Smiltene Voyage Tips and guide

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Smiltene^{[dead link]} is a town in Valka District, Latvia with approximately 6,000 inhabitants.

There are plenty of buses from Riga, see 1188.lv.

The town is small enough to be explored on foot..

• 57.42771725.9072991 Kalnamuiža. Smiltene manor house. The estate also features the ruins of a Livonian Order castle and a cheesery built in 1763. (updated Mar 2015)
• 57.42446525.8959512 Ruins of Smiltene castle (Smiltenes pilsēta). 
• 57.42087925.8978653 Lazdukalns (Hazel Hill) Sight Tower, Parka iela 8. This 19 m high platform offers a beautiful panorama over the town and surrounding countryside (updated Feb 2015)

• Swim in Lake "Niedrājs"
• Cross-country skiing around this lake in winter, where there are pine woods and a Nordic feeling.
• There are some bicycle rental places and routes in neighbouring forests.
• 57.44167325.7339291 "Donas" farm and bakery, Smiltene district, Blome parish, ☏ +371 26425426, +371 64720056, [email protected]. Tours are available by prior reservation. Visitors can learn about the bread-making process and even bake their own bread to take home with them. A fee is charged for tours (€7, but may vary depending on chosen activities). (updated Mar 2015)

• 57.4277525.9158241 Park Hotel Brūzis, Brūža iela, 2, ☏ +371 64773708, [email protected]. M–Su 12:00–21:00. A good place to have a meal and to sleep is Park Hotel "Brūzis" ("Brewery" in English, because there used to be one). Excellent food and best beer in town. (updated Feb 2015)

• Cēsis – One of the country's oldest towns. It has an impressive castle complex of Livonian Order origin, a charming city centre with some cobblestoned streets, and historic wooden buildings.
• Valmiera – Features the only professional theatre in the region.

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  Seda – Founded in 1953 in an uninhabited area, it still embodies the pomp of Communist and Stalinist shock-work aka architecture. Nearby a vast man-made peat bogs nature area can be found, and is not to be missed. Both occurrences are historically tied to each other.
• Alūksne or Gulbene – The start and destination of a 33-km long narrow-gauge railway, at the picturesque Lake Alūksne.
• Cesvaine – This nearby village of is home to the Cesvaine Palace and ruins of medieval castles.
• Madona – A scenic town surrounded by hills, forests and lakes, and a winter sports centre.