes and we have reached Ērgļi – a small town in Vidzeme. After such an exciting and fascinating drive during Vidzeme Off Road Adventure Tour, the lunch in café “Ērgļi” doesn’t disappoint – friendly and home-like atmosphere and delicious food and – what’s more important – kindest and most responsive personnel in the neighborhood!

After the lunch and a short rest, 4×4 jeeps with their drivers continue their off road adventures. Every here and there the country roads turn to off-roads and the adventure tour continues on uncultivated, almost overgrown meadows along abandoned homes. We stop at a large oak with impressive girth of the trunk (approximately 7 metres) and near some abandoned building with a text in Russian on its wall, written there during the Second World War – in 1944 here, in the middle of the woods, were the headquarters of the Soviet Army.

The next stage of off road adventure tour is a track that is specially designed for 4×4 jeeps in an old and wild forest. Here we have to be specially careful and manoeuvre between the rocks and trees and as well press the accelerator pedal in the right moment so that the 4×4 jeep wouldn’t stuck in the mud and would be able to climb up the hill. After this small but complex off road track we must cross the small river Vedze and the route of Vidzeme Off Road Adventure Tour starts heading back to Riga.

Just half an hour driving on off roads, then some 30 km to a small town Mālpils, and from there after an hour long drive on asphalt road, the participants of Vidzeme Off Road Adventure Tour return to Riga. The real exhaustion will take the participants over after the dinner but – this off road adventure tour would definitely be worth it!

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Remark
The Organizer of the Off Road Adventure tour shall retain the rights to make changes in the route of Vidzeme Off Road Adventure Tour, which does not change the essential character of the off road adventure tour and doesn’t lessen the intensity. Changes are introduced mainly due to the changes in weather conditions and special features of different seasons.

Anyone who at least once has tried to buy used 4×4 jeep, also called off road jeep, will admit that it was indeed very exhausting and enduring process, despite of the fact that the offer is wide enough. Those who don’t have their own 4×4 jeep yet, but want to participate in off road adventures and buy an off road vehicle, are about to experience this exciting procedure! To ease this process at least a little, we will analyze here the offer of the available used off road jeeps and try to answer to the eternal question – “which is better?”

How to choose 4×4 jeep for off road adventures?

To understand in which direction to look, everyone should answer himself to few questions about his “perfect 4×4 jeep”. In other words – to determine what are the criterions of choice.

1. Price. It usually is one of the most important matters when you are about to buy something, including a 4×4 jeep for off road adventures!

2. Use. Where are you going to drive with your 4×4 jeep, what roads are you going to take and how often? Whether those are going to be activities connected with your work or you are going to participate in off road adventures and expeditions? How much space do you need in your 4×4 off road jeep? Is it going to be the only vehicle or the second or third in your car park? The right choice will help you to achieve your goals faster and easier.

3. Reliability. It is very important to accomplish everything you have planned in time and reach the target. And the reliability is even more important, if you need to cover bigger distances or go on off road adventures.

4. Fuel consumption. Important as always – off road adventures are not exception!

5. Engine power and type of gear box. Of course people can get used to anything, but the pleasure is bigger if you drive a 4×4 off road jeep you like! And if you plan to participate in many off road adventures, it is better to choose the manual transmission.

6. Equipment and level of comfort. It is nice to feel good inside your 4×4 off road jeep, no matter what the road conditions are and how often you participate in off road adventures!

7. Availability of spare parts. It is logical that it is easier and cheaper to buy new or used spare parts for the most popular models.

8. Personnel and subjective reasons to love specific type or model. If such reasons exist, all rational considerations are pushed aside!

Our friend – common sense – tells us that it would be wiser to start with the second point of the list – what am I going to do with my 4×4 jeep? Then go back to the first, continue with the third and all other points.

Every 4×4 off road jeep has its own mission

Here we are going to identify the most popular ways of use of off road jeeps and will look at the offer of used and not very expensive off road jeeps. Not talking about the “City. Highway. Asphalt.” We’ll start with the following:

If you have to cover long distances every day on roads of different covering and on country roads:

– that could be a car for a person who is working in the countryside or lives far from the city. In this case most likely we are not talking about off road adventures, but all-wheel drive capability could be useful in winter and also in spring or autumn. The car should be reliable, comfortable and economic. If there are no passengers, the model with short wheelbase (3 doors) would be more economic. But with long wheelbase you would feel less the undulations – car wouldn’t “bounce” so much. The most reliable but also most expensive choice would be Toyota Land Cruiser 90 or 120 series.

Another good choice is Mitsubishi Pajero or Mitsubishi Pajero Sport – it has better steerability, but the running gear’s lifetime is short and the fuel consumption is high. You can also choose Opel Frontera or Monterey, Jeep Grand Cherokee or Land Rover Discovery of the third generation or younger. A good alternative could also be the powerful korean Hyundai Terracan, though its production has been ceased. You can also pick some “parquet jeep” for your everyday tours on country roads, but there are no reliable data on the endurance of running gear that would be constantly subjected to the bumpy Latvian roads.

For short everyday journeys on roads of different covering and on country roads:

– in this case it could be either work in the specific region or everyday journeys from home to store in countryside. If you use your 4×4 jeep mostly for these purposes, it wouldn’t be wise to use it during the off road adventures. In this case the reliability and comfort as well as fuel economy could have less importance than in cases you need to drive 100 or more kilometers per day. For such short journeys you can also choose the models mentioned above, but here the vehicle could be older or could have run more.

It is worth to look at some American productions or some rarer off road jeeps from Daihatsu, Ford, Nissan, Suzuki. A friend of mine after a long search just bought 4×4 Range Rover 1998 model. This jeep looks impressive and drives well, but you must have very strong nerves – just to be able to pay no attention to all the blinking lights on the gauge-board and other “phenomenons” connected with electricity. Some small disorders are a common thing for older Land Rovers.

