Route description Riga-Klaipeda (from 2001, to be edited and updated)

R?ga – J?rmala – ?emeri

  • Riga: an 800 years old city, the largest in Baltics. It has formed under the influence of various cultures, which is also seen when walking in the city. Opportunitues are enormous here
  • J?rmala: another sea resort. It is possible to take a walk along the promenade Jomas Street, where cosy cafes are situated
  • ?emeri: enjoy the nature reserve in ?emeri wetlands, to the South from the A10 road

?emeri – Tukums – Kandava

  • The Šlokenbeka Manor before Tukums is a unique example of transfer from medieval to renaissance architecture. Currently it hosts the Road Museum
  • Jaunmoku palace is the hunting residence with a spectacular park that used to belong to the mayor of Riga in the beginning of the 20th century. The palace is situated 7 kilometres behind Tukums along A10
  • In Kaive you can see the largest tree in the Baltics: the Great Ancestral Oak. Its girth exceeds 10 metres. Turn North from A10 towards Kaive to find it

Kandava – Sabile – Kuld?ga

  • Enjoy the Abava Valley Nature Park as you proceed from Kandava till Renda
  • Pedv?le is an exciting open-air art museum South from Sabile, the employed theme in Pedv?le in 2002 is WATER
  • Close to Pedv?le You can find the ‘Rode?u trase’, where you can slide down from a steep hill in a small sledge. Unfortunately, the attraction is not available in rainy weather
  • The most Northern wine yard in the World grows in the centre of Sabile, find it not only in the Guinness Book of Records but also in reality
  • Sabile church has the oldest bell in whole Latvia
  • Visit the artificial Riežupe Sand caves 5 km North from Kuld?ga

Kuld?ga – J?rkalne – P?vilosta

  • Kuld?ga is one of the best-preserved towns in Latvia. Enjoy the ancient houses with tegular roofs. Certainly step on the Old bridge and take a look at Ventas rumba, the widest waterfalls in Europe
  • Enjoy the medieval castles in ?dole, ?vande and Alsunga as You proceed. Meeting the proud and self confident local people in Alsunga can bring You into entertaining situations
  • It is possible to visit an ancient watermill in ?vande
  • Approach the seacoast in J?rkalne to see the steep shore that reaches up to 16 metres height
  • Perhaps you find time to sail in the sea with local fishermen in P?vilosta… However, beware, it is an extreme experience
  • A few days before BaltiCCycle arrival in P?vilosta the sand sculpture festival will have taken place. Perhaps some pieces of art will still be seen on the beach

P?vilosta – Liep?ja – N?ca

  • The whole route from J?rkalne to Liep?ja has been named ‘the Amber Trail’ since amber can be found on the beach there after storms.
  • On the way to Liep?ja You can make a small circle towards the Kaps?de to see the Kaps?de Great Stone, which is the highest one in Latvia
  • Liep?ja is the city where wind and music is born. In Soviet times this town used to be the restricted area for foreigners. Currently it hosts various music festivals
  • The northern part of Liep?ja, Karosta, is of special interest. It has been the war port since Russian tsarist times already. Lately homeless and dangerous people were accommodated in that part of Liep?ja thus turning it into an unattractive place to visit. Due to recent cultural activities Karosta revives. People find it harsh but exotic to see a splendid orthodox cathedral among semi-demolished block houses. Another object worth seeing is the ruins of an enormous hippodrome that used to be covered with glass roof during the tsarist times. Anyhow, it is not recommended to leave bikes out of sight or to travel alone in Karosta

N?ca – Rucava – Pape

  • Perhaps You will have time to visit the Pape Lake surroundings, where wild horses and wild cows are reintroduced in their natural habitat

Pape – Nida – Lithuanian border

  • The Pape Lake is a famous bird watching spot, a tower for observations is located at the southern end of the lake
  • Pape lighthouse may also seem interesting for the visitor

Riga

You can take self-guided or organizers route along the city. Booklet,,Riga Visitors’ Guide’’ is available in the Tourist Info Center on 6 Ratslaukums (Old Riga) tel. 7207800. . It includes Riga’s, map, description about highlights, museums, accommodation etc. Riga is the central capital of the Baltic states, a large educational, political, economical, financial, industrial giant compare with other part oh Latvia. In 2001 Riga celebrates 800 years from foundation as city (but before there were village of Livi tribe).

In Latvia Bike Tour will starts from Monument of Liberty what survived during Soviet occupation as a symbol of freedom and now it is a place for popular and official happenings. Visitors should see highlights of Old Riga: The Dome Cathedral, St. Peter’s church ( the viewpoint from its top), Riga Castle (President’s residence), Saeima (parliament), ‘’Three Brothers’’- old houses, Powder Tower, Swedish Gate, the rebuilt House of Blackheads etc. Such places of interest as the monument to the most famous Latvian poet Rainis, Latvian National Opera, Orthodox Cathedral, Central market situated near Old Riga. Open Air Museum (folk buildings into pine-tree forest) is the highlight outside the center.

