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There are a lot of short hiking trails in Latvia.
And Ogre Blue Hills Nature park is one of the best options, when you are looking for something close to Riga. Yes, it’s surely possible to go on a short hike near Riga, in a place both wild and easily accessible also by public transportation (if you’re okay to walk just a bit extra).
Or, if you’re feeling adventurous you can also cycle from Riga to Ogre.
The place is also great for some trail cycling.
Table of Contents
1. Ogre Blue Hills Nature Park: Basics
Most of the Ogre Blue Hills park is covered with a protected, coniferous forest.
There are several walking and cycling trails in the forest. Dubkalnu water reservoir is located on the edge on of the park. The place is neither tiny, nor too big. It’s just the right size for a couple of hours in the outdoors.
During the winter there’s a cross country skiing track.
The park is on the outskirts of Ogre town.
LOCATION:
DISTANCE & TIME: starting from 1 mile / 1.6 km (30 minutes).
If you’ll be walking all the way to the Dubkalnu water reservoir (and around it), it’s gonna be some 3 miles / 4.8 km round-trip.
At the same time if it’s not enough for you, you can always make it into a longer hike or ride by criss-crossing the park and taking some of the country roads leaving the park.
Start from the Giants Trail Adventure park, to make the walk longer.
ENTRANCE: free.
TIPS: It is possible to spend a few hours here as well, as there are trails in all directions. So, if that might be your plan, come prepared and bring some water and snacks as well. There’s a cafe at the trailhead, near Giants Trail Adventure park.
2. Getting to Ogre Blue Hills Nature Park (Riga to Ogre)
It is possible to come by car, bus, taxi or train from Riga to Ogre.
Or, if you’re looking for a more adventurous mode of transportation, you can also rent a bicycle in Riga and cycle from Riga to Ogre. I’ve done it in several ways, but my number one recommendation would be train.
You can also bring a bicycle with you on a train.
From the train station it’s a 1 mile / 1.6 km walk to the place you see in the photo above.
This is also where the Giants Trail Adventure park is located.
3. Ogre Blue Hills Observation Tower
There are two places offering a great view of the area.
One of them is the Ogre Blue Hills viewpoint, the other – observation tower.
Just like in many similar places in Latvia there is also a wooden observation tower. Accessible for free. And offering a view from the above. During the day it didn’t feel like something special, but it could be better during the sunrise and sunset.
4. Ogre Blue Hills Cycling: My Experience
As already mentioned, you can both walk and cycle in the park.
During my latest visit to the park we decided to opt for cycling, and since we hadn’t done anything like that before (but it sounded like an interesting micro adventure), we decided to cycle all the way from Riga to Ogre. It’s not very easy, because you have to look for roads in some parts, unless you’re fine with cycling right next to buses and trucks on a highway.
But it’s doable, and can be a fun adventure, a day trip from Riga.
Here are a few photos from our visit to the park.
Have you been to Latvia? Did you visit Ogre and Ogre Blue Hills nature park? What was your experience?
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