LĪGATNE - Paper Mill Village, Cultural & Historical Centre, Soviet Bunkers and Vienkoči Park

TRIP PROGRAMME

9:00 Departure from Origo shopping centre (Satekles Street). Arrival in Līgatne.

10:30 Guided tour of the top-secret Soviet-era facility code-named “Pansionāts”

Nine metres underground lies a fully equipped bunker covering more than 2,000 square metres. Its classified status was only lifted in 2003. During the Cold War, it was one of the strategically most important facilities in Soviet Latvia in the event of nuclear war. It was a highly autonomous facility equipped with everything necessary, including the most advanced technology available at the time.

All of the original underground equipment has been preserved to this day.

12:00 Lunch at “Pie Jančuka” or free time

13:00 Guided tour: Cultural & Historical Centre, Cellar Caves and Līgatne Paper Mill

Discover the history of Līgatne and explore the most beautiful places in the town centre while learning fascinating facts about the lifestyle of historic Līgatne residents on a guided tour through the historic paper mill village.

Accompanied by an experienced guide, you can explore the Līgatne Paper Mill, see the historic residential buildings and public institutions — including the cultural centre, hospital, maternity hospital, pharmacy and educational institutions — and visit the cellar caves carved into the sandstone cliffs, where local residents traditionally store their autumn harvest of vegetables.

16:00 Vienkoči Park

Vienkoči Park promotes an environmentally conscious lifestyle and the use of natural materials, particularly wood, which is at the heart of the park's creations.

Visitors can see traditional wooden boats, chairs, sculptures, light fixtures and other wooden artworks. The park features a trail with wooden sculptures of various protected animal species, as well as a Woodcraft Museum with historic woodworking benches and tools.

The park also features scale models of historic buildings, including Nurmiži and Paltmale manor houses, the first paper mill of Līgatne Paper Mill, the historic BEIWERK building and more.

Visitors can also see Latvia’s first sandbag house, built using various natural construction techniques. Every year, Vienkoči Park surprises visitors with something new and unique.

17:00 Departure for Riga, arriving at approximately 18:30.

Included in the Price:

• Travel by a modern tourist-class coach

• Transportation and road-related services

• Guide/group leader services (in Latvian and Russian)

Additional Costs:

• Soviet-era bunker

• Guided tour of the Cultural & Historical Centre and cellar caves

• Guided tour of the Līgatne Paper Mill

• Vienkoči Park