Discover Preiļi Municipality

The Preiļi Park Big Tree Trail connects 16 remarkable trees along a route of about 2.5 kilometres. Allow at least an hour and a half to explore the area—a useful guideline when planning your day.

Parks, Trails and Nature

The trail is suitable for independent walks, family outings, school groups and orienteering. Covering 41 hectares, it passes through a natural meadow, along waterways and through woodland; it also runs past old buildings and their ruins, as well as Preiļi Castle. The manor complex, including the park, covers 48 hectares in total, of which 13 hectares consist of park ponds and canals. The castle, chapel, stable, gates, gatekeeper’s house and park are architectural monuments of national significance. The Preiļi Municipality Tourism Information Centre offers guided tours of the manor complex and park.

Other trails offer different highlights. The nature trail on Upursala is in the protected zone of the “Cirīša ezers” Nature Park and passes the Upursalas pilskalns hillfort, a cultural monument of national significance. Upursala is accessible only by boat. Upurkalns was an ancient central pagan place of worship from the first millennium BC. From 1920 to 1930, the island was an important venue for folk festivals and gatherings, and there was already a tourist trail there at that time. At Lake Pelēči, a 102-metre-long nature trail through a bog crosses a Natura 2000 protected area; its facilities include a boat landing and a large observation tower. At Lake Salmejs, there is a 28-metre-high observation tower and a recreation area within the “Kaučers” specially protected landscape area. The recreation area includes a lakeside pavilion, a fire pit, a 12-metre-long pier and a boat landing.

Museums, Manors and Architectural Heritage

The Preiļi Museum of History and Applied Art holds more than 20,000 items. They document the history of the municipality and its economic, educational and cultural development. The museum offers art exhibitions and guided tours of the Preiļi Manor Chapel and Sculpture Garden. In Galēni, the permanent exhibition at the Roberta Mūks Museum displays Robert Mūks’s personal belongings, photographs and manuscripts. The museum also offers a trip to his nearby birthplace and access to the Philosophy Trail dedicated to Robert Mūks in Galēni Park. The exhibition hall hosts exhibitions and events.

The Raiņa Museum “Jasmuiža” is a historical monument of national significance. Its grounds include restored manor buildings, a ceramics workshop with a kiln, an open-air stage and an area of more than five hectares with a park. The exhibition on Latgalian ceramics features more than 200 household and decorative items made by potters from the region. At the Vārkava Local History Museum, the main exhibition is titled “The First National School for Peasant Children in Latgale”; the “Call of the Ancestors” exhibition presents historical tools and household items. Visitors can also try their hand at calligraphy.

The Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity in Vārkava was built between 1873 and 1877. It has three altars with images of saints; its organ is an art monument of national significance. Vārkava Manor Castle is also on Latvia’s list of state-protected immovable monuments, and the surrounding park is a natural monument. The “Vecvītoli” open-air activity park was established next to the historic park. In Aglona, the basilica is defined by its late Baroque forms and two towers about 60 metres high. Its construction dates are given as the first half of the 18th century or 1768 to 1800.

Activities, Crafts and Regional Cuisine

The offerings range from hands-on creative activities to unusual collections. Nester Custom Design Art Gallery displays furnishings and sculptures made from car and motorcycle parts, and offers workshops, a design café and themed events. At Jašas podi, stoneware and porcelain vessels and porcelain earrings are made; in individual or group workshops, participants of all skill levels can use a real potter’s wheel. On Lake Rušona, Wake Surf Latgale offers wakesurfing, wakeboarding, water skiing, rides on inflatable towables, and jet ski and motorboat rentals.

There are several ways to discover regional specialities. At the Z/S “Juri” farm, cheese is made by hand from the organic milk of its ten cows. During a visit, guests learn about cheesemaking traditions and can sample the cheeses and other products. The “Ošu mājas” snail farm shares information about Roman snails, offers tastings of snail meat prepared using its own recipes, and sells snail meat and wild game delicacies, among other products. The Aglona Bread Museum brings grain and bread traditions to life through proverbs, folklore, stories, old games, grain milling and bread tastings. It is open by prior appointment only.

Nature and history can also be explored together. At Aglona Deer Garden, you can watch and feed deer with the owner. The park is home to Père David’s deer, red deer and fallow deer; visitors can also see shed antlers and handmade antler jewellery. The WW2 Museum of World War II and Antiquities displays weapons, ammunition, projectiles, rockets and aerial bombs, as well as soldiers’ personal belongings and letters. Visitors can try on and be photographed in a World War II uniform. The Mount of the Christ the King complex features around 500 sculptures with biblical themes, the Garden of Eden, Noah’s Ark and a wooden church.

Getting There and Exploring the Region

Preiļi can be reached by private vehicle and intercity bus. It is about 210 kilometres from Riga, or around three hours by car, via the Riga–Daugavpils highway and regional roads. These details refer to Preiļi. Preiļi Municipality lies in the centre of Latgale, the “Land of Blue Lakes”. Boat and SUP trips on one of the many lakes are available in connection with seminars or conferences.

Discover more destinations: Preiļi, Babri, Vecvārkava, Pāvilosta Municipality, Bauska Municipality, Dagda Municipality, Dobele Municipality, Mazsalaca.

For the broader travel overview: Latvia.