Discover Veselava: Manor House, Trails and Special Cultural Sites

Veselava combines impressive architectural history with short nature trails and unusual memorial sites. At its heart is Veselava Manor House, with its 19th-century building complex. The courtyard belongs to the manor house, which stands, as it were, on a large oval island completely surrounded by a water-filled moat. There is also the Silabulu Footprint Stone and several paths through the park, valley and forest. If you are planning a trip combining culture, exercise and small discoveries, you will find various ways to plan your days here.

Veselava Manor House and Historical Highlights

Veselava Manor House stands, as it were, on a large oval island completely surrounded by a water-filled moat. Two rubble-stone masonry bridges cross the moat to the courtyard. Their semicircular arches are made of carefully worked travertine blocks and give the entrance a distinctive architectural detail. The Veselava cemetery chapel is also part of the local history; it dates from 1923.

From 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026, the manor house is open to visitors on Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 to 16:00. If your stay falls within this period, you can specifically include this visit in your plans. The historic surroundings also include the Veselava horse post station, which was still operating in the second half of the 19th century. Another memorial site is the monument described as the first monument commemorating the Battles of Cēsis.

Short Circular Trails and Different Routes

The park of Veselava Manor House is 1.2 km from the manor house complex. In the park, a path leads down 141 steps into the valley of the Raunis River. The nature trails at the manor house are designed as circular routes and are between 0.75 and 2.5 km long. This allows you to include routes of different lengths in your plans during your stay, without making every outing the same kind of excursion.

The approximately 1 km-long Raunis Trail follows the riverbank and returns to the open-air stage via two alternative routes. Picnic and fire sites have been set up there. A longer option is the approximately 2.5 km trail from Veselava Manor House through hilly forest. It crosses the Dzirnupīte several times on small bridges. The “Easy Steps” trail, by contrast, is an approximately 0.75 km hike without stairs. For your daily planning, this creates a clear distinction between a route with 141 steps, a hilly forest trail and a shorter route without stairs.

Special Places for Curious Explorers

The Silabulu Footprint Stone is one of Veselava’s natural rarities. Its clearly defined footprint-shaped depression makes it an unusual destination. At the same time, the stone is designated as an archaeological sacred site of local significance. Anyone who would like to discover unusual natural and memorial sites can include the Silabulu Footprint Stone as a separate destination in their travel plans.

At the birthplace of Jānis Lapiņš in Lejas Pintuļi, a candle path is lit in his memory every 11 November. This annually observed date adds a living memorial site to the architectural and landscape impressions. When planning your trip, you can therefore choose between a stay focused on architecture, a walk along the Raunis or a date around 11 November.

The Right Base for Planning Your Trip

If you are looking for a holiday apartment or holiday house in Veselava, you can choose your accommodation according to your preferred pace of travel. Short circular trails, the manor house park and historical details make individual discoveries possible; the longer routes through the forest and valley give the stay a stronger focus on physical activity. For families, it is helpful to take the route lengths and the 141 steps into account when planning each day. This leaves room for different interests without requiring every outing to follow the same pattern.

More Destinations for Planning Your Trip

If you would like to include other destinations in your travel plans alongside Veselava, you can also explore Liepasmuiža, Jāņmuiža, Priekuļi, Dukuri, Skangaļi, Bunka and Priekule.

For the broader travel overview: Priekuļu Municipality.