There are few activities as part of Riga 800 Festival on 20th in Riga:

*Concerts of ancient music in different places,

*exhibition Riga before 100 years in Museum of History of Riga and Navigation,

*Livi exhibition in History Museum of Latvia (Livi people are closely to Estonians and Finish people, they are historical inhabitants of Latvia).

[A-2] Riga– Liepoja – Klaipėda

1st day (21.07, Saturday)

Riga – Jurmala – Kemeri

The length of the route – 75 km: Riga center –6- Imanta –9- bicycle path to Jūrmala (Priedaine) – 50- Klapkalnciems – Jaunķemeri –3- sleeping place near Kemeri national park administation building “Meža māja”.

Tourism info centers:

  • Jūrmala- Jomas str.42,
  • Ķemeri National Park infocentre,
  • Meža māja’’ is into Ķemeri city park,7765386, Tukums- Pils str.3, 3124451
  • Tukums – Pils g. 3, tel. 3124451.

Accomodation:

Private campsite ‘Sveikuli’, manager Z.Freimanis, the cost 1 ls/person, tel.31 25626, mob.9232026

2nd day (22.07, Sunday)

Ķemeri – Tukums- Kandava

Sleeping place near Kandava open-air swimming pool, the alternative – hostel for 1ls.

By the way to Tukums you can enjoy beautiful lake Valguma where residence of head of soviet government has situated. There is very interesting road building and maintenance museum in renewed Šlokenbeka estate before Tukums. Then you will have an opportunity to try EuroVelo local (guided) route Tukums- Milzukalns- Rauda. There will be very small local roads along hills with nice views. Bicyclists can enjoy Kurzeme nature and adventures what they cannot find on the motored.

10km from Tukums along the old motored, crossing to Kaive- 5km gravel road to Kaive oak-tree, crossing to Pūre 8km gravel road to Pūre, then along motored to Sabile 25km, after Pūre crossing to Kandava.

Sleeping place- campground near by Kandava open-air swimming pool, alternatives- hostel of tech price 1 LVL,

You can see highlights: the widest oak-tree (10,0m around) at Kaive. It is advised to visit Kandava’s old upper town and hillfort.

Accomodation

  • Private campsite”Abavas Rumba”, the cost 1lat/tent, the owner J.Pilegis, mob.9460824;

  • Campsite “Pedvale”, the cost 1 lat/tent, the owner O.Feldbergs, mob.9133374;

  • Hotel “Kurcemes Dveice” in Sabile – Ventspilis street 70, 3252113, 2,5-3,5 Ls and so called in Egypt near Abava (you won’t have to pay here, but there won’t br the drinking water and toilet).

3rd day (23.07, Monday)

Kandava – Sabile – Renda- Sandcaves- Mežvalde – Kuldīga

Route length – 60km, 47km of them motored to Kuldīga, others sand and gravel roads to sand caves and sleeping place, in Kuldīga crossing to sand caves near the old bridge.

The EuroVelo route from Kandava to Sabile is going along the beautiful valley of the river Abava what is nature protection area. Sabile’s highlights are the most north open-air grape garden in the world and Pedvale’s very unusual open air art exhibition (you should follow trail few kilometers like in nature park because art is integrated in fine surroundings. There is reconstructed synagogue and hillfort at Sabile, too. Sabile is informal capital of Gypsy.

There is possible to go additional 9km along asphalt Sabile- Stende-Vegi to see unique collection. This is one of the highlights of Kurzeme at Stende- the private collection in the flat what is in the same time branch of county museum and place to live for its owner Brazma’s family. Always person collects or makes as pieces of art one kind of items. There are stuffed birds and small mammals, his own paintings from nature and literature stories, ancient weapons, collection of ancient and nowadays money, selection of tour’s head with hole and stone weapon into it left by stone age hunter, models of hillforts, wood works, his own made jewelry from umber and silver, etc.

There are 3 highlights at Kuldīga:

  • the Ventas Rumba, the widest (241m) waterfall in Eastern Europe,

  • labyrinth of sand caves (more than four hundred meters),

  • Old town as state protected architectural heritage.

Accomodation:

  • Hostel,,Virkas Muiža’’, Virkas g. 27, Kuldiga, tel. 3323480, the cost 3-4 LVL;
  • Ekotourism farm “Upmali, Renda, tel. 33 47280;
  • “Rumba” hotel near Rumba;

Useful contacts

  • Kuldiga TIC, Pilsetas laukums, tel. 3322259;
  • Bicycle shop and repair, in TIC building, Kuldiga.

  • Brazma homestead to call to Igo Midrijanį, tel. 3341416;

  • Talsi region museum, tel. 3222770;

  • Talsi TIC, tel. 3224165;

4th day (24.07, Tuesday)

Kuldiga – Ivande –Edole – Alsunga – Jurkalne

The length of the route – 60 km (50 km – asphalt). Sleeping place near Jurkalne campsite near the beach.

