Discover Priekuļi: Sundial, garden and cultural history

Priekuļi offers several different reasons to shape your stay around your own interests. Priekuļi Saules Park is home to an unusual sundial, a barefoot health trail and a rhododendron garden; there is also a museum dedicated to Latvian field crop breeding and cycling routes in the “Sporta birzīte” sports and recreation park. The themes therefore range from plants and timekeeping to cultural history and exercise. If you are looking for a holiday apartment, you can first decide which of these themes you would like to give your holiday the strongest character.

Sundial, medicinal plants and spring blossoms

Priekuļi Saules Park is home to Latvia’s largest analemmatic sundial. Visitors can operate it by standing on the stone calendar and using their shadow to indicate the hour. Their position becomes part of the timekeeping: the hour is not simply read, but indicated by the visitor’s position. This translates an astronomical principle into a practical activity. The park received recognition in the 2022 Latvian Landscape Architecture Award. Thus, in addition to the sundial’s practical distinction, it has also received professional recognition in the field of landscape architecture.

The barefoot health trail in the park introduces visitors to Latvia’s most important medicinal plants. The rhododendron garden features more than 120 colourful spring blossoms. These attractions offer different highlights: the trail focuses specifically on medicinal plants, while the garden is a seasonal focal point with its abundance of flowers. Visitors interested in plants will find a thematic introduction to medicinal plants as well as a special springtime feature here.

Field crop breeding as cultural history

The Latvian Museum of Field Crop Breeding is housed in the historic breeding building dating from 1923. The building is recognised as a national industrial heritage site and is included in Latvia’s list of protected cultural monuments. The museum presents the development of field crop breeding in Latvia. This brings together a clearly defined field of study and a historic building that itself has protected heritage status. Unlike the park, where plants and nature experiences take centre stage, the focus here is on the history of breeding in Latvia. This gives your holiday planning a distinct cultural focus alongside nature and activity themes.

Cycling routes and travel planning

The “Sporta birzīte” sports and recreation park has a bicycle pump track and a dedicated BMX track. These two types of track give cycling a clear, specific focus. If you want to include exercise in your holiday plans, you can make this a reason for your trip in its own right; it is quite different from the botanical and cultural history themes. When looking for a holiday apartment, this leads to a practical question: would you like your stay to be shaped mainly by nature and plants, cultural history or cycling? This priority can help you tailor your search to your actual travel interests. If several themes matter to you, consider which one you would like to devote the most time to and factor it into your choice of accommodation.

Discover more destinations: Bunka, Veselava, Skangaļi, Priekule, Jāņmuiža, Liepasmuiža, Dukuri

Return to the overarching travel guide: Priekuļu Novads.