Light's Road - Itinerary

Self drive tour Bus tour Public transport tour
Self drive tour Independent travel Latvia

Light's Road

Day 1 Aluksne and surroundings

Tourist attractions

  • The Glika oak trees - It was in 1685 and 1689, and they were planted by the priest of the local congregation, Ernest Johann Glück
  • The Ernst Glück Bible Museum - Glück (1652-1705) was a pastor and educator who was the first to translate the Bible into Latvian. 
  • The Aluksne Evangelical Lutheran Church -  Built in the style of Classicism, the church has elements of the Baroque style and a set of colourful rocks in a mosaic on the façade.
  • The Medieval Aluksne Castle - The Livonian Order built a fortified castle on the largest island in Lake Alūksne – Marijas Island (Pilssala Island) in 1342.
  • Temple Hill - Temple Hill is steep (with artificially created steepness) and about 30 m high, and it is opposite Marijas Island. 
  • The Aluksne-Gulbene train - The narrow gauge rail line between Alūksne and Gulbene  has tracks that are 750 mm wide and was once part of a rail line between Stukmaņi and Valka. 
Accommodations Taverns
Distance driving 10 km

Today you will visit Alūksne in your car, on foot or on a bike. The narrow-gauge railroad may be of interest, too.


Day 2 Stameriena - Vecgulbene - Druviena

Tourist attractions

  • The Ate Mill Museum - The 11 buildings of the museum feature farm equipment, horse-related equipment.
  • The Stameriena Castle - The castle was built during the first half of the 19th century in Tudor Neo-Gothic forms. 
  • Stameriena's Orthodox Church of St Alexander Nevsky - The crosses on the steeple of the church are known for mountain crystals that were presented by the Wolff dynasty.  Contact the church in advance for a tour of its interior.
  • The Vecgulbene Estate - A renovate estate complex of the 19th century in the historical centre of Gulbene town. 
  • The sauna workshop -  You can tour the workshop, try out your own hand at the work that the owners do, and commission or purchase their products.
  • The holy stream of Tirza - There is now a canopy over the stream, and people still drink its water.
  • The Old School of Druviena - The historical school building became home to a museum in 1964. 
  • The Silmaci of Druviena -  Silmači features an open-air stage, which was built in the 1980s for just one performance that was staged by the Latvian National Theatre during the Summer Solstice celebration in 1986. 

 

Accommodation Taverns
 
Distance driving 70 km

You can visit four or five destinations today.  A tour of the sauna object workshop must be arranged in advance, and it will take at least one hour.


Day 3 Jaunpiebalga - Vecpiebalga

Tourist attractions

 

Accommodations Taverns
 
Distance driving 35 km

Today you can visit five of the destinations.


Day 4 Vecpiebalga and surroundings

Tourist attractions

  • The Antons Austrins Memorial Museum at Kakaisi - The museum features various rural objects, things associated with the author, and exhibits such as his collected works and other books that are worth visiting in the company of a guide.
  • "Kalna Kaibeni"  -  Nominated as Latvia’s oldest memorial museum (1929), this is a place with buildings from the 18th and 19th century.
  • The Vecpiebalga Lutheran Church -  Outside the church is a rock to commemorate those who suffered from political repressions in Latvia.
  • The Vecpiebalga Estate -  The castle was built down during the 1905  Revolution, but restored four years later.
Accommodation Taverns
Distance driving 10 km

Today you will tour Vecpiebalga and its surrounding area.


Day 5 Cesvaine - Madona

Tourist attractions

  • The Cesvaine Castle - Built in the style of Eclecticism, it is said to have been presented by its owner, Adolf von Wulff, to his wife.
  • The Biksere Estate - The estate used to be known as the Libe Estate, and the buildings that are seen there now belonged to a nobleman, Magnuss.
  • The ceramist Janis Seiksts - You can visit the workshop, watch the craftsman at work, try your own hand at the process, and purchase clay objects, including garden ceramics.
  • The Madona Regional Research and Art Museum - This is one of the oldest museums in Vidzeme and features interesting discoveries from the Middle Ages and the Iron Age, some of which were found around Lake Lubāna.

 

Accommodation Taverns
Distance driving 20 km

Register in advance to visit Mr Seiksts, a ceramicist.  The visit will take at least an hour.