What To Do?
A class trip or a trip with colleagues or friends – special offers for pupil and tourist groups in Saldus municipality!
Adventures at the Viking Settlement
The organization “Wirsaitis” provides a possibility for young people to spend time in nature, at a settlement in the forest, and to learn basic survival skills, for example, to start a campfire, shoot a bow or an air gun, and to throw an axe in a specially built area. Camping in the forest is also possible. They offer various creative workshops – leather braiding, making beeswax candles or torches. Children can play sack fight or other outdoor games. There is a picnic area with a campfire site.
Brocēni Forest Park and Ropes Courses
The forest park is a great place to enjoy the forest and go for walks along the walking trails (approximately 3km long). There is a rhododendron garden in the forest – visitors can enjoy more than 60 blooming rhododendrons in early summer.
Two ropes courses – “Brocēni Air Trails” – will let you enjoy the perfect outdoor adventure. The low ropes course is available for everyone at any time and no equipment is needed. The high ropes adventure course (approximately 8m above the ground) can only be used with safety equipment and when accompanied by an instructor. The visits need to be booked in advance. To book your adventure, please call instructor Olga (mob. +371 24933055) preferably at least 24 hours prior to your visit. The ropes course can be used free of charge.
Educational Activities at Janis Rozentāls’ Saldus Museum of History & Art
The museum offers interactive educational activities, which help children to understand art and history:
- “Friend of the Museum” (LV);
- Individual games “Open It!” (LV);
- “What happens at the museum?” (LV);
- “Janis Rozentāls and his work” (ENG);
- “Get to know the language of art!” (LV);
- “Schooling in former times” (LV);
- “From grain to bread” (LV);
- “Stories of Antiquities” (LV).
“A Trip To 1919” at Oskars Kalpaks’ Museum
This historical activity is suitable for groups of year 6-9 students. It offers the opportunity to experience what it was like to be a Latvian soldier in the Battalion of colonel Oskars Kalpaks in 1919. The participants are divided into groups, they get a food bag and each group is assigned a special and exciting task.
Creative Activities at the “Blackfolkpottery”
At the pottery in Brocēni, where the “Blackforkpottery” pots and other ceramic items are made and can be purchased, visitors can also participate in creative activities and work with clay. Individual visitors and groups are welcome.
Petting Zoo “Silavas”
At the petting zoo “Silavas” visitors can interact with many different animals – donkeys, llamas, a horse, a pony, African ostriches, nutrias, chinchillas, rabbits, decorative birds, sheep, and goats. You can also feed the animals with food supplied by the zoo, which makes the visit even more exciting. The new indoor exhibit features more exotic animals – corellas and rosellas, red-rumped parrots, lovebirds, burrowing parrots. There are also various rodents – dormice, rats, Mongolian gerbils, African dormice, and also fish, a turtle and even pythons. There is a nice picnic area by a pond and a children’s playground – included in the price for groups of at least 10 people.
Boat “Zezer”
Enjoy a boat trip on Lake Ciecere – the boat “Zezer” offers public and private tours. Audio guide is available in four languages – LV, LT, RU and ENG.
Activity “Look into the nature” (“Skaties dabā”)
During the activity, children will find out how to predict weather using clouds, what special tree grows in the centre of Saldus, whether hedgehogs live here, what is the “king” of snails etc.
“Kāres” Apiary
When visiting beekeeper Jānis Vainovskis in Blīdene parish, you will learn a lot about bees and honey. In the summer, you can take a tour in the apiary dressed in a beekeeping suit, try uncapping honeycomb and extracting honey; in winter – participate in a creative workshop and make beeswax candles or sweets. Visitors can also taste various types of honey, pollen and bee bread. Families and tourist groups are welcome, and a picnic area is available.
Activities at Jaunauce Manor
Jaunauce manor offers a wide range of activities for pupils and tourists:
- “School desk”- a collection of school desks for sentimental memories. Calligraphy exercises, dictation and maths calculations.
- “Physics and chemistry lab”- the ones, who think that dictations are too easy, can try lab work in an authentic 1960s school environment.
- “Gģe u vas sporķivnij zal? – you will find out, who and why asked this question arriving at Jaunauce manor and what consequences it had. You can shoot an airgun, climb a rope and jump over a pommel horse.
- “Cinema 1970” – movies shown in the attic! We have restored the equipment and now offer 16 and 8mm films from the manor collection or you can bring your own old films to watch. Advance reservations mandatory. Tel.: +371 26014296.
- “Restoration” – “Restoration” of a fragment of the hall dome worksheet. This exercise will give you insight into the restorer’s job.
- “Where does it grow? “– with the help of a guidebook, you need to find exotic plants growing in the park: wig tree, golden rain, butternut etc.
- “Silhouette” – a creative activity of the nobles, which is still interesting nowadays.
- “Waltz” – historical dances in the dome hall, and, if you can’t dance, we will teach you! Dance lessons need to be booked in advance: +371 26014296.
Textile Studio “Austrumi”
Hand-woven tapestries made by textile artist Baiba Rītere have been highly appraised in many exhibitions in Latvia and abroad. They can be viewed and purchased at the textile studio “Austrumi”, which is located in a beautiful area near Saldus town. Visitors are introduced to the weaving process. Enthusiasts can also sign up for creative classes.
Ceramics Workshop “Klapatas”
Visitors can get acquainted with potter’s work, and everyone can try their hand at creating a ceramic item. A picnic area and a campfire site are available for visitors.
The Adventures of Little Jukums in Jaunmuiža
Excursion for pupil groups, dedicated to the memory of Jaunlutriņi compatriot, commander of Latvian Riflemen, Jukums Vācietis. Pupils can play games, which little Jukums played as a child – walking on wooden stilts, identifying trees by their leaves, making toys, and playing team games of former times.
Location: The native house of Jukums Vācietis in Jaunlutriņi, Saldus municipality
Duration: 2-2.5 hours
Reservations: +371 29115267
Visiting the Hunters’ House
The hunters’ house offers pupil and tourist groups a place to stop and have a rest during trips or hikes in the summer season. Possibility to have hot tea and learn about hunting.