More Over the past four years in Smiltene municipality the reconstruction of the beloved Jāņukalns open-air stage was a priority for the council Although cultural events in the municipality have become more diverse difficult decisions have also been made – due to economic reasons several municipal institutions have been reorganized and schools have been closed The next set of deputies will also have to make difficult decisions about the management of closed school buildings Several Smiltene residents expressed their satisfaction with the general direction in their region to Latvian Radio It is not so easy to find parking spaces in the square next to the renovated Lutheran church the founder of the "Top!" supermarket chain the "Smiltenes piens" dairy whose products are available across the country some locals are also skeptical about the development of the municipality Vitolds [no surname given] said: "The same crayfish Just as [Gints] Kukainis ruined that stage in Jāņukalns And they still collect donations from people which was landscaped for the city's centenary which brings back fond memories for several generations of Smiltene residents This is the legacy of the previous Smiltene Regional Council Chairman Next to the Smiltene County Council building a large poster is now up with a call for everyone to contribute to the revival of Jāņukalns The renovation of Jāņukalns was indeed one of the priorities of the deputies of this term who was elected from the National Alliance party but will no longer be a candidate in the June elections The council even announced a design competition to build a beautiful building for students' creative activities on Jāņukalns "We have a challenge in the city - the music and art school the premises where these institutions are located are too small The music school is also spread across several buildings so the learning process is more fragmented There was a plan that Jāņukalns could be a creative place where children spend their daily lives and events could take place on the stage on weekends," said Ērgle the dream of rebuilding Jāņukalns has been a pipe dream the MP admitted: "We have abandoned this idea because we understand that at the moment we will not really be able to do it financially." only stumps can be seen next to the pillars of the demolished benches in Jāņukalns when he started working at the Smiltene Culture Centre while a Riga resident the head of the regional cultural department He said: "I looked at the wreckage of the stage and one of my first decisions was to conduct an assessment together with the economic department causing outrage among a certain part of the audience that I was not respecting cultural values." Raginskis predicted that Jāņukalns could once again play a role in pre-election activities due to the great interest of the residents it will be immediately repaired at least minimally – by restoring the benches and stage cover so that cultural events can take place again this summer Cultural events in the Smiltene region have become more diverse in the last four years Like the abandoned factory by the Abula River where garbage cans were produced in Soviet times there are plans to set up space for creative entrepreneurs The Smiltene library has been moved from rented premises in the city center to a secondary school biulding and is no longer easily accessible The building in the Viedrades quarter is currently in the design stage as is the construction of a new bus station and the dismantling of the old one In the seemingly prosperous Smiltene region many local government institutions have been reorganized and merged in recent years due to economic difficulties new parish associations have been created: Gaujiena-Trapene Raginskis praised the decision-making authorities' determination to maintain funding for cultural centers also in the periphery of the region the members of the Smiltene County Council decided that the Palsmane and Variņi Launkalne and Drusti community centers and cultural centers would each have one leader and I must say a big thank you to the previous city council chairman who categorically rejected the idea of ​​implementing a four-day work week in the municipality and also in the field of culture because it would have meant us doing exactly the same amount of work The region is also recovering from the school network optimization which forced the aforementioned former mayor Edgars Avotiņš (National Alliance) to close his native Bilska school on the outskirts of Smiltene He resigned from office last summer after less than five years in office making way for Astrīda Harju (New Unity) from Ape The Ministry of Education and Science (IZM) recommended closing small schools in Trapene which became one of the most painful decisions of the deputies of this term It was possible to save about half a million euros from the annual budget expenses of 44 million euros the council made one mistake in its calculation: 40 children from the Variņi school whose parents protested the most against its closure did not go to the Palsmane elementary school but most of them left the