At the end of the information campaign, the Ministry of Culture (MoC) presents the book "The Discovered Latvia" to libraries and tourist information centres, as well as to MoC schools. The book provides detailed information on more than 60 restored and newly created Latvian cultural and natural heritage sites, which Latvian citizens were invited to discover in person this summer. So far, €120.8 million have been invested in the construction and renovation of the facilities, more than half of it from the European Regional Development Fund.
"I am pleased with the activity of the Latvian population in familiarizing with the cultural and natural values of our country. During the campaign, we also experienced a great interest in the opportunity to get acquainted with the book "The Discovered Latvia". Now everyone in Latvia will have the opportunity to do so by visiting their nearest library. We hope that interest in exploring Latvia will continue to grow and that someone will be inspired to create a new itinerary by looking into the book," says Minister of Culture Nauris Puntulis.
Stāmeriena Castle, which was the most appreciated attraction last year, was a popular destination this year as well, especially for families with children, and the number of foreign visitors has also increased. Edīte Siļķēna, Stāmeriena Castle Manager, talks about the summer season: "This year, Stāmeriena Castle was especially popular destination for families, and the influx of foreign guests also increased. About 10% of all visitors were foreigners, including Estonians, Lithuanians, Germans and Finns. Ukrainian nationals also benefited from free entry to the palace. We particularly appreciate that, thanks to the renovation of the castle, we can provide visitors with adequate infrastructure - modern facilities and catering services. People appreciate being close to history and nature, and at the same time feeling comfortable in their everyday life."
This year, several sites that were closed for renovation last year also opened their doors to visitors. Thus, travellers could meet at concerts in the restored "Pūt, vējiņi!" Stage, explore the secrets of science at the "Vizium" centre in Ventspils, visit Dobele Castle, and take advantage of many other new opportunities. This was also the first season since the reconstruction for the Liepaja "Mrs Hoijere Guest House" and, as Ieva Dzintare, the Head of the museum, admits, the summer saw a lot of genuine attention and interest from visitors. "Since the opening of the House in spring this year, we have welcomed guests not only from the Baltic States, but also from Germany, Hong Kong, Finland, Norway, Kazakhstan, France, the USA, Switzerland, Malaysia and other countries. Visitors range from those with a special interest in cultural and historical facts, to specialists and enthusiasts of historic buildings and restoration, from the very young and those taking their first steps, to the very intelligent and grey-headed," says Ieva Dzintare about the season's experience.
While travelling around Latvia, residents also had the opportunity to fill in task sheets and post photos of the campaign sites to take part in the game and win valuable prizes. The winners of the game were published at the campaign website www.atrastalatvija.lv and Instagram account @atrastalatvija. These online resources will continue to be available to the public so that everyone can continue to plan their own journeys to discover Latvia in seven cultural and natural heritage routes. The website www.atrastalatvija.lv offers everyone also the electronic version of the book "The Discovered Latvia".
Since 2018, restoration and construction of Latvian cultural and natural sites has been carried out in four phases, renovating and constructing more than 60 sites in 40 Latvian municipalities, as well as creating and developing new cultural and tourism services there. Work is still ongoing on some sites and will be fully completed by the end of 2023. Of the total investment of €120,888,186.97, €68,359,170.24 is from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), €52,103,171.47 is from state and local governments and €425,845.26 is private investment.
About the project
The Ministry of Culture administers the ERDF investments in the preservation, protection and development of the cultural and natural heritage in the regions of Latvia in the four rounds of the specific support objective 5.5.1 "Preserve, protect and develop important cultural and natural heritage and related services” of the Operational Programme "Growth and Employment" under the priority axis "Efficiency in the use of environmental resources".
More information:
Māra Arāja
SIA “Komunikācijas aģentūra” Project manager
+371 26602738
mara.araja@ka.lv