2016

Top 6 holiday destinations

Mid-summer is the right time for peaceful relaxation in nature, enjoying forest fruit and the unique forest silence. Or one can also explore new places, take part in the play of nature and music, celebrate birthdays, laugh and sing in open-air concerts or just admire the incredible variety of trees and bushes. JSC “Latvia’s State Forests” (LVM) offers a week-end holiday guide to LVM facilities and other places, inviting everyone to spend time in nature.

LVM Jaunmokas Palace 115-year Anniversary with a Concert of Bach Chamber Music Festival

At the time of blossoming linden alleys and the sun is at its peak – on 10 July 2016 LVM Jaunmokas Palace will celebrate its 115th anniversary. This year, the traditional Garden Festival promises to be very special - the magnificent event program will be complemented with a number of surprises in the Palace and its park. Throughout the day guests will be offered a number of cultural events: an exhibition of paintings by the first Director of the Palace - Andris Vītols, an exhibition of Art Nouveau objects from Riga Art Nouveau Centre, specific and rarely exhibited objects of LVM Jaunmokas Palace. The visitors of the evening concert in the Column Hall will be delighted by the tapestries made by Inga Brīniņa. Technology enthusiasts will have an opportunity to see the virtual exhibition "Jaunmokas Palace. 115 Facts and Objects”. In the Palace area, guests will be able to explore vintage bikes, and probably even try some of them! In the evening, a Bach Chamber Music Festival summer concert will take place in the Column Hall. The daily activities are free, while the tickets to the evening concert can be purchased at the administration of LVM Jaunmokas Palace or at online ticket office "Biļešu Paradīze”.

Spectacular Children’s Opera Festival in LVM Nature Park in Tērvete

For the third time Children's Opera Festival will take place in LVM Nature Park in Tērvete. On 9 July, celebration will begin at 12:00 with a splendid fairy tale concert "Happy Land", where the youngest  visitors will be able to meet Little Red Riding Hood, Karlsson, dog Piff, Buratino, Snow White, Pippi Longstocking, and other fairy tale characters, who will sing well-known songs together with the playful "Forest Orchestra". The young pop & rock music performers - children and youngsters, as well as opera singer Juris Vizbulis, will turn into fairy tale characters.

At 14:00, guests will have a chance to enjoy Jānis Mednis’ fairy tale opera "Sprīdītis" by Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music Opera studio “Figaro”, conducted by musical director, Professor Viesturs Gailis, director Ugis Brikmanis, set designer, costume designer Ināra Gauja, choreographer Regīna Kaupuža. Thirteen young vocalists will take part in Jānis Mediņš’ fairy tale opera “Sprīdītis”; the main role will be played by Gita Sondare.

Children's Opera Festival will take place in LVM Nature Park in Tērvete, in the Annele Meadow, near the Watchtower. Meanwhile a variety of activities will be held at the park of fairy tale characters. Entrance to the festival with a regular ticket of LVM Nature Park in Tērvete.

Sundays of July are devoted to fairy tales. Also this year, the series of events "Let's go together in a Fairy Tale!” (Ejam kopā pasakā!) will take place all month long. This year, as a special surprise to the visitors there will be a theatrical performance "In the Fairy Tale Forest!" (Pasaku mežā!), which was created thanks to director Dzintra Zimaiša. Performances take place at 14:00 and 15:30.

Gong and Bell Concert at LVM Pokaiņi Forest "Between the Heaven and the Earth"

On 9 July, at 17:00 LVM Pokaiņi Forest invites everyone to a wonderful gong and bell open-air concert "Between the Heaven and the Earth" (Starp debesīm un zemi). Gong masters Krista Džulija and Jānis will create the special magical sound full of balance and harmony. Liepāja bell ensemble "Campanella" will complement splendid gong sounds with popular melodies.

Since the concert takes place in nature, every visitor will be able to choose the best place in the shade of a birch, so for your own convenience we recommend to take along something to sit on.

Flower Friends’ Get-together in Dobele

On 9 July, at 9:00 am flower friends’ get-together will be opened, and this year it will take place in Dobele. This is an annual event bringing together many visitors - both decorative garden experts and gardeners and flower enthusiasts. Also JSC "Latvia’s State Forests" unit "LVM Seeds and Plants" traditionally participates in this event to greet the owners of the most beautiful gardens and introduce everyone to LVM and its activities and facilities. This year, thanks to the newly created environment object, visitors will have an opportunity to learn how much oxygen there is in one cubic meter of wood, as well as to see the LVM green wall of plants. After the tour around eight most beautiful gardens in Dobele and its surroundings, their owners will be congratulated at the closing ceremony of the event.

LVM Kalsnava Arboretum in Full Bloom

Also in the middle of summer LVM Kalsnava Arboretum can surprise its visitors with unusual blooms. Enjoy the glorious Weigela Florida “Red Prince” flowering in red blooms, breathe in the different Filodelfus varieties, and admire Lonicera flowers still blossoming. Next to the cash desk, the tube or silver linden Tilia tomentosa is about to break into flowers even though usually lindens are already in a full bloom at this time of the year. Plena from Deutzia crenata has blossomed in light pink flowers. Here and there sticky flowers of rhododendrons can still be seen. This is just a small insight into what you can see and enjoy at LVM Kalsnava Arboretum in mid-summer.

Play in Nature in Zaube Open-air Culinary Festival

The middle of summer, when there is a plenty of tasty things in meadows and rivers, forests and lakes, is the right time to enjoy this summer's fruit in Zaube Open-air Culinary Festival. It will take place from 9 July (starting at 12:00) in a beautiful place – near the Augšezers Lake and Lejas Lake in Zaube. Culinary masters and nature lovers and artisans, hunters and home-manufacturers will take part in the festival. Māris Olte will open conversations about natural tastes. In turn, Cūkmens (Pigman – the patron of clean forests) will invite the visitors to play and explore forest secrets.