Easy hikes and walks in Latgale

The island has a large water park, a giant slide, a smaller slide paradise, and a wakeboarding facility. Ideal for young and older children.

A lake shimmering in many colors in the middle of the forest. A new boardwalk allows you to walk around the lake.

The garden in front of the commandant's house is actually beautifully landscaped, but the decay of the many unused buildings surrounding it is depressing. Fortunately, at least some of them are in use, and some have even been restored.

The fortress as a whole is very worth seeing, even if it would deserve better use to prevent it from being left to decay.

The building of exceptional architecture was opened in 2011. in autumn Its height is 17 meters, and the diameter of the ramp is as much as 34 meters. From the 100 m long static path, an enchanting panorama of Lake Zaras opens up. After going down the steps, you can take a walk along the 1.4 km long pedestrian and bicycle path around the shore of Zaras Lake and view the sculptures on the shore. She would like to stop, there are benches here, from which you can see the picturesque landscape. After sitting here, you can admire the various birds that live in the lake. On the shores of Lake Zaras, life is boiling. In the warm season, visitors are invited to try active leisure. Those traveling by land are offered to try rollerblades and bicycles.  The structure of the Zarasai Ferris Wheel, like all structures of this type, moves easily, so it can be a little unsteady for first-time visitors. However, there are comfortable handrails that will prevent you from losing your balance, and in the evening will turn into the main lighting of the circle. The authors of the project say that the biggest advantage of the ferris wheel is not its height, but the attractive environment and exceptional views. The Zarasai observation wheel has won several international and national awards for excellence. The graceful observation wheel of Zarasai, designed by the architect Šarūnas Kiaunė, is now called the new symbol of the city. To visit this impressive object, you can forget your wallet - a walk around the observation wheel is free, and visiting hours are not limited.

Zarasai 1387-1795 was the property of the Bishop of Vilnius. 1508 mentioned church. 1522 confirmed rounding of Zarasai altar. 1528 established parish. For the priest in 1530. donated palivarka and 12 peasant yards. 16th century at the end of Vilnius, Bishop John renovated and enlarged the church. 1610 a new wooden church was built, its construction was funded by Zygmantas Vaza. 1655 burned down, until 1674 rebuilt, 1675 consecrated by the bishop of Vilnius. 1702 the parsonage with the church archive burned down. Since 1777 mentioned parish school. The old wooden church was in ruins, so in 1837 worship is prohibited in it. The temporary shed that was built was unsightly. Bishop Motiejs Valančius in 1851. ordered to demolish it and build another temporary church. Upytė county surveyor Fiodorov in 1837. prepared a project for a brick church, but it needed to be redone. The tsar authorized a loan for the construction of a church in the county town named after him (Zarasai was officially called Novoaleksandrovsk from 1836 to 1918). 1840 4,000 taken in 1843 - 6000 rubles. Pastor Aleksandras Stanevičius built a mill and a brewery with the materials allocated from the church. After laying the foundations of the church and 3 walls up to the windows, in 1844 work stopped due to lack of funds. 1849 a new church project was prepared. It turned out that the church was started with the wrong bricks. 1862 the church was built.

In the Jaunbūve district you will find many old wooden houses, some of which are brightly painted. Here you sometimes feel transported 150 years into the past.

Today history in the fortress territory is witnessed by historical large-calibre cannons. In these days nine old cannons can be found here: five of them are from cast-iron, while four – made from steel. They were manufactured in the second half of the 19th century in an ordnance plant in Perm and in Obukhov steel casting plant (Russia). All cannons are made with threading in a gun tube, which increased the range of a missile and improved accuracy and close pattern of shooting. Two of the cannons are placed at the main entrance of the Commandant’s house facing the fortress garden. In the very middle of the garden three cannons enrich the fountain. The steel mortar gun (bore diameter 205 mm, model of 1872) of the fortress is placed on the “Wallgang” (a protected place on the upper part of a rampart) of the main rampart curtain between the Nicholas gate and the 7th bastion – in the way how cannons were placed when the fortress switched to defence emergency. One more steel cannon with the bore diameter of 107 mm (model of 1887) on the original Venglovski gun-mount is placed at the intersection of the streets Imperatora and Konstantīna. Two steel artillery tubes were installed at Hekeļa Street 3, yet now they are moved to a warehouse belonging to the building proprietor. https://rm.coe.int/16806f5dfd