Ranka: Culture, Trails and Rankas Manor

• A complete visit to Rankas Manor includes a sculpture park and a one-kilometer-long health trail.
• The library at Rankas Manor contains 5,500 books and two pianos.
• The Green Way for cyclists and pedestrians runs along a former railway line through Rankas parish.
• The Ranka Cemetery Chapel is an architectural monument of local significance.
• The geodetic point of the Struve Geodetic Arc “Ranka” has been protected as an industrial monument of national significance since 2017.

Rankas Manor is the cultural focus of the visit. The visit includes the sculpture park, the health trail and the library. The library, with its 5,500 books and two pianos, adds a distinctive feature to the ensemble. There is also an art gallery with works by Dace Saulīte, Aija Bāliņa, Sarmīte Caune, Edgars Mucenieks and Andris Vītols.

There are also specific points of interest for different interests: Rankas Manor is home to a collection of antique vehicles, including vehicles of the Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce and Volga brands. Various concerts are held in the White Hall, including chamber music and other musical genres. Those looking for accommodation in Ranka can therefore first consider whether the focus of their trip should be on the manor, art and music or on trails and landscape.

The health trail at Rankas Manor is one kilometer long and adds a short walking route to the visit. The Green Way was created along the former railway line through Rankas parish. The route allows cyclists and pedestrians to include cultural and historical sites in the area, observe nature and learn about business activity in Ranka.

The sculpture park also offers various landscape features. It includes three ponds: the Romantic Pond, the Landscape Pond and the Panorama Pond. These names provide different thematic points of orientation for the walk, without implying any specific trail length or walking time.

Records of Rankas Manor date back to the 16th century, when the manor was granted in fief to vassals of the Archbishop of Riga. The Ranka Cemetery Chapel was built between 1932 and 1933 and renovated in 2007 for 3,000 lats. As an architectural monument of local significance, it adds to the historical references of the area.

Another distinctive point of reference is the geodetic point of the Struve Geodetic Arc “Ranka”. Since 2017, it has been included in the state list of protected cultural monuments as an industrial monument of national significance. Together with Rankas Manor and the chapel, this creates a cultural focus for trip planning.

If you would like to consider other destinations for your trip planning in addition to Ranka, you can also look at Gulbene, Stāmeriena, Galgauska, Daukstes, Litene, Namsadi, Stāķi and Velēna. These places serve as additional options for your individual trip planning.

What is included in a complete visit to Rankas Manor?

It includes a sculpture park, a one-kilometer-long health trail and a library with 5,500 books and two pianos.

What cultural offerings are available at Rankas Manor?

Cultural offerings include an art gallery, a collection of antique vehicles and various concerts in the White Hall, including chamber music and other musical genres.

What is the Green Way?

The Green Way was created along the former railway line through Rankas parish. It can be used by cyclists and pedestrians and incorporates cultural and historical sites, nature observation and business activity in Ranka.

Which monuments can you discover in Ranka?

Historical points of reference include the Ranka Cemetery Chapel, Rankas Manor and the geodetic point of the Struve Geodetic Arc “Ranka”. The chapel is an architectural monument of local significance; the Struve point has been protected as an industrial monument of national significance since 2017.

For the broader travel overview: Gulbene Municipality.