On June 21, on the eve of the Battle of Cēsis Remembrance Day, history and tourism experts from Latvia and Estonia gathered at Castle Square (Pils laukums) in Cēsis to discuss the interpretation of military heritage in modern times and education.
The event was graced by several inspiring personalities. The discussion was opened by Jānis Rozenbergs, Chairman of the Cēsis Municipality Council. Colonel Didzis Nestro, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Joint Headquarters of the Latvian National Armed Forces (NBS), shared his experience and knowledge. Special guests from Estonia included Enn Tupp, former Estonian Minister of Defence, and Juri Trei, an Estonian diplomat whose support led to the restoration of the Cēsis Victory Monument in 1998 using Saaremaa dolomite. Experience was also shared by Māris Niklass, a restorer of cultural monuments and Officer of the Cross of Recognition.
The day continued with inspiring discussions, and attendees were introduced to the results and achievements of the “Military Heritage” project. Historians and experts shared their experiences alongside tourism site operators and specialists.
Throughout the day, visitors had the opportunity to view the military vehicles and equipment of the 27th Infantry Battalion of the National Guard. They could also learn about the Līgatne Soviet Secret Bunker, the Zeltiņi missile base, Karosta in Liepāja, and the Irbene radiotelescope (locator), as well as explore various information materials from military tourism sites in Latvia and Estonia.
The military heritage tourism product in Latvia and Estonia features descriptions of 173 military heritage sites and 12 suggested travel itineraries.
The military heritage sites available to visitors in Latvia and Estonia include museums, fortresses, military equipment sites, trails, bunkers, battlegrounds, military towns, infrastructure objects, and memorials. These sites bear witness to the period from the beginning of World War I in 1914 and the independence of both countries in 1918 until the restoration of independence in 1990/1991.
The Discussion Forum was organized within the framework of the project “Latvian-Estonian Common Military Heritage Tourism Product (Est-Lat156),” implemented with the support of the European Union and the European Regional Development Fund under the INTERREG Estonia-Latvia Cross-border Cooperation Programme 2014–2020.
Official project website: https://militaryheritagetourism.info/en
Project page on the Programme website: https://estlat.eu/en/estlat-results/military-heritage.html
Project implementation: 01.01.2020 – 31.12.2022
Alise Plaude,
Public Relations Specialist for the “Military Heritage” project
Vidzeme Tourism Association
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