On 16 June, tourism specialists from the Smiltene Municipality visited Kabli, Estonia, to attend a Trail Accessibility Seminar organised as part of the “Accessible Hiking Trails” project.

The seminar highlighted the importance of creating accessible nature experiences for everyone, emphasizing that accessibility begins long before a hike starts – with accessible transportation, clear information, safe mobility, and the confidence that everyone is welcome in nature.

Invited speaker Marilin Pehka – an Estonian nature guide, tourism developer, and storyteller – encouraged participants to offer every nature’s visitor genuine emotions and something unique, emphasizing that nature can be experienced through all five senses.

Participants took part in various interactive activities designed to encourage thinking about trail accessibility for all groups in society. They also completed a 10-kilometre section of the Baltic Coastal Hiking Route from Kabli to Treimani. The most challenging task was to step into the shoes of a person with visual impairment by walking through a coastal forest blindfolded, relying solely on verbal guidance from fellow participants.

The “Accessible Hiking Trails” project will conclude in September this year, and this was the final large-scale joint event bringing together Estonian and Latvian partners within the framework of the project. Participants included tourism specialists, guides, and hiking enthusiasts from municipalities across the Vidzeme, Kurzeme, and Riga Planning Regions.

These activities are being carried out as part of the project “Improving the Accessibility of the Forest Trail and Baltic Coastal Hiking Route for Diverse Social Groups” (EE-LV00013). The project is implemented with financial support from the European Union’s Interreg Estonia–Latvia Programme.

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Written by: Linda Kļava, Tourism Specialist at the Entrepreneurship and Tourism Department.