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.

„Lauku ceļotājs” participate in Project „AcTour: Active Tourism for Sustainable Development” where partners from Spain, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Latvia intends to transfer an innovative, tchnology-enhanced and job-related Training Guide and Curriculum on Active Tourism as a new professional profile for European rural regions. Project results will be available here http://www.activetourism.org/

Open AcTour project page in a new window

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.

The  4th European Congress on Rural Tourism, organised jointly by EuroGites and our Romanian partners of ANTREC, is now officially launched to take place in Romania, October 7-10, 2012. Detailed programme here. Follow program updates in the congress web site: www.europeanrtcongress.org 

Lauku ceļotājs announces the results of the tender within the framework of project „Heritage Tourism“.

Description of Services: Arrangement of the study tour of Latvian rural tourism businesses and Lauku Celotajs project staff to Estonia, including accommodation and catering.

Date of the decision: 04.09.2012
Decision published: 07.09.2012

Winner: OÜ Reisibüroo MERE

Content of the publication reflects the author’s opinion and the Managing Authority is not responsible for the information published by project partners.

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!

Within the framework of project „Heritage Tourism“ we are looking for following services:

Arrangement of the study tour of Latvian rural tourism businesses and Lauku Celotajs project staff to Estonia, including accommodation and catering.

Size of the group: 38 persons
Dates: 18.-20.09.2012
Description of the route:
18.09.2012: Laiksaare village/Pärnumaa-Paide-Vihi village/Viljandimaa-Intsu village/Viljandimaa
19.09.2012: Põltsamaa- Avinurme- Alatskivi-Mooste
20.09.2012: Obinitsa- Vastseliina- Rõuge

Description of services:
-    Arrangement of accommodation for 2 nights for the group on the route in 18.09.12 and 19.09.212.
-    Arrangement of 3 lunches for the group in 18.-20.09.2012 on the route
-    Arrangement of 1 coffee break per day in 18.-20.09.2012 on the route 

The price offer should be in EUR and include:
-    the price of 1 accommodation per night/per person and for the group 2 nights
-    the price of 1 lunch per person / for the group and for the group 3 lunches
-    the price of 1 coffee break per person / for the group and for the group 3 coffee breaks

More detailed programme here.

If You are interested to involve, please send us the price offer till 3rd September, 2012 to e-mail elina@celotajs.lv. For any questions please contact us +371 29135813.

Content of the publication reflects the author’s opinion and the Managing Authority is not responsible for the information published by project partners.

The 6th Pan-European Green Belt Conference took place in June 27. – 29., 2012 in Mavrovo, Macedonia.

The Green Belt conference is an annual event taking place each time in a different Green Belt site. This time the conference was hosted by Mavrovo national park in Balkan Macedonia. The conference gathered 100 professionals from 21 Green Belt countries. Asnāte Ziemele, the president of the Latvian Country Tourism Association presented the experience and results of the Green Belt Military Heritage pilot project in Latvia. The representatives of the Green Belt countries approved new territories joining the Green Belt. Asnāte Ziemele was approved as the Baltic Green Belt NGO representative. The European Green Belt initiative is presently headed by the EuroNatur foundation (Germany). There are the following sections in the European Green Belt:

1) Feno-Scandinavian Green Belt (the northern part with Norway, Finland and Russia);

2) Baltic Green Belt (the area along the Baltic coast);

3) Central European Green Belt (the Baltic coast to the river Drava)

4) Balkan Green Belt (from the river Drava to the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea).

12 European Green Belt coordinators meet twice a year. The next meeting will take place in Finland, in winter 2012. 

Press release see here.