On 17 August 2026, the Latvian Builders Association and the Latvian Association of Civil Engineers, in cooperation with Ceresit, launched public voting for projects entered in the “Best Building in Latvia 2025” competition. The nominated projects were completed and commissioned in 2025 and provide benefits to the public. Among them is the “Smiltiņš” Active Recreation Park in Smiltene.

For the third year running, the organisers of the competition are inviting everyone to take part and vote for one of the nominated projects to determine which one brings the greatest benefit to society.

The “Smiltiņš” Active Recreation Park was opened on 23 August 2025 as part of the project “Development of Public Outdoor Space in Smiltene – Smiltene Active Recreation Park”, which involved the reconstruction and improvement of the existing playground and skatepark. These changes had been eagerly anticipated by both local residents and visitors.

“Our goal was to develop the public outdoor space in the functional area of Smiltene, improving the quality of the living environment and promoting public safety and health. We aimed to replace the deteriorated skatepark with a sustainable active recreation facility – a pump track – and to transform the children’s playground into a modern, multifunctional space,” explains Ieva Dille, Head of the Development and Planning Department of Smiltene Municipality.

Today, especially during the summer months, the park is a popular recreation spot for visitors of all ages.

Voting is open until 5:00 p.m. on 7 September 2026 on the website and on the “Gada labākā būve Latvijā” Facebook page. The project receiving the highest number of votes will be awarded a prize from the competition’s title sponsor, Ceresit.

The award ceremony will take place on 10 September.

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Written by: Linda Fronta, Communications Specialist at Smiltene Municipality