In Bērzciems, nature, trails of different lengths and hands-on insights into local crafts are distinct travel interests. The village lies on a marked 65 km route, and the “Kundziņsiers” cheese workshop is also located in Bērzciems. The season and trail length matter when visiting the Orhideju taka (Orchid Trail), while visits to “Dieniņas” and “Kundziņsiers” need to be arranged in advance. This lets you choose whether you are mainly looking for nature, a longer route or a pre-arranged insight into fishing and cheese-making.

Nature at Lake Engure

The “Engures ezers” Nature Park encompasses Lake Engure and the surrounding areas. About 200 bird species breed in the Lake Engure protected area, and 860 species of vascular plants grow in the area around the lake. The locations differ: the birds breed in the protected area, while the plant count refers to the area around the lake. Bird breeding in the protected area and the presence of plants around the lake thus offer two different perspectives on nature. If you plan your visit around your nature interests, you can focus separately on birdlife and plant diversity.

Orchid Trail and longer route

The Orhideju taka (Orchid Trail) is 3.5 km long and starts at the Engure Ornithological Research Center. From there, it passes through calcareous bogs and wooded areas. The trail therefore connects two distinct landscape features along a clearly defined route. The best time to visit is considered to be from late June to August; the walking trail is seasonal. Take this recommendation into account when planning a visit to the Orchid Trail.

The marked 65 km route Engure – Bērzciems – Mērsrags – Ķūļciems – Ezermuiža – Engure is on a different scale. Bērzciems is one of the places along this route. Compared with the 3.5 km Orchid Trail, it is a much longer route through several places. The terrain affects the level of difficulty. It is therefore worth considering distance and terrain separately when choosing: the distance in kilometres describes how far the route is, but does not by itself indicate how challenging it is.

Insights into fishing and cheese-making

At “Dieniņas,” the owners have practiced the fishing trade for three generations. Interested visitors can accompany the fishers at sea by prior arrangement. Another insight is into the fish-smoking process; visitors must sign up in advance. The two experiences have different focuses: accompanying the fishers is about the fishing trade at sea, while smoking covers one step in processing. Plan for the required advance arrangements in each case.

Bērzciems also has a focus on craftsmanship at “Kundziņsiers.” Visitors can learn how cheese is made in the cheese workshop and take part in various cheese tastings. Visits must be arranged in advance. The production process and tastings are therefore available as different parts of a visit. Unlike “Dieniņas,” the focus here is on cheese-making and tasting rather than fishing and fish-smoking. Advance arrangements are part of planning, whether you are especially interested in the production process or the tastings.

Discover more destinations: Ķesterciems, Plieņciems, Bigauņciems, Lapmežciems, Radziņciems, Milzkalne, Engure, Ragaciems.

For the broader travel overview: Engures Novads.