Preiļi Municipality: Discover Culture, Nature and Lakes

The Preiļi Museum of History and Applied Art documents the history of the municipality and its economic, educational and cultural development with more than 20,000 objects. This cultural spectrum is complemented by manor complexes, museums, ceramics, regional food and nature trails alongside lakes.

Culture

The Preiļi Tourism and Information Centre offers a guided tour of the Preiļi manor complex and park. The Preiļi Museum of History and Applied Art also presents art exhibitions and offers guided tours of the manor chapel and sculpture garden in Preiļi.

In Galēni, the Roberta Mūks Museum is dedicated to the writer and philosopher Robert Mūks. The permanent exhibition displays personal belongings, photographs and manuscripts. The museum also offers a trip to Robert Mūks’ birthplace near the museum, as well as access to the philosophy trail dedicated to Robert Mūks in Galēni Park. A separate exhibition hall is used for exhibitions and events.

The Preiļi manor complex includes a castle, chapel, stable, gates, gatekeeper’s house and park. The buildings and park features are architectural monuments of national importance. A different form of contemporary design is showcased by the Nester Custom Design Art Gallery, with furnishings and sculptures made from car and motorcycle parts. Workshops, a design café and themed events are also offered there.

The Raiņa Museum “Jasmuiža” is a historical monument of national importance. The ensemble includes restored manor buildings, a ceramics workshop with a kiln, an open-air stage and grounds covering more than five hectares, including a park. The Jasmuiža Museum also features an extensive exhibition on Latgalian ceramics. It includes more than 200 household vessels and decorative ceramic objects made by potters from the region.

One of the notable religious buildings is Aglona Basilica. It was built in the late Baroque style and is characterised by two towers approximately 60 metres high. Its construction period is given as the first half of the 18th century or, more specifically, from 1768 to 1800.

Nature

The Preiļi manor complex and park cover 48 hectares, of which 13 hectares are occupied by park ponds and canals. The Preiļi Park Big Tree Trail connects 16 remarkable trees over a distance of approximately 2.5 kilometres and offers at least one and a half hours of nature discovery. Over 41 hectares, it passes through a natural meadow, along waterways, through woodland and past old buildings, their ruins and Preiļi Castle. The trail is suitable for individual walks, family outings, school groups and orienteering.

The nature trail on Upursala is located in the protected zone of the “Cirīša ezers” Nature Park and passes through the nationally significant cultural monument “Upursalas pilskalns”. Upursala can only be reached by boat. This makes the natural and cultural site distinctly different from trails running through park and wetland landscapes.

The bog trail at Lake Pelēči is located in a Natura 2000 nature reserve. The Lake Pelēči bog tour is a 102-metre-long nature trail with a boat landing and a large observation tower. At Lake Salmeja, there is a 28-metre-high observation tower and a recreation area in the specially protected landscape area “Kaučers”.

Crafts and Flavours

At the Z/S “Juri” farm, cheese is made by hand from the organic milk of its ten cows. During a visit, guests can learn about the traditions of cheesemaking and taste the cheeses made there, as well as other products.

The “Ošu mājas” snail farm provides information about edible snails. It offers tastings of snail meat prepared according to its own recipes and sells snail meat, game meat delicacies and souvenirs.

The “Jašas podi” ceramics workshop produces artistic, functional vessels from stoneware and porcelain, as well as porcelain earrings. For hands-on experience with the craft, individual and group ceramics workshops are available at all skill levels, with the opportunity to use a real potter’s wheel.

The Aglona Bread Museum conveys grain and bread traditions through proverbs, folklore, stories, old games, grain milling and bread tastings. At Aglona Deer Garden, visitors can observe and feed deer together with the owner.

Further destinations

For further location selection, the direct sub-destinations Babri and Preiļi are available. Other destinations include Talsu Municipality, Krimulda Municipality, Strenči Municipality, Nīca Municipality, Babīte Municipality and Mārupe.

For the higher-level travel overview: Latvia.