Latgale is the region of a thousand lakes where the deep blue water mirrors the white towers of the **Aglona Basilica**. This eastern borderland is the heart of Latvia’s blue lakes region hidden gems and provides a spiritual escape into a landscape of rolling hills and deep woods. The roads here wind past small farmsteads where the old Latgalian language is still spoken and hospitality is a way of life. Stop your car at the **Daugavas Loki** nature park to see where the great **Daugava** river makes nine massive bends through the ancient valley. You can climb the wooden towers to look over the border and see the lush green islands that break the current. In the nearby towns of **Rēzekne** and **Daugavpils** the red brick architecture tells stories of Polish and Russian influence that shaped this unique cultural melting pot. Don’t leave without visiting a local pottery workshop to see the famous black clay being fired in traditional wood kilns. You can feel the warmth of the clay as master craftsmen turn the wheels to create the dark textured vases that define the Latgale region. From the mysterious stones of the **Pokaiņi** forest to the quiet shores of **Lake Rāzna** this is a place where the legends of the past are still very much alive.

Latgale (region) highlights

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The Scenic Route

The Heritage Drive

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History of Latgale (region)

Latgale is a region of faith and hills where the first tribes built wooden homes on islands to stay safe from forest bears. The great **Daugava** river was a liquid road for Viking traders who stopped here to swap furs for silver coins from the east. This early wealth helped the local people build a culture that stood strong even when knights arrived to change their way of life. The region became a unique mix of worlds when it stayed part of Poland while the rest of the land fell to Sweden. Polish nobles built grand manors like **Arendole**, while Russian refugees built tiny wooden churches with blue roofs to escape the czar. You can still see this mix in the white towers of the Aglona Basilica which holds an icon said to have real healing powers. During the Great War, this area was the "line of life and death" where soldiers dug miles of trenches that you can still find in the woods today. It is also the home of the "Latgalian moonshine" known as **šmakovka**, which locals have made in secret for hundreds of years. Every road leads to a lake or a pottery kiln where master artists fire clay using the same wood heat as their great grandfathers.

Latgale (region)

Latgale (region) highlights

Part of these road trips

History of Latgale (region)

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