On the way you can see (if it is working then) how works sincere old watermill technology at Īvande. Īvande manor house is used as adult educational center, primary school, hostel, office of selfgovernment. This is a nice place and park about 200m from main road. Ēdole’s castle and park is a highlight what a crowd of tourists visits. Alsunga is Suiti center. Suiti is very different and specific Latvian folklore area (5 communities). They separate from conventional Latvian folklore by way of singing and clothes. There will be a folklore performance on hillfort at Alsunga on 14.00. Jūrkalne is a highlight of Latvia’s beaches. It is famous by very high vertical dune along the beach.

Accommodation

  • Jūrkalne campsite,,Vēverlejas’’- near beach, price 2LVL/tent, owner A. Egle beside in house,,Kāpas’’, tel. 36 97164;

  • Village tourism homestead,,Lūši’’ 6LVL,3697131, Sauna

Useful contacts

Bicycle repair center, Kungu street 20, Liepaja.

5th day (25.07, Wednesday)

Jurkalne – Pavilosta – Liepoja

Route length – 70km, 10km to Pāvilosta crossing along the worst quality road in Latvia (but it is designed to cover by asphalt soon), 7km along gravel from Saraiķi, the other distance is quite asphalt road. Crossings to Pāvilosta and back (3km one way) and to Vērgale and back (3km one way), crossing from main road to Saraiķi, before Saraiķi to Liepāja. At Ulmale 1km additional sandy local road can lead you to the best accessible stone with hole used for blood during old ceremonies.

Sleeping place- Campground,,Beverliņi’’ in nature protection and recreation area in Liepāja.

Pāvilosta is a small lovely seaside town. There is local Marine museum. This beach is the best to pick up amber. Vērgale several times has win notional competition as cleanest and nicest villages. There is interesting local museum, open air swimming pool there.

Accomodation

Campsite “Beverlini” in Liepaja nature reserve.

Useful contacts

Bicycle repair, Kungu str.20, Liepaja.

6th day (26.07, Thursday)

Liepaja – -Bernati – Pape

Route length – 45km: 19km busy motored, 8km bad gravel road, 12km beach, and some km local road.

We enter Liepāja trough Karosta suburb. Karosta (War port in English) was closed residential area from both tsars’ Russia and Soviet Union. Navy families lived there. When Latvia renew independence several years it was very unusual dead town but now slowly it is changed to area for international activities. You can see large Russian church on the way, too. EuroVelo bike tourists are advised not to follow the signs for transit cars in Liepāja but ride trough center of the city and stay few hours in city. Before Bernāti EuroVelo turns to old asphalt road trough this long village with small private tourism accommodations, cafe, shop, may be in future possible place for repair service for bikes. After Bernāti main path EuroVelo separates in two opportunities. You can get a very busy asphalt road for all distance to Lithuanian border. Other alternative route will be guided for Baltic Bicycle Tour 2001+ and is the best chance to enjoy nature and adventures to turn after Bernāti to gravel, sandy, but strong beach, trails along grass and sand. On this way you can enjoy not only awful gravel but completely lonely beach (this was former restricted soviet military area but now- birds and plants protection territory. It is so unusual for Europe to be so far from other people on so wonderful beach with the only natural sounds of birds and waves. NOT PICK UP AMBER THERE! Soviets had exercises to bomb ships there. You can see pieces of phosphorus what is visually impossible to separate from umber but what shall you seriously injure when it warms in jour hand or pocked. You may see ruins of these bombed ships, too. Near Jūrmalciems you can see small private fishing boats where fishing is going on like in, old times’’. Near Pape you will have one of the two possibilities to see in Europe (the first one was in the Netherlands) wild horses. These species were artificially renewed from domestic ones in the Netherlands. Their tasks are to graze grass on loans with rich biodiversity not to allow them to be covered by bushes. Wild horses live in large territory but everybody is allowed to enter it (but follow regulations!).. There is an interesting lighthouse at Pape, too. There is a large diversity of birds in the lake Pape. There is built special tower for tourists to watch them. You will have the opportunity to do it in early morning because there will be a camp place at Pape. This is a place to stay for followers along main road, too. Closely to Pape you can see small nice ethnographical stile Lithuanian village. Then trail is going along wild meadows, pinafores, along dunes to Nida. Then little km gravel road to Lithuanian border.

Useful information

Tourism infocentre Liepāja, Lielā str.11, tel. 3421002

Accommodation

Sleeping place campground at Pape, alternatives to go main motored and stay at one of lot tourism farms near main road at Nīca.

7th day (27.07, Friday)

Pape- Nida- Lithuanian border- Palanga- Klaipėda

Through Latvia 10km along grass, sand, gravel, then from Šventoji to Klaipeda mainly asphalt bicycle path.

Please, remember that in Latvian side you are in nature protection area.

Palanga

The most interesting cultural heritage – the park, projected by Rene Andre. This park is very good example of productive relation between nature and culture. There is the Amber museum in the manor, equipped by the count Tiškevičius, which has almost the biggest Amber exposition in all the Europe.

Karklė

In the end of 19 cent. the village Karklė has continued from Giruliai to Nemirseta (now there is the Seaside Regional Park). Local inhabitants – curronians lived from fishing, domestic animals and from the amber. In 1911 there was built evangelic church. Later there was the polygon of Soviet Army. Now it is an etnoculture reserve.

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