Discover Ķirbiži: Forest Trail, Forest Museum and Manor History

Ķirbižu Manor is located in the settlement of Ķirbiži, within the landscape protection zone of the North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve. The Forest Museum is also in Ķirbiži. A distinctive starting point for exploring the area’s nature is the Ķirbižu Forest Educational Trail: it is 2.1 km long, forms a loop along both banks of the Vitrupe and offers the opportunity to see Vālodzes Oak.

Important for planning your visit: Ķirbižu Manor is privately owned and is not open to the public. The exhibition at Ķirbižu Forest Museum, by contrast, focuses on Latvian forestry and local nature.

Vālodzes Oak, on the bank of the Vitrupe, has a trunk circumference of 6.52 m. You can see this tree on the forest trail. The specific trail length and its loop along both banks help you plan your nature visit as a separate activity, without implying a walking time or a particular level of difficulty.

Vitrupes ieleja also has several distinct natural features. Its lower reaches have small sandstone outcrops and numerous rare plant and mollusc species. A separate section of Vitrupes ieleja, from below Ķirbižu Manor to the parish boundary, has been designated a locally protected natural site.

Another named natural site is “Intīmstūrītis,” a group of old pines described as an ecological feature, with an age of 159 years. On the bank of the Vitrupe is “Vīna pagrabiņš,” a stone-built rest terrace of the Baron of Ķirbiži. These different names represent different aspects of the area’s natural and cultural history.

Ķirbižu Forest Museum has an extensive exhibition on the development of Latvian forestry. Exhibits include local fauna and flora, the history of forest formation, forestry and timber harvesting, as well as hunting trophies. The museum therefore covers both nature and the use and development of forests.

Since 1989, Ķirbižu Forest Museum has been housed in the barn and grain-drying kiln of the Ķirbiži manor complex. The exhibition and the historic manor buildings offer different aspects of a visit: the manor house itself remains closed to public visits because it is privately owned.

Ķirbižu Manor was built for the von Aderkas family at the end of the 18th century and remodelled at the end of the 19th century. Another historical connection is Baumaņu Kārlis: he worked as a home tutor at Ķirbižu Manor from 1856 to 1858 and composed the Latvian national anthem “Dievs, svētī Latviju”.

As early as 1643, Ķirbiži was one of six horse-changing stations on the postal route from Riga to Estonia. This station is part of the area’s earlier transport history; the date refers to the year 1643.

If you would like to compare other local pages as you plan your trip, find Vidriži, Vārzas, Ainaži, Šķirstiņi, Nabe, Mustkalni, Kaijciems and Limbaži here.

How long is the Ķirbižu Forest Educational Trail?

The circular trail is 2.1 km long and runs along both banks of the Vitrupe.

Can you visit Ķirbižu Manor?

No. Ķirbižu Manor is privately owned and is not open to the public.

What topics are covered at Ķirbižu Forest Museum?

The exhibition covers Latvian forestry, local fauna and flora, the history of forest formation, timber harvesting and hunting trophies.

For the broader travel overview: Limbažu Novads.