The Latvian-Estonian military heritage tourism project will participate at the International Valga Military History Festival
Press release 04.08.2022
Participating in the Valga festival, the military heritage project team will present the Latvian-Estonian joint military heritage tourism offer, inviting you on a historical tour with the motto "Strong yesterday - free today!"
Military History Festival
The international Valga military history festival MilFest is the largest event of its kind in the Baltics, which takes place every year in the second half of August; this year - 19-20 in August. Members of military history clubs of different countries take part in the festival, battle reconstructions take place, soldiers march through the city in historical uniforms and equipment of different times and armies, antiques and craft markets, concerts. Events take place in various places in the city of Valga and its surroundings.
Latvian-Estonian joint military heritage in tourism
On August 20, the team of the festival project "Estonian-Latvian Military Heritage Tourism Product" will present the work to the visitors throughout the day. In the course of the project, more than 600 places of military heritage, which are connected with the important events of the independence of Latvia and Estonia in the period from 1914 to 1991, have been combined into a joint tourism offer: museums, fortifications, military equipment, trails, bunkers, battle sites, military towns, infrastructure, memorials. The offer includes modern exhibits, excursion programs and activities such as hikes and tours of military sites, stories and meals around the campfire, overnight stays in guerrilla bunkers and other experiences. Investments have been made in several objects, adapting them to the comfort and safety of visitors, by creating expositions.
12 routes have been created for touring military heritage sites with practical advice for planning your trip. The duration of the routes is from 2 to 13 days.
Extensive and practical information for travelers, along with the historical context - on the military heritage tourism website in Latvian, Estonian, English, German and Russian languages.
Military heritage tourism project at the festival
Participation in the festival is the final event of the project. Its purpose is to introduce the wider public to the common military heritage of Latvia and Estonia in the struggle for the independence of both countries. The representatives of the project team at the stand will offer visitors military heritage travel information - maps, brochures, guides, and various souvenirs, and will provide practical recommendations for planning trips to places of military history in Latvia and Estonia.
In addition, project partners will offer visitors to play a game, recognizing various military heritage sites by pictures and receiving prizes. There will be a photo booth where you can take pictures in military uniform and get a printed photo right there. Those interested will be able to put together a puzzle of military heritage. For children's entertainment, there will be face painting in camouflage - army camouflage style. Estonian speakers will be able to participate in the game by answering questions about the military history of southern and eastern Estonia. With 3D glasses, it will be possible to view models of historical military shipwrecks, the images of which were obtained during underwater expeditions within the project.
The military history of Latvia and Estonia and the struggle for national independence have much in common. Strong yesterday - free today! - we invite you to travel and get to know each other!
Asnate Ziemele,
Chairman of the Board of the Latvian Rural Tourism Association "Rural Traveller".
+371 29285756
The project "Tourism Product of the Joint Military Heritage of Latvia and Estonia (EST-LAT156)" is co-financed by the Estonian-Latvian cross-border cooperation program of the Structural and Investment Funds of the European Union aimed at "European Territorial Cooperation". This information reflects the opinion of the author. The governing body of the program is not responsible for the possible use of the information contained therein.
