Varakļānu Parish: Moorland Landscapes and History

For a trip to Varakļānu Parish, two themes stand out: the moorlands and wetlands of the Teiču and Lielais Pelečāres purvs nature reserves, and the cultural history of Stirniene. Both reserves also extend into the territory of Varakļānu Parish. The manor house, churches, and memorial sites shape the historical theme of Stirniene. You can plan your trip around whether your focus is on natural landscapes or on architectural and local history.

Nature: raised bogs and wetlands

The Teiču Nature Reserve is Latvia’s largest nature reserve. Teiču Bog is one of the largest undisturbed raised bogs in the Baltic states. The reserve protects rare bird species typical of bogs, as well as characteristic plant species and wetland habitats. It serves as a feeding and resting place for migratory waterbirds. Thus, the focus is on the raised bog as well as on the habitats and functions of the wetland.

The Lielais Pelečāres purvs Nature Reserve also contains a raised bog. Forests lie along its edges, where various woodpecker species nest. The nature themes therefore have distinct specific focuses: Teiču protects rare bog birds and serves as a feeding and resting place for migratory waterbirds; Lielais Pelečāres purvs also includes forested bog margins and the woodpeckers that nest there. If you are interested in wetlands, you will encounter both the birdlife of open moorland landscapes and habitats along forest edges here.

Visiting conditions in the Teiču Nature Reserve

Visits to the Teiču Nature Reserve are permitted only from June 1 to October 31 and only when accompanied by a member of staff from the Nature Conservation Agency. Take these restrictions into account when planning and check the visitor conditions again before your trip.

Stirniene: manor house and historical route

Stirniene Manor was initially owned by the Borch family and later by the Lappo family. The manor house and its park are designated as a site of local cultural, historical, and natural significance. The manor is also a point of interest on the Historical Road to Stirniene route. This historical theme brings together the history of the manor house and the stories told along the route.

The Historical Road to Stirniene presents the history of Stirniene Parish. Its themes include nearby burial mounds, the cultural heritage left by the Borch family, life at the Stirniene school, and the history of the Catholic parish. It also covers the contribution of two figures from Latvia’s spiritual and cultural life. The route thus connects local history, religious life, and cultural heritage, without limiting these themes to the manor house alone.

Churches and memorial sites

St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Stirniene was built of masonry in 1907. It was constructed at a time when older wooden churches in Latgale were being replaced by masonry churches. The church contains a memorial plaque to Bishop Boļeslavs Sloskāns (1893–1981). Some of the church’s historical collection of liturgical vestments has also been preserved.

An earlier church in Stirniene was built between 1757 and 1767, later dismantled, and relocated to Rudzāti. Alongside it stands the story of the masonry church built in 1907; the two buildings’ histories differ markedly in date and in the older building’s later fate.

A memorial to those who were repressed between 1941 and 1949 stands on the site of Stirniene railway station. Together with the memorial plaque in the church, it offers another way to explore the history of the area: alongside architecture and religious heritage, memorial sites are also part of its cultural history.

For planning your trip, the comparison is clear: the nature reserves represent raised bogs, wetland plants, and birdlife; Stirniene represents manor house history, churches, and memorial sites. If you plan to visit the Teiču Nature Reserve, the seasonal and accompanied-visit conditions described above apply.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Grozas, Varakļānu pilsēta, Murmastienes pagasts.

Back to the broader travel overview: Varakļāni Municipality.