Tērvete Nature Park [1], one of Latvia’s most popular and familyfriendly tourist destinations lies within easy reach, about 70 km from Riga. In 2009, the park was recognized as a European Destination of Excellence by the EDEN project. It’s a fantastic place to spend a whole day with the family – there are walking trails, children’s playgrounds, and you can look at fairytale characters and more than 100 wooden sculptures of animals and insects. Within the park, you can go for a bike ride, take the Fairytale Train, or try horse riding. Paths lead through pine forest which is over 300 years old. Several leisure and picnic spots, as well as cafes can be found in the park. Between May and October the park’s youngest visitors can also make friends with live fairytale characters – bears, dwarves, witches and folktale mothers.
On the way back, stop at Jelgava. Take a look at the restored St. Trinity Church tower [2]. This was the first stone church in Europe to be built for a Lutheran congregation. It is also worth visiting the G. Eliass Jelgava History and Art Museum [3] and Jelgava Castle [4]. By the light of lanterns in the Jelgava Castle cellar, you can pay a visit to the crypts of Biron, Duke of Courland and the Kettlers.
You will need a car to travel the full route, but Jelgava can also be reached by minibus, train (www.ldz.lv [5]) or bus (www.autoosta.lv [6]).
