Smiltene

Smiltene is a town in Valka District, Latvia with approximately 6,000 inhabitants.

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

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

Do

 * 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.

Go next

 * 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.
 * Smiltene manor barn ruins.jpg – 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.