Smiltene municipality These students went to study in Ranka in Gulbene municipality and Jaunpiebalga in Cēsis municipality the head of the Smiltene Municipality Education Department laconically confirmed that the process has been completed "Smiltene Municipality is among 12 municipalities that have organized their education network according to the criteria of the Ministry of Education and Science," Roslovs noted the next cadre of councillors will have to decide on the management of several former school buildings The stunning Gaujiena Manor has just been put up for auction The expropriation of the Bilska parish Manor was stopped two years ago after protests from residents Deputy Mayor of the City Council Gita Mūrniece ("Latvijas attīstībai") who previously headed the company "Smiltenes piens" considers public-private partnerships to be a solution to the more difficult tasks The same renovation of Jāņukalns is being organized in cooperation with the Alūksne and Ape County Foundation The municipality is currently trying to reach an agreement with a private entrepreneur on the construction of another rental house because there is a shortage of apartments in Smiltene Mūrniece will not run in the elections again this year but as a deputy she had set care for seniors as her goal "We have succeeded 51% in our goal of developing a Red Cross hospital nursing home in Smiltene we are just waiting for European funds to open this year," said Mūrniece Will Smiltene municipality get a modern nursing home administrative expenses will have to be further reduced said that 34 bomb shelters have currently been marked throughout the county The largest shelter is in the basement under the Smiltene sports hall that it will not be enough for all the residents of Smiltene: "These are the largest rooms in terms of square footage where up to 100 people can be accommodated They are intended as changing rooms on a daily basis but in case of a crisis they can be used as a shelter." The municipality has called on residents to assess the suitability of their basements as bomb shelters Select text and press Ctrl+Enter to send a suggested correction to the editor Select text and press Report a mistake to send a suggested correction to the editor The six are Helsingborg (Sweden), Peipsiääre (Estonia), Alytus district (Lithuania), Płock (Poland), Kaskinen-Kaskö (Finland), and Smiltene (Latvia). The municipalities were selected from 14 candidates across the Baltic Sea Region, and "will now embark on a transformative journey to strengthen their communities" according to the organizers Each candidate prepared a Culture and Resilience Action Plan aimed at enhancing community resilience through cultural initiatives The most innovative and convincing action plans were selected by a jury of experts in social resilience as well as representatives from pan-Baltic and European organisations and networks of cities joining the BSR Cultural Pearls 2024: Svendborg (Denmark) Jakobstad-Pietarsaari (Finland) and Rūjiena (Latvia) The application for BSR Cultural Pearls 2026 will be open in February 2025 You can watch the annoucement of this year's winners in the video below President Edgars Rinkēvičs paid his 24th regional working visit to Smiltene region the President of Latvia met with the leadership of Smiltene municipality and visited the multifunctional social service centre "Īve" where he met with representatives of the association "Cerību spārni" President Rinkēvičs got acquainted with the daily operations of local entrepreneurs He visited the dairy processing company "Smiltenes piens" the fruit-growing company "Very Berry" and the retail store chain "Top!" the President of Latvia met with the residents of Smiltene region at Smiltene High School "What we have heard in the Smiltene region confirms once again that access to housing and finance is critical factor for the further development of economically robust regions While both issues are already on the government's agenda I have seen for myself that the slogan of the municipality – “In Smiltene The municipality has manufacturing and exporting companies that are actively engaged in the improvement of their surroundings and in the social life of the region The Smiltene Social Services Centre is an excellent example of the potential of modern infrastructure and services to enhance opportunities for all social groups and successful cooperation between the municipality and the non-governmental sector I am pleased with the high economic activity and the balanced development of the entire municipality," said President Edgars Rinkēvičs after his working visit the President of Latvia visited the Smiltene Church which has undergone renovation with the support of the local entrepreneurs Your feedback will help us improve this site Harju promised her fellow council members she would not to disappoint their trust and support She expressed her determination to cooperate with all deputies as well as representatives of the Vidzeme planning region and the government Harju admitted that the next year will not be better for local governments than