Alūksne Municipality: Bānītis, Cultural Heritage and Nature

A short nature trail, a narrow-gauge railway with daily passenger service, and museums with varied collections give Alūksne Municipality several points of interest for a trip. Landscape conservation, cultural heritage and activities on the water each add their own distinctive touch.

Landscape and trails around Alūksne

The protected landscape area of Veclaicene covers 20,846 hectares. Its conservation mandate brings together the preservation of the cultural landscape and natural values of North Vidzeme with the protection of specially protected Latvian and European habitats and species. Their natural development is also to be encouraged—in balance with recreation and tourism infrastructure.

On the “Bebru valstība” nature trail, you can see visible traces of beavers’ work and various woodland artworks. The one-kilometre trail includes part of the Jaunanna Nature Reserve and passes through an area largely untouched by commercial use, with its biodiversity and plant species preserved. Weather and maintenance can affect the condition of the trail, so it is best to check before your visit.

The “Ezertaka” is a 2.8-kilometre circular trail around the peninsula of Lake Alūksne. It can be walked in either direction; possible starting points are the car park by the footbridge on Tempļakalna Street and the car park at the “Melnums” swimming area. By comparison, the “Bebru valstība” trail is shorter, at one kilometre. These distances provide a concrete guide for planning your day, but do not indicate the condition of either trail.

Near Korneti, four nature trails lead through the Korneti–Peļļi gorge and through valleys, past lakes and over hills. The Korneti observation tower is 27 metres high. From there, the view extends across the Alūksne and Haanja uplands in Estonia; Suur Munamägi can also be seen when visibility is good. Visibility and weather conditions determine how far the view reaches.

The Bānītis, the castle and museums

The Bānītis continues to carry passengers daily along a 33-kilometre section of the Gulbene–Alūksne narrow-gauge railway. Since 1998, the railway has been a state-level historical monument. If you would like to combine the journey with a visit to an exhibition, the multimedia exhibition “Alūksnes Bānīša stacija” is housed in the historic railway station luggage shed in Alūksne. It tells ten individual stories about railway stations. Since opening in 2018, the exhibition has received several national and international awards for design, architecture and museum culture. The operators regularly hold events, including the annual Bānītis Festival. For a specific journey or event, it is advisable to check the timetable and dates in advance.

Alūksne New Castle was built in the second half of the 19th century in the Tudor Gothic style as the castle of the Fītinghof family. Through its exhibitions, the Alūksne Museum presents the history, art and cultural heritage of the town and region. It also regularly offers themed cultural events and educational activities for families and school groups; programme details may change.

The Ernst Glück Bible Museum offers a different focus: it displays Bibles in 40 world languages. Visitors can read texts in old scripts, trace how languages have developed over the centuries, and learn about Gutenberg’s method and mechanism for printing the Bible. More than 6,500 objects are spread across 13 buildings at the Viktors-Ķirps-Ate Museum, 12 of which are open to visitors. Visitors can not only view old working tools but try them out themselves; such hands-on activities may depend on the programme and staff availability.

The lake, views and local traditions

Lake Alūksne has four named islands: Cepurīte, Garo sala, Tīklu sala and Pilssala. Swimming and trips by boat, catamaran or speedboat are possible on the lake. These water activities may depend on the season and the operator. The “ZZZIPPP” zipline also runs across the lake; check in advance whether the operator is offering it when you plan to visit.

Tempļakalns Park includes the highest point in Alūksne. The observation tower there has 153 steps; access and conditions may vary by season. Another way to combine activities is cycling Route No. 129 around Lake Alūksne: it can be combined with swimming or fishing, although conditions and opportunities vary by location and season.

In Jaunlaicene, the manor park covers nine hectares and is associated with 170 years of ownership by the von Wolff family. Sixteen manor buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries have been preserved; the park has developed walking paths. For a culinary highlight, try the home café day “Pierobežas garšas Veclaicenē”, featuring local dishes and stories told in the Malēnian accent. The offering varies by participating household and year, so check the dates if you are planning this visit.

Discover more destinations

Alūksne, Jaunlaicene, Jaunanna, Visikums, Korneti, Kolberģis

You can also discover these destinations: Kocēni Municipality, Cibla Municipality.

Go to the main travel overview: Latvia.