2020

The New Mother Nature Magazine “In the Embrace of Vidzeme” Urges Its Readers to Indulge into Adventures

Latvia indeed seems to be quite small when you look at the world map, but has anyone of us really managed to visit all of its distant corners? The new Mother Nature (Mammadaba) magazine urges its readers to visit Vidzeme – a place full of majestic forests and wide fields and rivers that have witnessed events, which have taken place many centuries ago.

A great way to enjoy the spring is to go on a trek offered by the long distance hiking route “Mežtaka” (Forest Trail). This route will take you through the most forested territories of Latvia and Estonia. Juris Smaļinskis, rural explorer and one of the trek route originators: “You can go to the forest in any season of the year! Visitors will have an opportunity to see both protected areas, as well as industrial forests in different stages of their development. The “Mežtaka” route will give you an insight into the wide range of habitats in Baltic forests.”

You will find centuries-old historical evidence in Āraiši Archaeological Park. Āraiši Lake Castle, which is located in the heart of the park, was built as early as in the 9^th century. Today, thanks to the persistence and patience of historian Jānis Apaļš to make the complex excavations, the castle has regained its original appearance and is the only building of such type that has been reconstructed in Europe. In Āraiši Archaeological Park, anyone can explore the wide range of opportunities for the use of wood.

Nature lovers are of course welcome to visit LVM Vijciems Cone Drying Facility, which has been the cradle of the neighbourhood forests since 1895. You will most frequently see the furnace of the cone drying facility burning hot in March in April, but its manager Ivars Palejs still remembers the year 1997, when the harvest of pine cones was so huge that drying that started in December continued until mid-July allowing to produce 355 kilograms of seeds. This red brick building has become the pride of Vijciems, because it is the only cone drying facility of this type in the world, where seeds are still obtained. The National Heritage Board has granted the status of a state-protected cultural monument to the historic LVM Cone Drying Facility in Valka Municipality.

If your trip around Vidzeme has taken you to the east, then you should definitely visit Strenči. The town of Strenči is the capital for rafters, there is a sculpture park on the banks of the River Gauja, and those interested can learn about the tradition of sending wood materials by river. There you will also find LVM Strenči Nursery that is one of the world`s most advanced nurseries in terms of technologies used. It features an automated tree seedling sowing machine and the first automatic packaging line in the Baltics. This time, the nursery manager Jānis Zvejnieks presents this year`s TOP 3 seedlings, which you can choose to decorate your own backyard.

We encourage our most active readers who are planning their year well in advance, to get to know Rimants Liepiņš, the founder of “Stirnu buks” trail running series who along with his dedicated team of 100 people has managed to lure in the forests even the most stubborn Latvian. In this interview, he will tell the readers about how the trail race started, why it is needed and what can we expect from this year`s events.