For long journeys on the roads of different covering; off road driving; away from civilization:

– now we are talking about off road adventures and expeditions. Maybe sometimes some fishermen or hunters have a necessity for such use of the 4×4 off road jeep. In this case you need a big and reliable vehicle that is good enough on the road and also off road.

Check out on the internet or in the magazines what the choices of globe-trotters are when they go on their round-the-world tours and off road adventures – and you’ll get the picture! Mostly they drive Toyota Land Cruiser 70, 80 or 100 series, Nissan Patrol, Land Rover Defender.

Nissan Patrol and Toyota Land Cruiser are almost the only off road jeeps that can be found and bought with the original mechanical winch – which is a very important thing during off road adventures! I am not a big fan of mechanical winches, but if this “extra” is provided in the construction – it gives sense of safety during off road adventures without additional expenses.

For rare, short journeys on the roads of different covering; off road driving; away from civilization:

– this is more the case of fishermen, hunters or forest or agricultural laborers. Also could sometimes be useful for some rare off road adventures. Here neither the comfort nor fuel economy has any importance. And nobody would care for the looks of the vehicle or existence of roadworthiness test, if you drive on the “right” roads.

Important is to get to the right place in the right time and the ability to transport goods or people. In this case you need 4×4 off road jeep with good passability. Any of the old off road jeeps will do in this case. And the simpler it is and higher its frame is the better. But you must pay attention to the condition of the frame – how rusty it is. The best choices: UAZ, Land Rover Defender, Toyota Land Cruiser 70 series, first and second generation Mitsubishi Pajero, Nissan Patrol.

For accomplishment of specific works – trailer towing, cargo transportation, etc.:

– in this case the character of each labor must be taken into consideration. For trailer towing it is important to have powerful motor but in case of cargo transportations – space that is big enough. Significant section in the range of the off road jeeps is pickup trucks – but that’s another story.

What you must know when you buy 4×4 jeep for off road adventures?

As you have understood from the above mentioned there is no such thing as the best 4×4 off road jeep. There are those who suit better for each person and for each specific occasion, whether it is connected with your work on the countryside or you just want to participate in off road adventures. But there are some not very good news that refers to absolutely everyone.

The first: if the 4×4 jeep is in good condition, no one would sell it, but would continue to drive himself. If it is on sale, then probably it has some technical problems. If you know where exactly the problem is, you just have to find out the costs and then evaluate if it is worth to buy such vehicle.

And the second – that results from the first – there are many offers in the market, but there are very few good vehicles for a good and reasonable price. That is why the purchase of the 4×4 jeep is a long and exhausting process!

Furthermore – if you see that the owner has been careless to the exterior of his 4×4 jeep (the body is scratched and you can see it’s been hit, it is dirty and “worn-out” inside), you can be almost sure that the same attitude he had towards engine and running gear. For that reason it’s better to avoid buying such vehicle.

Whether we like it or not, if we drive continuously in off road conditions and participate in many of road adventures, not only the running gear wears out faster, but also the vehicle in general. And different rear defects show up with time – cracks in the body, problems with electronics and others. From such purchases you should also avoid.

Some more advices: when you buy your 4×4 off road jeep, pay attention to the things that could ask some immediate investments, like, if the tires are worn-out you must consider the purchase of new ones. Then of course check whether the window glasses or lumps aren’t cracked. Also the lack of CD player would require additional expenses.

When talking about the technical condition of the vehicle it is of course better to consult with the professional, especially if you buy your first 4×4 jeep, because it is not the same as buying the city car. If you already have experience with off road jeeps, you can count on your own judgment about the vehicle.

Of course after you have had a test drive – on different roads, trying different gears and the capability of all-wheel drive. Don’t forget to check the engine, the running gear and the body – how rusty the vehicle is. Also pay attention to the clutch, gear box and to thousands of other important details.

Usually when somebody asks my advice about the purchase and the choice of the best 4×4 off road jeep, I give a simple answer – the one who has run less! The year of production has little importance – what does matter is the condition of the vehicle. If it is good, you’ll be able to drive safely and with no worries for a longer period!

How not to drive over water tourists

8 Off Road Driving Tips: How to cross the river

There are people to whom a river crossing with 4×4 SUV is like a bungee jumping from the bridge of Gauja in Sigulda – you know that it is possible to accomplish, but you are not quite sure how. And the most interesting part is that unlike regular motor vehicles, off road vehicles are designed so that they could get across water obstacles. And the “water line” (usually around 50 cm) that is fixed by the factory, is one of the parameters that define the suitability of the car to the off road driving.

It is hard to describe the feelings that you have when you cross the river for the first time. But the most interesting part starts when you cannot cross the water obstacle and your car stops in the middle of the river. To keep such an adventure trip in memory for a longer period, you should choose appropriate month for such “experiments”, for example December or February.

The variety of thoughts and feelings that cross your mind at the moment you see the saloon of your car filling up with water is inexpressible! Look, a half empty bottle of lemonade has swum out from under the seats together with your road map that you dropped accidentally. Your bags are already under water level. Oh yes, your buttocks also are getting wet and the rubber boots that you’re wearing is full of “nice and refreshing” river water – that’s how a real off road driving feels like! And when you open the doors and see the shore that is “so far”, you get the feeling that you’re not in Latvia anymore – there are no such wide and wild rivers in our country!

After the stream has carried you for several tens of metres downstream and you finally reach the shore, you understand that if with a looks like that you go to the nearest farmstead (if, of course, there is one) for help, you would rather get a dog biting in you leg than a tractor that could help to get the car out of river…