Stalīdzāni: Plant and Tree Wool Craft

Two different themes come together in Stalīdzāni: Ritvars Točs’s plant wool craft and a tasting. The craft focuses on the raw materials, how they are processed, and their cultural significance; the tasting offers a different, culinary perspective on the place. When planning your trip, you can decide which aspect interests you most. An official tourism listing, updated on January 31, 2024, gives the address for Koku vilnas meistars Ritvars Točs as Aiviekstes iela 15, Stalīdzāni, Barkavas pagasts, Madonas novads. Confirm the specific visit arrangements in advance.

Plant Wool and Baltic Tradition

In Stalīdzāni, Ritvars Točs makes wool from plants, shrubs, and trees in the surrounding area using ancient Baltic skills. It is described as having healing properties. The materials include nettles, thistles, fireweed, and reeds, as well as willows, maple, apple, rowan, aspen, and oak. The range, from smaller plants to trees, shows the diversity of raw materials used in this craft. Its cultural significance is also an explicit part of the work: Točs associates it with Latvian folklore and ancient Baltic traditions.

A description from 2020 mentions demonstrations of how wool is obtained from plants, shrubs, and trees. An offer description published on July 27, 2020, also lists such demonstrations. Another announcement mentions possible activities during a visit: viewing different plant and tree wools, watching wool fibers being extracted, and hearing stories and advice about natural remedies. If you are interested in this experience, arrange your specific visit in advance.

A Special Tasting

The 2026 Madona tourism guide lists a tasting of cookies made from flour from different trees at Koku vilnas meistars Ritvars Točs. This culinary aspect is clearly distinct from the focus of the craft: here, it is about tasting; there, about plant materials, wool fibers, and their traditional processing. Both themes can help you answer the question that matters for your travel plans: would you like to focus mainly on the craft, or are you especially interested in the tasting? Confirm the current visit arrangements for this as well.

Routes and Regional Planning

A route description published in 2019 lists Stalīdzāni as a stop on the route “Madona – Jaunlazdona – Mētriena – Stalidzāni – Madona.” In addition, a description published in 2019 recommended a day trip of about 100 km through the wider travel area of Madonas novads. The recommendation called for all places to be visited to be registered in advance. If you plan to follow it, confirm the current registration requirement in advance.

The two details cover different areas: the route lists Stalīdzāni as one stop in a specified sequence, while the recommendation concerns a trip through Madonas novads. This lets you consider the specific route and the broader regional day trip separately, rather than treating them as one and the same travel plan.

Discover more destinations: Dzelzava, Jaunlubāna, Madona, Prauliena, Cesvaine, Bērzaune, Tīrumskanuļi, Sarkaņi

For the broader travel overview: Madonas Novads.