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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5-day long Off Road Tour: “Latvia – the Land of Colours”

Difficulty level: medium-hard

A 5-day adventure tour around Latvia. It is an exciting off road tour with comfortable 4×4 driving cars that offers a lot of beautiful nature scenery of Latvia’s most beautiful regions, that are in many cases untouched by the civilisation. Visits of interesting nature and culture monuments are also included in this off road adventure tour.

It is is an exclusive adventure tour and during this tour you will not meet any other tourists on the forest roads because the number of vehicles within a particular period of time is limited from the aspect of nature protection.
(tour description to be continued)

Balticum adventure tour: a 10-day and 2350 km tour of the three Baltic States – Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Enjoyness of Nature and Culture in the Baltic States by 4×4 off road jeep

Difficulty level: medium-hard

An exciting adventure tour with four-wheel drive cars in the most beautiful regions of the Baltic States that are in many cases untouched by the civilization. Visit of the most interesting nature and culture monuments, as well as visit of the capitals of all three countries is included in the tour. It is guided by English or German speaking guide and by real travelers, outstanding off road driving enthusiasts – people with extensive experience in the car for technical assistance – who will take care of the comfort during the tour.
Number of cars in the group: 3 to 8.

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Day one: Riga – Kandava – Kuldīga – Pāvilosta (310 km)

The off road adventure starts at about 10:30 from the hotel or from the Airport “Riga”. The travelers move in the direction of Kuldīga, through the beautiful nature park of the Abava River Valley. The first stop is in Kaive. First object – Kaive Ancestral oak, the largest oak in the Baltic States (girth of the trunk exceeds 10 m). After that travelers go to

Sabile and climb in the castle mound. Then lunch in a cosy pub in Kuldīga, followed by a short walk in the centre of old town of Kuldīga and visit of the Venta River rapid (the widest waterfall in the Baltic – 240m). And now the real off road driving starts – the roads become narrower and narrower until they turn into real forest paths.

Travelers cross the Tebra River and go to Pāvilosta – a small, nice town at the coast of the Baltic Sea. If the weather is fine, a short walk can be taken along the harbour breakwater. The adventure tour continues in the forest and the travelers approach the Lighthouse of Akmeņrags. It is built in 1921 and is still functioning. There after climbing more than 150 steps opens a beautiful view to the neighborhood. After the visit of lighthouse only few more kilometers are left to the place of dining and overnight stay – a guest house located in a pine forest about 200 m from the sea.

Day two: Pāvilosta – Liepāja – Curonian Spit – Klaipeda – Plunge (310 km)

The next morning as the off road adventure continues travelers take some country roads to go to Liepāja – the third biggest city in Latvia. A short car trip through the old, multiform city (the old town, military port, the Northern Forts, wind generators). About 40 km from Liepāja, shortly before crossing the Lithuanian border, we visit the wild horse pasture in Pape and the ancient fishermen farmstead in Ķoņi Village of Pape.

The main goal of the second day of the adventure tour is the visit to the Curonian Spit (a national park). The sand dunes of the Curonian Spit are the highest in Europe – their height reaches 45 and even 68 meters! If the weather conditions are appropriate a short cycling tour can be organized to have a closer look at this singular formation of nature. To get to the Curonian Spit travelers must take the ferry from Klaipeda.
From Klaipeda the off road driving continues along country roads to Plunge where travelers take a rest and have a nice dinner.

Day tree: Plunge – Siauliai – Ukmerge (280 km)

The adventure tour continues and the third day starts with an excursion in the National Park of Žemaitija representing the hillocks with lakes in between them that is so characteristic to the upland of Žemaitija (Samogitia); it is possible to see and purchase articles made by local craftsmen in the park. Then travelers move on to Siauliai where they have lunch and then proceed to the Hill of Crosses – the sacred place for Lithuanians.

The first crosses were put up there at the beginning of the 19th century but today there are more than ten thousand crosses of various shapes and sizes. And this number grows continuously. The off road adventure proceeds along country roads with characteristic Lithuanian landscape to a guest house near Ukmerge. The third day is over.

Day four: Ukmerge – Trakai – Vilnius (120 km)

The first stop is at the beautiful Trakai Castle and then the adventure tour leads the travelers to the capital of Lithuania – Vilnius – the city on hills that is situated on the banks of two rivers. Its population is more than 550 000. The old town of Vilnius is one of the biggest in the Eastern Europe and it is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is planned to have the hotel accommodation, lunch, an excursion and free time there.

Day five: Vilnius – Ignalina – Daugavpils – Aglona (260 km)

After the good rest the travelers move on to the National Park of Augšaitija. The area there is less populated and wilder than elsewhere in Lithuania. Augšaitija (lit. Highlands) is the hilliest area in Lithuania, with clean lakes, untouched nature and old country farmsteads.
After visiting the park the travelers have lunch and then continue their off road adventure in the direction of Latvia, and on the way having just a sight through the window at the Ignalina Nuclear Power Station.

