Map of Latvian Viewing Towers and Recommendations of Which Ones to Visit

Using data from Latvia’s State Forests and the Nature Conservation Agency, Turismagids has created a map of Latvia’s most popular viewing towers, as well as offering some ideas on which towers to visit this spring.

See a map of Latvian nature trails here.

The Tērvete viewing tower has been built on the steep banks of the River Tērvete, from which a wonderful view opens up of the river valley, meadows and surrounding forests. The grand viewing tower is built of wood.

The tower is located in Tērvete Parish, in the Tērvete Nature Park. Before climbing the viewing tower, we recommend walking around the nature park itself, where many things have changed over the years. Children will enjoy the fun storybook characters to be found along the forest trails, as well as the exciting playground, while parents can enjoy the beautiful forest and the picnic spots installed in several locations. Visitors can also take advantage of bike hire.

Other interesting attractions include the Skyways of Tērvete, an aerial adventure course, and the Butterfly House.

The fee for climbing the viewing tower is 1 Euro. More information on the Tērvete Nature Park here.

In the Ogres zilie kalni (Ogre Blue Hills) nature park, you will find an impressive viewing tower which is 30.4 metres high.

You can even see Riga from the top, as well as the television tower and the beautiful waters of the Daugava. The tower’s surroundings are well-equipped for leisure activities with tables and benches, as well as information boards for visitors.
The viewing tower is located close to the Dubkalni Lake within Ikšķile county. It is a good place to cool down from the summer heat and get away from the sweltering city, but right now it’s a good place for walks and bird watching.

The Blue Hills tower is easily accessible for visitors coming from both Ogre and Ikšķile, as it is approximately halfway between the two.

Lielais liepu kalns (Great Linden Hill) is the highest point in the Latgale region of Latvia, and the third highest in Latvia as a whole. At its peak is Latvia’s highest viewing tower, reaching 34 metres in height, and if you climb to its summit, you will be 323 metres above sea level.

As you climb the tower, an unfathomably beautiful view opens up of the surrounding area — you can even see Rāzna Lake.

The Great Linden Hill and its viewing tower can be found in Rēzekne county, Kaunata parish. A path which includes information boards, resting places and swings, leads from the car park to the tower.

Those who climb to the top of the tower can enjoy a breathtaking view—forest masses, Jūrmala and the Maztīreļi swamp.

This place also has a sense of history, as you can also visit First World War battlefields; Ložmetējkalns contains memorials and graves from the Christmas Battles, a branch of the War Museum, as well as old trenches.

Surrounding the tower is a relaxation space with tables and a car park. The surrounding forest is bountiful for those foraging for mushrooms or berries.

Not far from Rēzekne, in the Ančupāni Forest Park, is a viewing tower which offers a view of the town and the surrounding area.
It is 26.4 metres high, and as Ančupāni Hill, on which it stands, is 214 metres tall, the surroundings are easily visible.

Ančupāni is a beloved leisure park for the city’s residents and its guests. It also includes a special picnic spot.

The viewing tower is very close to the city of Rēzekne. Locating it shouldn’t pose any difficulties, as the way is well signposted. The first signpost is visible when approaching the city from the Greivuli crossroads.

When visiting Alūksne, one of the best-loved tourist attractions is this viewing tower on Temple Hill, which allows you to view the surrounding landscape from a height of 37.8 metres.

This is an ancient Latgalian castle mound and the site of an ancient town. The story goes that, during the Great Northern War, Russian soldiers who wanted a better angle to shoot at the Livonian Order island castle carried earth up the hill in their hats to create a mound at the top. Between 1805-1807, a granite rotunda was built on this mound: a temple honouring the centenary of the Great Northern War.

In the 1930s, the construction of tourist attractions began on Temple Hill. One of these is the Sun Bridge, a bridge over the ravine.

In the Temple Hill Park, near the viewing tower, you can buy Alūksne souvenirs. Currently, the Temple Hill area is suitable for tourists and vacationers. The hilltop affords a wide view of the Alūksne Lake and Manor Park, as well as the island castle. At the foot of Temple Hill is a bonfire and leisure complex. Part of the lake trail also weaves by.

Those who want to enjoy the summer by the ever-changing sea, but don’t want to travel far from Riga, go to Jūrmala. In its expansive Forest Park, surrounded by grand, ancient pines, attractions and playgrounds, is a family-friendly viewing tower—there are railings and the steps are shallow. From the tower, you can see both the sea and the bustling summer town.

If you are going to Jūrmala, you can also plan a walk along the renewed Ragakāpa trail in Lielupe.

We should remind you that cars driving into Jūrmala during the summer up until October need a pass costing 2 Euro.

The graceful, tall tower at Ziemeļblāzma is an ideal destination for those who wish to cycle through Riga or walk through the Vecāķi neighbourhood.

This tower is also suitable for the elderly and smaller children, as there is a lift to the top.

It is definitely worth walking through the beautiful park and letting your children play in the playground. The viewing tower is open every day between noon and 7pm.

Address: 36 Ziemeļblāzmas Street, Riga

The Great Ķemeri Bog is one of the largest moss bogs on the Latvian coast, covering more than five thousand hectares. It is characterised by its maze of small oblong lakes creating unique natural beauty, which is why a viewing tower is ideal for observing the bog—it has a wonderful view.

The boardwalk is made of wooden planks and is 3.4 kilometers long. The trail is comprised of two circuits of 1.4 and 3.4 kilometers, and the larger circuit contains the aforementioned tower.

The bog contains flora which grow nowhere else.

As you go along the boardwalk, you will also usually be able to spot a variety of birds.

The trail is free, but you may have to pay to use the car park. You must walk in the direction indicated along the boardwalk, and visitors must keep the environment clean, leaving no trash, according to the Ķemeri National Park website.

Close to the moorland boardwalk, if you drive through Ķemeri, Jaunķemeri and then turn left in Lapmežciems towards Antiņciems, you will arrive at the Kaņieris Lake. The lake is host to two separate viewing towers, one of which is by the Antiņciems road, among the reeds, junipers and lake pools.

Meanwhile, the other is slightly further; to reach it, turn right at Antiņciems and follow the signs to Kaņieris Castle Mound Trail. Walk along the trail for around a kilometer until you arrive at the two-storey viewing platform at the top of the castle mound for a beautiful view. There is also a picnic spot overlooking the lake.

Near Salacgrīva is a tower for birdwatching in the Randi Meadows nature reserve. It is a favourite with nature specialists and tourists, from which you can see the unique lakeshore meadows, small lagoons and wetlands.

Since 2014, the tower has hosted an exhibition of artificial birdhouses curated by the Latvian Ornithological Society, and next to the tower is an outdoor class on the natural gems of the Randi Meadows.

It should also be mentioned that the Randi Meadows nature reserve contains a boardwalk to the Ainaži beach at Blusupīte.

The Lake Engure Nature Park was created in 1998 and includes not only Lake Engure and its surroundings, but also the Gulf of Riga coast from Mērsrags to Engure, as well as the forest between the coast and lake. It is one of the most bird-rich nature reserves, with 187 species of nesting birds. The Field Base of the Ornithological Laboratory of the Biology Institute has been located on the shores of Lake Engure for more than 40 years. Travellers and those interested can view animal pastures and visit the Orchid Trail, where they can view rare and protected plants.

Address: Lake Engure Nature Park, Bērzciems, Engure county.

Website: www.eedp.lv Territory open to visitors between April 15th and October 31st.