this one because the government is looking at how to delegate more functions of state administration to local governments Harju thanked the previous chairman of the council Edgars Avotiņš (National Alliance) "All municipalities have financial difficulties but they are transitory," concluded the new council chairperson Avotiņš resigned from his position on July 25 of this year He did not receive the support of the deputies on two issues regarding the expropriation of real estate and took it as a vote of no confidence and tendered his resignation Chairman of the Estonia-Latvia Parliamentary Friendship Group Peeter Tali said that the purpose of the visit was to learn about the educational life near the Estonian-Latvian border we met with the delegation of the Latvian parliament in Valga and today we are making a return visit to the region of Smiltene on the other side of the border to discuss improving vocational education in border areas the priorities of the Estonian-Latvian cooperation program “We will certainly also discuss in depth the issues relating to the construction of Rail Baltic and the reconstruction of Via Baltica as a four-lane road.” The delegation of the Estonia-Latvia Parliamentary Friendship Group of the Riigikogu is meeting the Latvia-Estonia Parliamentary Friendship Group of the Saeima at Smiltene Secondary School They will also have meetings with the representatives of the local government of Smiltene and visit Smiltene Technical School The delegation of the Estonia-Latvia Parliamentary Friendship Group consists of Chairman Peeter Tali Deputy Chair Ester Karuse and members of the group Irja Lutsar and Anti Poolamets Discussion will be livestreamed on President’s YouTube channel presidentlv, webpage www.president.lv and Facebook (egilslevitslv) and Twitter (@Rigas_pils) accounts of Egils Levits President Levits’ visit to Rauna includes meeting with Evija Zurģe who is also the teacher of history and political science and a graduate of education project Mission possible Egils Levits will also go to high value-added manufacturer of timber products Whereas President Levits’ visit to Smiltene will include meetings with Edgars Avotiņš and other local government officials with whom Egils Levits will discuss the future of Smiltene region President will also meet with Smiltene region businessmen and winners of Smiltene Regional Business Award and plant a linden tree near the Smiltene Secondary School in honour of 100-year Anniversary of Smiltene Everyone taking part in presidential visit events is requested to wear a face mask covering mouth and nose comply with social distancing requirements refrain from shaking hands and sharing of public items 10:05 – President of Latvia Egils Levits meets with Evija Zurģe 10:35–11:35 – President of Latvia Egils Levits takes part in virtual discussion with youth  of Rauna opportunities and challenges in digital space and remote learning 13:50 – President of Latvia Egils Levits plants a linden tree in honour of 100-year Anniversary of Smiltene 14:12 – President of Latvia Egils Levits and Edgars Avotiņš 14:35 – President of Latvia Egils Levits meets with Smiltene region businessmen and winners of Smiltene Regional Business Award 15:35 – President of Latvia Egils Levits inspects amphibious vehicle developed in Smiltene region 16:05 – President of Latvia Egils Levits visits company ‘Pavasars’ which manufactures wood panel houses and wooden Gita Mūrniece was nominated for the post of mayor at Thursday's meeting Dainis Aļeksējevs was nominated and also withdrew She said she would be willing to "perform the duties as acting president of the council for one month The Smiltene municipality mayor Edgars Avotiņš stepped down at the end of July Construction work continues expanding within Latvia’s road network Most of the work is done on regional roads Motorists are urged to use alternative roads to bypass sections under construction The biggest road traffic restrictions are on the section of Riga–Ērgļi (P4) regional road from Riga bypass (A5) all the way until the turn to Tīnūži; Smiltene–Gulbene (P27) regional road from Taure to Gulbene where temporary traffic lights are already installed Road traffic restrictions are also in place on Ventspils highway (A10) section from Kūdra until the turn to Smārdi as BNN was told by Transport Information Centre This week road construction will start on several other road sections: Inčukalns (P10) and Allaži (V58) in Sigulda; two sections on regional road Riga HES-Jaunjelgava (P85); Jaunkalsnava–Lubāna (P82) road motorists are urged to look up the map of active construction work on the website of Latvian State Roads which details the latest updates regarding traffic restrictions on state roads The biggest road traffic restrictions are imposed on Ventspils highway (A10) from Kūdras to the turn to Smārde where road traffic on four sections is organised using temporary traffic lights or traffic regulators Motorists can expect to spend up to 50 minutes on the road Read also: BNN ANALYSES | Ukraine’s bombing and shelling lead to Westerners’ holiday cancellations in