The vicinity of Daugavpils offers beautiful scenery and interesting off road driving on country roads which sometimes become difficult to pass. After swaying along the bumpy roads with rather poor country farmsteads on the sides, the Basilica of Aglona appears to be especially impressive, almost as if from another world. Some more twenty kilometers of winding roads to get to the lake that has water of a very interesting hue – Velnezers (the Devil’s Lake). And off road adventures of the day concludes in a guest house at the bank of the lake. There the traditional local cuisine is served for dinner, it is peaceful and quiet and there is a possibility to go on short boat trip in the lake.

Day six: Aglona – Viļāni – Madona – Ērgļi (200 km)

Although the distance planned for the day six of the off road adventure seems to be rather short most of the roads are narrow, winding, hilly, and sometimes difficult to pass. The nature and scenery are going to be unforgettable, though. Along the numerous churches of Latgale, over the hills and streams, through valleys, the first sightseeing object is Mākoņkalns (Cloud Hill) – a hill offering a spacious and fantastic view to the nearby fields and Lake Rāzna.

After a few tens of kilometers of off road driving, travelers can have lunch at a guest house near Viļāni. After that a walk of a little less than an hour is planned in the Teirumnīki swamp path (not far from (Viļāni). There is a footbridge in the swamp and it leads to one of the swamp lakes. Then the adventure tour continues along the largest lake of Latvia – Lubāns; a bird-watching tower can be visited there. After few more moments this off road adventure tour approaches to an abandoned USSR army base in Mārciena with huge deserted garages and multi-story buildings. Travelers may climb on the roof of the buildings and take a look around.

The adventure tour continues along the winding country roads with the beautiful scenery. After fording a river the day six ends in a small hotel in Ērgļi Village. The hotel “Ērgļi” is very homelike, it offers all amenities, the food is delicious, and the staff is very kind and helpful!

Day seven: Ērgļi – Piebalga – Ape – Lullemae – Tartu (250 km)

The off road driving continues and the road leads to another abandoned USSR army base. Not only underground bunkers and deserted buildings are there but also missile storage cupolas. And for the creation of a perfect mood there is a huge granite head of Lenin. The adventure tour proceeds to Ape. It is an off road driving through forests that are almost untouched and the roads are sometimes impassible, except with a SUV.

After that travelers take a lunch in a frontier town Ape, just before crossing the border. Now the off road adventure continues in Estonia as the travelers arrive at Karula National Park and hike along one of the hilliest pedestrian paths of Karula Highland. Day seven concludes in one of the most beautiful cities of Estonia – Tartu.

Day eight: Tartu – Rakvere – Tallina (200 km)

In the morning the road takes us along the huge Lake Peipus, through woodlands to Rakvere and then to Lahemaa National Park. The park is located on several peninsulas near the Gulf of Finland. We have our lunch and an excursion there. The adventure tour continues to the capital of Estonia – Tallinn. It is a port city with a population of little more than 400 thousand people and it is situated just 80 km from Helsinki. The overnight stay and dinner in a hotel in Tallinn and a walk in the old town, if desired.

Day nine: Tallinn – Vandra – Moisakula – Valmiera (240 km)

In the morning there is an excursion in Tallinn, lunch, after that the adventure tour continues on asphalt and gravel roads to Soomaa National Park – one of the newest Estonian national parks. But as to the area it takes the second place right after Lahemaa National Park. The biggest part of the territory is occupied by swamps that are separated by rivers. Soon after the visit of the park the border of Estonia and Latvia is reached.

Then the adventure tour proceeds to the Nature Park of the Northern Gauja and travelers reach Gauja – one of the most beautiful rivers of Latvia, by driving along extremely narrow forest paths. Forest roads go along the banks of river Gauja and its oxbow lakes that end near Valmiera. Just a few more moments and the travelers arrive at the place of their last overnight stay of this off road adventure – Dikļi Palace.

Day ten: Valmiera – Cēsis – Sigulda – Riga (180 km)

The journey of the last day of the adventure tour goes mostly through the Gauja National Park (the biggest in Latvia). The country roads that are rich in beautiful scenery take us to another military object of the former USSR army – the so-called “Bunker”. It is located almost 10 m under ground, under the building of sanatorium and was intended as a shelter for the Government and the Communist Party administration in case of nuclear war. The most interesting thing is that all rooms and furnishings in the Bunker have remained intact until today.

Then in Līgatne travelers with their cars take a small ferry to cross river Gauja. After a half an hour there is lunch in Turaida and a ride on a funicular over the ancient valley of the river Gauja. And then the last off road driving experience during this tour on a few forest roads and at about 17:00 the adventure tour ends as the travelers return at the place of departure – Riga, the capital of Latvia. Now it’s time to get some rest at the hotel or have an excursion in the Old Riga.

The package of the tour includes:
• the route,
• accommodation and catering planning,
• a convoy vehicle 10 days with technical support and an English or German speaking guide – the head of the group.

In package does not include:
• All excursions: ~90 EUR/pers.
• Catering 3 times a day over 10 days (30 meals): ~350 EUR/pers.
• Overnight accommodation in hotels and guesthouses for 9 nights: ~450 EUR/pers.

It is possible to start the Balticum adventure tour from Vilniaus (Lithuania). It is possible to rent 4×4 vehicles!