Page 205 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Estonia Latvia & Lithuania

EASTERN LA T VIA  203

a Ludza with Ernst Glück (1654–1705), a
German Lutheran clergyman
Road Map E3. * 10,500. £ @
n Baznicas 42, 2946 7925. ( who was the first to translate
_ Ludza Town Festival (Aug). the Bible into Latvian. His home
has been turned into the Ernst
Perhaps the oldest town in Glück Museum of the Bible.
Latvia, Ludza traces its foun­ The Museum of Local Studies
dation back to about 1177. The and Art is housed in a manor
central square is home to the house built in 1861 for Baron
tourist information office and Vietinghoff. There are displays
the Orthodox Cathedral. on local history, arts and crafts,
The Handicrafts Centre and the museum can also
(Ludzas amatnieku centrs), close arrange excursions.
to the central square, has a
potter’s kiln and space for E Ernst Glück Museum
artisans. Visitors can participate of the Bible
in workshops by prior arrange­ Statue of Liena, heroine of Mērnieku laiki, Pils 25a. Tel 6432 3164. Open May–
ment. Handicraft objects are on in Vecpiebalga Oct: Tue–Sat; Nov–Apr: by
sale here as well. There is also a appointment. &
monthly food and crafts market. It occupies the summerhouse
The town’s Museum of Local of revolu tionary writer Kārlis
History (Ludzas novadpētniecības Skalbe (1878–1945). Further f Gulbene–Alūksne
muzejs) occupies the former villa along the road is the Janskola Narrow-Gauge
of Jakov Kulnev (1764–1812), a Museum, housed in the former
Russian war hero who lived in home of composer Emīls Railway
Ludza. The grounds contain late Dārziņš (1875–1910). The Road Map E3. Tel 6447 3037.
19th­ and early 20th­cen tury displays include works by _ Railway Festival (first Sat in Sep).
wooden buildings from various Latvian poet Janis Sudrabkalns ∑ visitgulbene.lv
parts of Latgale. (1894–1975).
This 33­km (21­mile) stretch
E Handicrafts Centre E Kaudzīte Brothers of railway track constitutes the
Tālavijas iela 27a. Tel 2946 7925. Open Memorial Museum only functioning narrow­gauge
Mon–Sat. ∑ ludzasamatnieki.lv Kalna kaibēni. Tel 2618 5382. Open railway within Latvia. The
mid­May–mid­Oct Wed–Sun. &
E Museum of Local History 90­minute journey has stops
Kulneva iela 2. Tel 6572 3931. en route, including Stāmeriena,
Open Mon–Sat. & which has a manor house,
d Alūksne and Umernieki.
The Ates Mill Museum is the
s Vecpiebalga Road Map E3. * 9,500. £ from primary incentive for visiting
Gulbene. @ from Cēsis. n Pils 25a,
Road Map D3. * 4,000. @ 6432 2804. ∑ visitaluksne.lv Umernieki. Around the mill
n 2611 0724. ∑ vecpiebalga.lv is an ethnographic museum,
In 1342, the Knights of the consisting of 13 buildings
With a history dating back to Sword built a castle on an island which have been brought from
the early 14th century, this in Lake Alūksne, after destroying around Vidzeme.
small town is famed as the the existing fortress. The
home of prominent cultural Swedish army demolished the E Ates Mill Museum
figures. Notable among them castle in 1702 rather than let it Ate, Kalncempji village. Tel 2940 0393.
were the brothers, Reinis fall into Russian hands. Alūksne Open Tue–Sun (Nov–Apr: closed Sun).
(1839–1920) and Matīss is best known for its association & 7 _ Harvest Festival (Sep).
Kaudzīte (1848–1926), who
wrote Mērnieku laiki (The Times
of the Land Surveyors). Among
the best­loved Latvian novels,
it is based on the sale of a
landlord’s estates to peasant
farmers. The authors’ home is
now the Kaudzīte Brothers
Memorial Museum.
Environs
There are other interesting sites
close to Vecpiebalga. The Kārlis
Skalbe Museum is about 4 km
(2 miles) from the town. Soviet-era steam engine locomotive at Gulbene railway station

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