Lithuania The biggest traffic restrictions on regional roads are imposed on Riga-Ērgļi (P4) from Riga bypass (A5) to the turn to Tīnūži The speed limit on six sections of the road is set at 50 to 70 km/h Motorists can expect to sped up to one hour and 20 minutes on the road Motorists can use the alternative road Inčukalns-Ropaži-Ikšķile (P10) and the road Ulbroka-Ogre (P5) to avoid the route undergoing construction work The section from Taure to Gulbene on Smiltene-Gulbene (P27) road is divided into six sections with speed limit at 50 to 70 km/h Motorists can expect to spend up to an hour on the road Road traffic on Butnāri-Saldus-Ezere (P105) section from Kursīši all the way to the Lithuanian border is regulated with three traffic light sections The Smiltene sports hall has become the first facility in the municipality to have a green "Shelter" sign at its door The basement of the hall has three changing rooms and one lounge which could shelter up to 100 people during a temporary crisis The shelter could accommodate people for up to 72 hours.  A total of almost 80 basements were inspected in Smiltene of which 13 were fully compliant and 22 only partially Photo: Novadu Ziņas LTVPhoto: Novadu Ziņas LTVPhoto: Novadu Ziņas LTVPhoto: Novadu Ziņas LTVPhoto: Novadu Ziņas LTVPhoto: Novadu Ziņas LTVPhoto: Novadu Ziņas LTVPhoto: Novadu Ziņas LTVPhoto: Novadu Ziņas LTVPhoto: Novadu Ziņas LTV we see that these partially compliant cellars still need to be improved So we will see in the budget what is needed so that we can also adapt them to these shelter possibilities So we would then also add to the number of shelters in Smiltene municipality." The VUGD said that when inspecting basements there are three main factors that determine their eligibility for shelter status There must be no electricity or water mains running through and there must be no flooded areas which are mostly non-compliant where basements are already flooded Then it is further assessed whether there are two entrances Residents of apartment buildings can also contact the building managers to check the suitability of their basements for shelter status "In Gulbene region I know that there were [cases] when private persons applied but there is no active response to this from private persons yet," Kellijs said Bormanis called on residents to assess and inspect their basements: and shelters should be available within a few minutes of their accommodation We will not ask people to go to this shelter from the other side of the city." Senior Inspector of the Prevention and Public Awareness Division of the VUGD urged people to prepare themselves for crisis situations: so at that moment the municipality has these three days of time because for all the responsible services to activate some kind of assistance support mechanisms the VUGD had to inspect a total of 924 cellars 76 were compliant and around 220 were partially compliant Photo: CO-founder Edgars Talums and CEO / founder - Nikita Goncars Especially if necessary strides are taken and they are accompanied by auspicious intermediary results a groovy lending platform for the Latvian agricultural sector has already issued more than 2-million-euro loans for farmers and is swinging at 2030 envisioning itself by then as the biggest EU platform for small and medium agricultural businesses The Baltic Times Magazine spoke to the lender’s CO/founder Edgars Talums and CEO/founder Nikita Goncars Why are you focusing on the agricultural sector Edgars Talums: We have been in the lending business for almost 15 years a couple of years ago agriculture became topical for me as well Already for several generations our family has owned a property in Smiltene County it was totally overgrown and the farm was left neglected I met a number of grain farmers and livestock farmers in this environment so there was a chance to see what problems they regularly faced Farmers did not seem to know their potential: they did not receive the wanted and earned remuneration and development opportunities This motivated me and Nikita to set up this platform for crowd financing which would act as a tool for attracting investments to farmers enabling them to develop – to buy land machinery – much faster and without excessive formalities We believe that funding for farmers should be available more freely Nikita Goncars: As per my education and conviction although I have worked with my hands as well – both in Latvia and in Ukraine where my grandparents were doing farm work and I participated as well It was a good experience during childhood and youth both to understand how food grows and how physically difficult working on a farm is the initiation of this business was motivated by the desire to address the well-known problems of the availability of funding for farmers because currently there is enough money in the world as such and a vast supply of modern machinery Edgars Talums: Together we have built successful lending companies in Latvia We were and still are working with local banks and long term private investors and since our cooperation We treat investors' money as ours - with high responsibility.  