• 17.08. Dižmāras onions market "Brauc uz Talsem pierkt sīpoļs!"  Talsi, town square,  http://www.talsi.lv/dizmaras-gadatirgus-2013
• 24.08. Lamprey Festival at Carnikava. Possibility to learn about the traditional skills of catching, cooking and preserving lampreys. Tastings.
• 24.08. XIII Latvian Milk and Honey Festival in Jelgava, Raiņa park and the regatta of boats made from used milk packaging at Lielupe river. www.kultura.jelgava.lv and www.jelgava.lv
• 6. - 25.09. 9th International Arts Residence "Marks Rothko 2013" in Daugavpils.

www.rotkocentrs.lv

• 07.09. Bānītis Festival, celebration of 110 years of narrow gauge railway from Gulbene to Alūksne. www.banitis.lv
• 13.09. Soviet secondary school at the Dundagas Castle - exhibitions, concerts, performances www.dundaga.lv
• 14.09. Harvest Festival at V. Ķirpa Ates Museum. www.aluksne.lv
• 21.09. Potato Festival at Kalnciema market, Rīga (Kalnciema kvartāls). www.celotajs.lv
• 29.09. Miķeļa Day Market at Jēkabpilis, Kena park. http://www.jkp.lv/lv/aktuaali-27666/pasaakumu-plaans-2013-284421

Check our 7 new videos and get inspired for holidays in the Latvian countryside!  http://www.celotajs.lv/cont/about/video_en.html All nature seasons, good country food, open farms, attractive crafts - simple and true things to enjoy. Watch the videos - and enjoy visiting!

 Summer time is busy and packed with lots of events all across Latvia. We have selected our top of the events:

Midsummer Solstice Celebrations (Jāņi) is the biggest celebration in Latvia which roots goes deep in ancient times. It is wildly celebrated and many pre-events take place few days before 23-24 June (when it is always celbrated) Some events are more traditional than the others. In our list - we have put only few events wich will give you traditional feel of Jāņi and activities surroounded with it.

The Hermitage, St. Isaac's Cathedral, The Peter & Paul Fortress, The Summer Garden and Palace are only few highlights of the Russian jewel on the Baltic Sea - St. Petersburg. We are freshly back from our inspection trip and ready to share with you our discoveries.
After popular demand we have put together a tour with the Baltic States plus St. Petersburg. The tour is focused on castles and manor houses in the Baltic States, St. Petersburg with its surrounding palaces. Apart of this tour St. Petersburg can be added to any other our tour, combined with Tallinn and Helsinki or bought on its own. There is excellent train connection from Helsinki and Riga which both we recommend and can help to book the tickets. We also offer cruise connections - St. Peter's Lines http://www.celotajs.lv/cont/cntr/ferry_en.html .
In terms of accommodation, we're cooperating with some small, cosy hotels in convenient locations to explore the city. For selection click on this link.

 Welcome to St. Petersburg!

In this issue(download): 

- Our new tour manual GO LOCAL! is out (EN,RU,DE)

-Sample spa packages in Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania 

- New tours:

• From Gdansk to Helsinki through the Baltic States, 19 day 
• Castles and Manors from Riga to St.Petersburg, 12 days
• Winter in Northern-Latvia, 3 days
• Guided Day Tour at Kemeri National Park, 1 day

Info on our new publications.

We look forward to see you in ITB Berlin and MITT in Moscow!

Lauku ceļotājs has created a map of the Latvian, Estonian Heritage – a map with 150 magnificent places in Latvia and Estonia where customs which have been passed from one generation to another blend into modern life – whether these are grandmother’s potato pancakes, made not counting calories, or a clear homebrew with the nowadays mandatory excise stamps, and a tag of the owner-manufacturer, or the traditional sign of Jumis on the roofs of new buildings. The map encourages people to visit craftsmen and centres of craftsmen, masters of local and traditional dishes and drinks, small rural food manufacturing companies, fishermen, sites of annual traditional celebrations (such as solstice), farmsteads where visitors can participate in farm works and children can learn more about domestic animals, to visit organic and health holdings, pubs, museums and collections, historic centres of towns, ethnographic villages and territories, events with a theme related to history and reconstructions of historical events, sacred sites and buildings, castles and manors, traditional places for buying souvenirs, nature trails and routes. The map was composed by Lauku ceļotājs cooperating with the Estonian Rural Tourism Association (Eesti maaturism), the map is available in Latvian, Russian, English, German, Estonian, and Finnish.

You can download map here.

A new catalogue is published, where you will find practical information which will help you to plan your weekends and trips through Latvia's countryside – what to do, what to see, where to eat and where to spend the night.

Languages: English, Latvian, Russian,

Price (shipping within Europe included): 8,00 EUR

More about the catalogue and other publications read here.

Electronical version of the catalogue here.

Just as leaves have started to turn colourful - our newsletter is out too. /Read here/

In this issue:

•  What to do in autumn

•  Accomodation places with Latvian heritage

•  New tours: Cycling in national parks and islands

• Special Winter package

• Short breaks: Cycling at Curonian Spit and Canoeing along the Gauja River

• Message for tour operators.

Mushroom and berry picking is incredibly popular in Latvia. In autumn driving along the thicker forests on weekend, you can see many people with their baskets and knives in hand - all out for mushroom hunt.

We offer mushroom and wildlife tours for those who'd like to experience and learn about mushroom picking and preparation here.

At Riga airport's magazine "Gateway Riga", Justin Walley tells all about this healthy and tasty pass-time of many Latvians. Read here and  come to Latvia!