The Vidzeme Planning Region, in cooperation with several municipalities, has created new tactile environmental objects and audio stories in seven locations. The work was carried out as part of the Access Routes project. Both the objects and the audio stories are accessible and engaging not only for people with visual impairments, but for every visitor.

In Smiltene Municipality, the new object can be found on the Bilska Lake Nature Trail. The other tactile objects are located by Lielezers Lake in Limbaži, in Skaņākalns Nature Park in Mazsalaca, by the Madona Local History and Art Museum and Gulbene Railway Station, at Litene Manor, and at the nuclear missile base in Zeltiņi.
The new objects will help visually impaired and blind people gain a detailed understanding, through touch, of significant historical buildings, places and living beings, as well as understand the scale and overall layout of the sites they visit.
The audio stories in Latvian and English have been narrated by actor Ivo Martinsons.

On the Bilska Lake Nature Trail, a “Bird Tree” has been created, featuring local birds in their natural size, along with an audiovisual solution. Visitors can learn about the birds nesting in and around the lake by touching relief images and listening to recordings of bird calls. By scanning the QR code, they can find out more about Bilska Lake itself.

Par projektu:

The tactile objects and audio stories have been created within the framework of the Estonia–Latvia Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2021–2027 project “Development of Accessible Tourism Routes (Access Routes)” (EE-LV00043). More information about the project in Latvian is available here: https://www.vidzeme.lv/projekti/pieejamu-turisma-marsrutu-attistiba-access-routes.

For any questions, please contact Ilze Liepa, Project Manager at the Vidzeme Planning Region, by email at [email protected] or by phone at +371 29335677.

 

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Written by:

Zane Kaķe, Public Relations Specialist at the Vidzeme Planning Region

Linda Kļava, Smiltenes novada pašvaldības Uzņēmējdarbības un tūrisma nodaļas tūrisma darba organizatore