Nikita Goncars: We launched LendSecured at the end of 2020 so we count that we started to work at the beginning of 2021 Since then we have issued more than 2 million euros in loans to farmers Nikita Goncars: We bring together investors from any country in the world the same way that the savings companies once worked After evaluating an application we decide toaccept it or not the project is published and investors start to invest It’s important to note that all funds are kept in a segregated account from LendSecured Some may say the agricultural sector is riskier than others – due to its heightened risks heavy precipitation or less EU support than expected and et cetera Yet you’re not distracted by the risks Do you believe the opportunities the sector offers outweigh the risks Nikita Goncars: Based on the survey published in November 2020 by the European Investment Bank the financial gap for the agriculture sector has been estimated to be on the order of 19.8 billion euros to 46.6 billion euros for the EU 24 The gap represents financing sought by economically viable enterprises that is not granted and innovative investments find it harder to access financing Edgars Talums: There are 3 different asset classes available for investments: grains (as seasonal funding) heavy machinery and land plot (mortgage loan) so investors can choose the asset class they are most interested in.  Nikita Goncars: We try to keep our average LTV (loan to value) under 40 percent.  What can a small farmer in rural Latvia expect from LendSecured Edgars Talums: Farmers appreciate a fast evaluation process If there is an urgent need to buy fertilisers because of the price of fixed machinery Nikita Goncars: Farmers don’t have to leave their farm to get a loan - all the processes are automated and agreements can be signed remotely.  Edgars Talums: Part of the team has been working together for more than eight years part of them we onboarded since we opened the platform we know our goals and what we want to achieve so we’re working hard to become the leading agricultural platform in EU.  but we plan to expand to the other Baltic States and How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted your activities Nikita Goncars: We increased our portfolio during COVID-19 as farmers mainly were not impacted by COVID-19 The demand for farmland is higher than the supply so farmers are forced to rent land plots. Our agricultural portfolio had a much lower default rate than loans to consumers during covid Nikita Goncars: In 2021 we were chosen as one of the TOP 40 start-ups in the biggest Baltic event – Start-Up day for a pitching event The event is a three-day festival with a marvellous stage program We were pitching on stage with other great start-ups At the end of 2021 we were recognized as one of the hundred most powerful Fintech start-up companies in the world; as a result we visited Abu Dhabi and met representatives of other financial companies.  What milestones has LendSecured set for the year 2022 Nikita Goncars: The main goal is to finish   campaign and we see that it could be done by the end of the second or the beginning of the third quarter we will finish the merger with brand LANDE which is one of our lending brands for farmers and already well known in Latvia There won’t be major changes as we are merging two brands we already have And we plan to issue 5M on existing markets and establish a lending operation on the new ones Nikita Goncars: We will be the biggest platform focusing on agricultural loans based in the EU A subscription to The Baltic Times is a cost-effective way of staying in touch with the latest Baltic news and views enabling you full access from anywhere with an Internet connection. Subscribe Now! 2025 © The Baltic Times /Cookies Policy Privacy Policy A total of 5,975 candidates are running for the 731 seats in the upcoming summer elections 340 lists of candidates have been submitted for the municipal elections or an average of eight lists per municipality The most intensive competition for one seat is registered in Jēkabpils municipality which means that almost 14 people are running for one seat which means that more than 12 people are standing for one seat Jūrmala has the third highest number of candidates per seat which means that more than 11 people are running for one seat The least competitive regions are Smiltene fewer than five people are standing for one seat The largest number of lists of candidates has been submitted in Riga - 16 in Jēkabpils - 13 and in Jelgava - 12 The lists and election programmes can be found on the CVK's dedicated website in an interview on Latvian Radio's "Pusdiena" programme called for early familiarisation with the candidates and programmes "It is our right and also our duty [to participate in the elections] given the geopolitical situation," Saulīte stressed or 61.4% of the total number of candidates The average age of the candidates is 47.4 years Six of the candidates have German citizenship three have British citizenship in addition to Latvian citizenship and two have US