2020

Head for a Summer Solstice Adventure with Mother Nature Magazine

Summer solstice is a celebration rich in beliefs and traditions. The new Mother Nature (Mammadaba) summer magazine “Stay in the Forest” (Paliec mežā) will give you numerous ideas for new traditions that can be established during the shortest night of the year. The smell of meadow flowers, a bonfire in a well-maintained recreation area, the brilliance of the sunrise and the smell of the forest – all this gives such a wonderful inspiration for new summer adventures.

The temptation to go to the forest, where it is almost impossible to meet other tourists, where you can hear leaves playing in the wind and your own breath in the silence of the forest – it lures many travellers. You do not need any heavy or complicated equipment to feel comfortable in the forest – just a small bundle, in which a hammock is packed. Its options are limitless, you only need two fairly hardy trees that grow three to four metres away from each other. The magazine features advice by LVM communication specialist Anda Sproģe-Vāvere about how to arrange the most comfortable bed, in turn Nils Klints, outdoor life enthusiast and scout leader, shares his experience on how to feel safe in the forest and not endanger others.

Hammock will be useful not only for hiking, but also for a scenic boat trip. One of the most popular and picturesque trips will take you along the River Irbe all the way to the sea. Boating on the River Irbe in North Kurzeme is just as popular as on the Gauja in Vidzeme. There are several water tourist settlements on the banks of boaters' favourite rivers. Some of them are maintained by the local government, and some by JSC “Latvia's State Forests”. All you have to do is take care of the things you need and head for your adventure – the waters are already waiting for you!

If you want to enjoy the feeling of the forest in a historical place, you have to go to the plains of Zemgale, which hide real treasures. One of them is LVM zaķu or rabbit meadow in Vilce, which got its name from a two-metre high wooden rabbit sculpture, and the other – Zaļenieki manor park. This manor was once the hunting palace of the Duke of Courland and there is still a manor park preserved, from which an ancient linden-tree alley will take you to a convenient recreation place equipped with tables, benches, a fireplace, facilities and an information stand.

But you cannot do without music in the forest! Composer Jānis Lūsēns talks about how to lead listeners to peace, natural inspiration and the importance of making music.

Already for the twelfth year, JSC “Latvia's State Forests” has been issuing the Mother Nature magazine, informing its readers about the major recreation facilities, managed by LVM, about nature trails, marsh footbridges, towers, caves, lakes, trees, and other treasures to be found in the forest.