Just when the years are going to turn our Winter Newsletter is out. 

We wish to all of you successful 2015 and a lots of pleasure enjoying what the tourism can give us.

Merry Christmas and happy New Year!

Latvian culinary traditions have absorbed influences from both East and the West. The cuisine is distinctly seasonal with a strong emphasis on wild food. Spring brings birch juice, the Summer Solstice brings caraway seed cheese and beer. In Autumn, mushroom hunting and cranberry gathering becomes a national obsession while Winter is the time of smoked meat and fish, warming soups and bacon filled pīrāgi. For the simplest of snacks, just smear hemp butter and honey on a slice of rye bread!
Latvians are hospitable, and they will bring gifts when they come visiting and always give you one for the road when you’re leaving.

Culinary map of Latvia

Latvian Foods and Beverages

We were glad to read in UK's "Daily Mail" that birch juice is conquering the world as one of the top health drinks. Read here.

Living in the country where there is no shortage of birch trees Latvians has collected and drunk birch sap for centuries. When you drive around Latvia in April, it is a common sight as in the photo here. The hand written signes along the roads that fresh birch sap available for purchase are also common.

Go Rural is a manual of rural tourism in Latvia for tourists as well as travel professionals.

In this brochure we try to show Latvia through its best products and people who produce and grow them. We bring out rural feeling and places where you could go and relax as if visiting your grandma in the countryside. Fruits and vegetables in the gardens are available for your own picking.

Several tours are ideal for families with children. During these tours children can see and learn from where the food is coming, feed and pat some farm animals and enjoy nature.

In our tours we bring out the typical Latvian taste providing various tasting opportunities at the farms, country houses, local pubs and restaurants. We have several food and drink tours for groups. There are also crafts tours which allows to learn some useful skills.

Using our many years' experience we also organize professional agro tours and provide consultation about rural tourism.

See electronic version here.

Summer is always a busy time for all sorts of events taking place across Latvia. Here is our selected events. Maybe you can find one near your holiday place. 

Please find our Spring Newsletter here .

In this issue: 

• Time to enjoy countryside goodies!
• Selected Accommodation with eco-label Green Certificate
• Self-drive tours: 

Visiting Castles and Baronial Estates, 7 days, Latvia & Estonia

Walking Nature Trails, 7 days, Latvia & Estonia

• Cycling tours:

Along the Baltic Sea to the Curonian Spit, 13 days, Latvia & Lithuania

Along the National Parks and Islands, 17 days, Latvia & Estonia

• Our maps and guide books. 

Win a holiday voucher of 300 EUR in the Baltic States!
Fill in the questionnaire and participate in the lottery.
The winner will be announced on the 31st May, 2014 and published on our website, Facebook and Twitter accounts as well as informed by e-mail.
You could use your voucher buying any Baltic Country Holidays products found on this our website www.countryholidays.lv.

We are participating in the following exhibitions this year:

14-19 January: Vakantiebeurs, Utrecht, The Netherlands. Stand B024

17-26 January: International Green Week, Berlin. Hall 22, stand 123

5-9 February: Reisen Hamburg, Germany. Stand B7

14-16 February: Tourest, Tallinn, Estonia. Stand I6

5-9 March: ITB Berlin, Germany. Hall 18.126A

19-22 March MITT Moscow, Russia, Pavilion 2, Hall 3, M45

Very welcome!

If you'd like to pre-arrange the meeting please write: eva@countryholidays.lv

We have released a new tourist map "Tastes of Latvia". This map shows the tastes of Latvia and encourages you to try typical food and drink during your travel. Traditional taverns, farmers' markets and open farms can be found on our website www.countryholidays.lv in the "Worth seeing" section.

The map of the Baltic States gives practical information about transportation which will be useful for planning your trip.

Available in languages: English, Russian, German

See electronical version here.

The 21st International Travel Trade Fair Balttour 2014, 7–9 February at Kipsala International Exhibition Centre, invites to try the new season’s best and most attractive travel deals in Latvia, the Baltics and around the world!