citizenship Other candidates for the municipal elections have Finnish 4832 candidates (about 81%) indicate that they are Latvian Five people indicated that they are German by nationality 682 of the candidates chose not to indicate their nationality Local elections will be held on 7 June in 42 electoral districts  There will be 974 polling stations for the local elections The stations will be available to voters starting Monday 2 June, when the election week begins and they will be open at various times each working day of the election week the stations will be open from 08:00 to 20:00 This election will be notable for featuring a new look for ballot papers The environmental campaign "Give tyres a second life" is now in its eighth year and is organised in cooperation with regional waste managers and municipalities with the aim of promoting responsible management of used tyres so it is important to ensure that they are disposed of by the right recycling companies Collected tyres are sorted and prepared for recycling then shipped to factories in Europe where they are turned into pellets The resulting pellets are used in sports field surfacing the campaign returns with a particularly large number of tyre drop-off points - in Aloja one set of tyres per car - four car tyres without rims - can be donated When entering the sorted waste collection site the car number may be registered and/or the vehicle registration certificate must be presented Detailed information on how to hand in tyres is available from the respective regional waste managers Tyres can be handed in free of charge at sorted waste collection sites and at special drop-off points: Liepaja and South Kurzeme Region (from 8 April to 25 April): Bauskas novads komunālserviss Ltd at sorted waste acceptance sites (from 8 April to 17 April) Jelgava municipality (from 11 April to 13 April): at EKO sites and Circular Economy Centres (from 11 April to 17 April): at the sorted waste reception sites of Ķilupe: At other times, car tyres can be dropped off at sorted waste collection points and elsewhere for a fee You can also drop off used lead and other batteries oil filters and lubricating oils at these sites Take note – story published 1 year and 9 months ago The summer school will take place in Smiltene from 4 to 11 August and includes six lectures and workshops will be open to everyone and diversity are words we hear more and more in our daily lives and cultural and arts institutions are striving to make their content and programs accessible to people with different needs But often the meanings of these words are misunderstood or reduced to actions that are done not in a meaningful way but in a way that allows us to tick the “we are accessible” box The aim of this summer school is to explore the possibilities of collaboration between different sectors and also ecological," says advance material The program will be held in English and public events are free of charge. All events will take place at Smiltene Secondary School (Dakteru street 27). A full description of the publicly available events can be found on the LCCA website Take note – story published 5 years and 3 months ago Lejas Varicēni owner and German engineer Tomass Krīgers feels that Latvia is a great place for experimenting with green projects Krīgers enjoys the Latvian nature and amount of space available His daughter Linda Krīgere built the house using local “This wall contains old glass and clay bottles this wall has hay trusses from our neighbors and there is sheep's wool inside for insulation from below,” said the owner The inside contains a home-made rocket furnace She wanted to show that people can build their own house with not a lot of money we'll show you how you can build a house,” said Krīgers Linda admits when she began the project she didn't have the slightest idea how to build a house That it's physically possible and that the house will hold that it's possible and wasn't even as hard as it seemed." Although one family can't fix climate change they feel that they simply can't do nothing The “hobbit house” is an example to show that an environmentally friendly home is possible even on a budget They hope that they can eventually influence other people to live a greener lifestyle they're steps nonetheless," said wife Līga Krūmiņa-Krīgere As previously reported the Krīgers family has also transformed a humble real estate plot into a part-artwork part-terminus and part-Hobbit house using a variety of materials including hay bales The family members got fed up waiting for their bus stop to be improved so took matters into their own hands and rapidly transformed it into not only a very usable bus stop but something of a local tourist attraction despite its remote location The most extensive works will take place on regional roads – 220 kilometers – and on the local roads – 159 kilometers Works will take place on the country's main roads in 71 kilometers Pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure of 24 kilometers in total will also be developed  The largest construction objects this season will be the Vidzemes