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A Bright and Colourful Hike along Forest Trails together with the “Forest Trail” Project

This year, the end of October pampers nature walkers who have a wonderful opportunity to enjoy and experience a variety of warm autumn colours by taking a walk along forest trails in Latvia. Within the framework of the international project “Forest Trail” (Mežtaka), all interested can head for long-distance hikes leading from Lithuania all the way to Estonia. Hiking trails are marked on map as well as in nature. One of the autumn adventures can be a small hike to Līgatne, watching the Zvārtes Rock, listening to the different sounds of nature in Amata and “reading” other signs of nature.  

Hiking is becoming increasingly popular in Latvia – it is a safe trip either alone or with a group of friends. Whether you enjoy forest trails shortly after the rain, feeling those refreshing drops on your skin, or the rays of sun on a busy day, the walk will enchant both the old and the young walkers. In this unusually warm season, you can find trees that are confused and are now blooming just like in spring, the most attentive walkers will notice signs of European spruce bark beetles and other insects in tree trunks; and some will just make a bouquet of coloured leaves to be taken home to feel closer to nature

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Hike along the Amata River

“Tourists are very much interested in the trails available in Latvia. Currently, we are going more and more out in the nature. The total length of the two long-distance trails in the Baltic States – Forest Trail (Mežtaka) and See Trail (Jūrtaka) – is 3508 kilometres. The trails are marked, which means that before encouraging people to take a walk, we have walked them ourselves and planned them so that an average 20-kilometre walk of one day could finish at the beginning of the next day's route or very close to it. The route map can also be easily downloaded in the LVM GEO app, where the forest borders and roads can be seen,” says Juris Smaļinskis, Forest Trail expert and biologist.

At the end of this summer, the route marking in the section from Riga to the Latvian –Estonian border near Ape and Korneti was completed, work is continuing on the study of the southern part in Kurzeme and Lithuania, so that the route could be available already next summer. In forest areas, the trail leads along small forest or country roads and trails, but there are also some sections where you have to take into account short sections along roadsides.

The total length of the Forest Trail is about 1060 kilometres; in the territory of Latvia – about 340 kilometres long. The trail is divided into stages, which, depending on the walker's physical fitness, interests and time limit, can be walked separately either in one, two or three days, choosing the most suitable stage.