Gauja National park
Sigulda, Latvia
About
Gauja National Park is situated 50km to the north-east of Riga, Latvia's attractive capital city. In the mild summer months, walking, cycling, horse-riding and boating are popular, as well as picnics at the many beauty spots that dot the countryside and visits to castles and churches. In the cold of winter, which usually lasts from November through to March, the park's paths can be followed on skis. Much of the area between Sigulda and Valmiera falls within Gauja National Park (Gaujas nacionālais parks; www.gnp.gov.lv). Founded in 1973, Latvia's first national park protects a diverse range of flora and fauna, and offers a multitude of forest and river hiking as well as biking trails and fabulous canoeing opportunities - a great way to explore the exquisite, pine-scented environment. The historic towns of Sigulda and Cēsis are main jumping-off points for exploring the park. At last Ligatne- Līgatne Nature Trails and the Underground Bunker. We will start the tour with a walk through Līgatne nature trails during which it will be possible to observe wild animals and birds characteristic of Latvia. During the second part of the tour, we will visit a secret Soviet-era bunker, which is located 9 metres underground and occupies a total area of 2,000 square metres. This powerful autonomous self-sufficient structure with all the necessary and most modern at that time equipment was built in 1980s for the state administration in case of a nuclear war; it was meant to be used only by the state political and administrative elite. Good rest in Latvia!