Highway (A2) section from Melturi to Bērzkrogs where the reconstruction started last year will be completed as well as the work started last summer will continue on the Rīga bypass (A5) in Babīte drivers will also have to face traffic restrictions this year major works are planned in Kurzeme – on the road Ventspils-Dundaga (P77) from Ventspils to Auce Vidzeme – on the road Smiltene-Valka (P24) from Smiltene until the turn to Mēri a new bridge over the Salaca will be built this year capital injections of EUR 163 million are planned in the national road network this year of which EUR 47 million is the estimated financing of the EU recovery and resilience instrument Take note – story published 4 years and 11 months ago Ziemele was nominated for the post by Sanita Osipova Vice-President of the Constitutional Court Due to the state of emergency to limit the spread of Covid-19 the elections were conducted in a remote video conference format Ineta Ziemele has been in the office as President of the Constitutional Court since May 8 Sanita Osipova has been in the position of Vice-President since May 16 Take note – story published 8 years and 6 months ago The Colorado Springs Gazette in the United States has a nice story about US and Latvian soldiers reuniting to remember a day in 2009 in Afghanistan when they fought side by side while under heavy attack The Gazette gives a full account of what happened that day and interviews some of those involved Soldiers reunite to remember Afghan battle Ervins Labanovskis uses his family’s traditional method to turn birch sap into drinks and syrups This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).“When Latvians drink birch sap it’s a sign of spring coming,” says Ervins Labanovskis It’s been consumed here for centuries; folk songs reference the birch tree’s alleged magical and medicinal powers and many Latvians believe drinking the sap detoxifies the body Ervins runs an organic birch-sap business from his home — a timber cottage in Smiltene He uses sap to make sparkling drinks via a method that dates back to his parents who’d ferment it in champagne bottles and infuse it with peppermint Ervins recreated the drink in his own kitchen to turn their parents’ idea into a business called BIRZĪ adding a small factory and tasting room to their 80-acre The harvesting window is incredibly slim: Ervins and his seasonal team of 15 have just three weeks to collect as much sap as possible by making a non-damaging hole in the birch trunk inserting a tap and allowing the sap to trickle out This has historically taken place in April known as ‘sulu mēnesis’ (sap month) in the Latvian calendar but warmer winters in recent years have meant the birches have been ready for tapping in March so climate change is a big concern,” says Ervins The trees become dormant in subzero temperatures when the sugar used in sap production is redirected to the roots 80,000 litres of sap were collected at BIRZĪ — a good year for a small outfit with a third sold to be drunk fresh and another third boiled to make syrup which has a smoky tang that pairs well with cheese and grilled meats The remainder undergoes double fermentation emerging six months later as a non-alcoholic sparkling drink blackcurrant bud and stevia (a natural sugar substitute that provides a slightly sweeter option) he pivots to making maple and other syrups from local herbs While Nora manages the finances from her home in Riga Ervins lives here year-round with his wife Livija — who helps with everything from quality control to paperwork — and their three children and in future hope to have more than 100 varieties The result: Ervins’ childhood holiday spot is not just his home but also the world’s very first ‘sap tree park’ hemp is typically made into a spread similar to peanut butter chilli or sun-dried tomatoes to make a pesto This frost-resistant and vitamin-rich orange berry has a distinct sharpness This expensive eel-like fish is a jewel in the crown of Latvian food culture It’s so popular there’s even an annual lamprey festival BIRZĪ products can be bought online or by appointment at the factory, which also offers tours and tastings.  More info latvia.travel a luxury wildlife resort to the north in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in India guests are greeted with a welcome drink crafted with mahua local herbs and soda.","ttl":"OG-Mahua-May2025-Oberoi","rchDsc":{"markup":"At The Oberoi Vindhyavilas local herbs and soda."},"rchTtl":{"markup":"OG-Mahua-May2025-Oberoi"},"ratio":"3x2"},"isFeatured":true,"sections":[{"name":"Travel","id":"432c4f83-2d55-3974-b95f-a221c87c0fd1","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel"}],"headline":"In India an outlawed spirit is making a comeback","link":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/what-is-mahua-spirit-india"},{"description":"A true cocktail classic Sydney are renowned for their distinctive take on the margarita.","ttl":"Margaritas","rchDsc":{"markup":"Open seven nights a week Sydney are renowned for their distinctive take on the margarita "},"rchTtl":{"markup":"Margaritas"}},"sections":[{"name":"Travel","id":"432c4f83-2d55-3974-b95f-a221c87c0fd1","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel"}],"headline":"Is the margarita actually American?","link":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/everything-to-know-about-the-margarita"},{"description":"From traditional spots serving the classics to quirky venues putting a spin on proceedings afternoon tea evolved as a light meal composed of finger food and pastries served in tearooms.","ttl":"Tearooms afternoon tea serving","rchDsc":{"markup":"Popularised in Britain during the 1840s afternoon tea evolved as a light meal composed of finger food and pastries served in tearooms Broadband TV News November 30, 2021 09.53 Europe/London By Chris Dziadul The Latvian telco Baltcom has strengthened its position in the east of the country by concluding a transaction on the purchase of the telecom group Microlines Microlines group is one of the most significant and oldest regional operators providing internet and TV services to customers in Rezekne said: “We are pleased with the successful conclusion of the transaction which has been a major task for both parties and is in line with the strategic goals of Baltcom reliable telecommunications company valued by its customers that has been developing telecommunication services in the market of Latvia for 30 years We are pleased that an increasing number of customers in the regions will have access to telecommunication services that are provided according to the high standards of Baltcom” Baltcom notes that the customers of Microlines companies will now see an expansion of the services they are offered They will have access to a symmetrical optical internet offer with a speed of up to 1000 Mbps TV products will become more diverse and the possibility to use electricity at one of the lowest tariffs in the country will be provided It adds that the transaction has become a logical step in the development of Baltcom and a market trend of telecommunications in Latvia which recently demonstrates consolidation as the regional operators become part of large telecom operators The parties cannot disclose the value of the transaction due to confidentiality agreements Baltcom was founded in 1991 and is the leading private provider of fixed telecom services It had a turnover of €19.9 million in 2020 Filed Under: Central & East Europe, Newsline Tagged With: Baltcom, Latvia, Microlines Edited: 30 November 2021 12:10 Today, consumers are increasingly using bandwidth-intensive and latency-sensitive workloads, such as 4K and 8K streaming, online gaming, and AR/VR applications. As a result, Internet Service Providers must update their networks and by extension Wi-Fi experiences and performance. … [Download the White Paper ...] Copyright © 2025 Broadband TV News LLP · Log in Westhampton Beach's Maura Pesce tips the ball over the net in the Hurricanes' match at Sayville The Lady Hurricanes' Cortina Green (9) and Smiltene Jankunaite (36) rise up to halt a Golden Flash attack from Jenna Harclerode Westhampton senior Smiltene Jankunaite mashes the ball down the middle despite defense from Sayville's Jenna Harclerode Senior Shannon Hewlett (17) and the Lady Hurricanes celebrate a big point against Sayville Emma Marino of Westhampton Beach delivers a pass to middle blocker and fellow senior Smiltene Jankunaite Westhampton Beach head coach Lenny Zaloga present Isabelle Smith with a ball marking her 1 You've read 4 of your 7 free articles this month Please log in or create an account to continue reading shared her artistry with the Pocono community last week while jamming with Jesse Green at the Deer Head Inn in the Delaware Water Gap a vocal jazz performance artist living in East Stroudsburg Lawson met her while she was teaching in Latvia at the Saulkrasti Jazz Camp The director spoke to her about a voice she must hear "She is so talented and I want you to teach her what you know." "My father was a saxophonist who played in Smiltene's Big Band and my mother was the director of the Culture Club I started to sing in my father's jazz group when he played the tenor and soprano saxophone." "a person who learned to play saxophone by himself without a teacher and he was marvelous "I never felt any pushing from my father; I just wanted to be like him I graduated music college as a choir conductor because at the time there wasn't the possibility for jazz education Berzina went to Moscow to study at Gnesin Music Academy because there was a department of pop and jazz music." the music becomes more complicated — not more primitive in its essence Studying with Lawson meant traveling 1½ hours but Lawson says "Inga's heart and beautiful spirit come through her music Currently working on a doctorate in music education at Latvian University and she has performed in many European countries with the top jazz instrumentalists of her country "Every year I am somewhere — last year I was in Spain," Berzina says In describing the art of recording Berzina says who perform and help with the arrangements it is more likely to be what we simply call beautiful."