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Tourism Information Center of Varaklani Region Museum

The tourism information center is located in the castle of the Varaklani manor. Offers: tourist information, guides, souvenirs, guide services in the Varaklani County Museum, manor palace park and town.

Adrese: Pils iela 29, Varakļāni, Madonas novads, LV-4838
Tālrunis: +371 64866162, +371 27325744
E-pasts: tic.varaklani@madona.lv

Varakļāni Manor

Varakļāni Manor was built between 1783 and 1789 for Count Michael Jan von der Borch of the Holy Roman Empire. Count Borch was an important person - a member of the Polish Sejm and Quartermaster General, as well as an outstanding natural scientist. The castle is rectangular in shape, one hundred meters long and consists of three floors. The facade is decorated with the motto of Count Michael Borch - ‘"Virtute duce - Deo favente - Comite fortuna", which in Latvian means - "Guided by virtue - In the favor of God - Happiness will follow".

Address: Pils Street 29, Varakļāni, Madona County Tel.: +371 27325744;

e-mail: varaklanumuzejs@madona.lv

The chapel of Saint Victor

The chapel was built in 1814 according to the design of the Italian architect V. Macotti. The idea of the construction is based on one of the greatest examples of world architecture – the Roman Pantheon. Built on an artificially created hill as a burial place and church for the Borch family. The interior of the chapel contains an altar with the ashes of St. Victor, which is now located in the Roman Catholic Church of Varakļāni. Count M. Borch, his wife Eleonora, his eldest son Karol, his wife and son Anatolijs rest in the basement (crypt). Address: Rīgas Street 2, Varakļāni, Madonas novads Tel.: +371 27325744; 64866162

Varakļāni Roman Catholic Church

The church was built in 1854. Due to lack of funds, it was built in a reduced form, departing from the original project. The building is a classicist-style structure with two massive towers, several entrances with granite staircases. The main entrance is decorated with a portico with six white columns. The altars of the church are made of colored Italian marble, with large sacred paintings. In the center is a copy of the 17th century painting “The Apparition of the Immaculate Virgin Mary” by the Spanish artist Murillo. On the right altar is a motif of Golgotha (a scene of the suffering of Christ), on the left altar is a depiction of the patron saint of Count Michael Borch, the Archangel Michael (a copy of a painting by Raphael).

Address: Rīgas Street 2, Varakļāni, Madonas novads Tel., +371 29771895

Spirits factory "VARA KLĀNU"

The spirits factory in Varakļāni offers high-quality drinks made from home-grown fruits and berries.

The whole family works at the factory, the main criterion is natural products that are not mixed with syrups or dyes. The product range includes 10 different flavored drinks.

OFFER:
* Tasting and factory tour.
* Purchase of products.
* Overnight stay at the KLĀNU MĀJAS

PRICES:
* Factory tour: 5 EUR per person
* Tour with tasting: 15 EUR per person

Address: Zaļā iela 12, Varakļāni, Madonas novads Tel.: +371 28387696

Homestead farm

We are a homestead farm "Cinīši", which has been engaged in goat farming for several years and produces goat milk soft cheeses and ice cream. Currently, there are four types of cheese on offer, but ice cream has already been tried in more than ten flavor variations, their availability depends on the seasonality of the ingredients.

We organize tours from May to early September.

Offer:
*Farm tour.
*Getting to know the "four-legged collective".
*Conversations about and around goats.
*Cheese and ice cream tasting.
*Product purchase.

Prices:
Tour
*3 EUR for adults, students;
*free of charge - preschool children.

Tour + Cheese and ice cream tasting
*5 EUR for adults, students;
*free of charge - preschool children.

Working hours: Visits by appointment!
Address: Madonas district, Varakļani parish, "Cinīši"
Phone: +371 28325824 (LV, ENG) +371 27554567 (LV, RU)

ZEUP paintball

OFFER:
*The standard package includes: costume of your choice, protective mask, gas-equipped weapon, track (1h), 150 balls and playing field.
*6 different playing fields (missions).
*opportunity to relax in a well-maintained area with a grill.
*shoot a basketball in the basket.
*feed the pygmy goats.
*organization of various events (birthday party, bachelor/bachelorette party, etc.) by agreement.

Vision:
ZEUP paintball park is a place where paintball and active recreation are mixed with a youthful and comical approach.
We are a special paintball park because we are not afraid to be different and unusual, because we offer unusual types of games, and if there is a desire, players have the opportunity to stand out with very colorful and comical playing costumes.
The creators of the paintball park are two young men who are enthusiasts of the game themselves and whose vision is to provide the most fun and unforgettable paintball experience, as well as to popularize the popularity of their hometown beyond its borders. Anyone who has not yet set foot in the ZEUP paintball park will not fully understand what it is all about, so we invite you to hurry up and find a fun company to join this adventure with!

PRICES:
2-3 people: 30 EUR/person
4-7 people: 20 EUR/person
8-10 people: 18 EUR/person
11-12 people: 16 EUR/person

Additional balls
100 balls/ 6 EUR
500 balls/ 16 EUR
1000 balls/ 30 EUR
2000 balls/ 55 EUR

Working hours: By appointment!

Address: Preiļu Street 53, Varakļāni, Madonas novads
Phone: +371 29888966, +371 26277077
Online: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?
Email: zeup.pb@gmail.com

Varakļāni War Cemetery

The Varakļāni War Cemetery is a military burial and memorial site in the centre of Varakļāni.

The register of the Latvian Brothers’ Cemeteries Committee associates the cemetery with the military events of 1919 and 1944. Most of those buried here were Soviet Army soldiers who died during the Second World War.

The register records 722 buried soldiers, most of whom have been identified.

The cemetery contains:

eight collective burial plots;
26 grave plaques;
a central memorial.

The present layout of the memorial site largely dates from the second half of the 20th century, and the area was reconstructed in 1972.

Today, the cemetery forms part of the 20th-century military history and memorial landscape of Varakļāni.

LOCATION:
Near the junction of Rīgas iela and Lubānas iela
Varakļāni, Madona Municipality

White Synagogue of Varakļāni

The White Synagogue is one of the most important surviving examples of Jewish cultural heritage in Varakļāni.

Historically, Varakļāni had three synagogues – the Small, Green and White Synagogues. The Green and White Synagogues took their names from the colours of their buildings.

The White Synagogue, also known as the Great Prayer House, was the largest synagogue in Varakļāni. The masonry building was constructed in 1817 and reconstructed in 1925. Historical sources associate it with the Hasidic tradition of Judaism, and it was mainly attended by wealthier members of the community.

In 1938, the congregation had 82 members.

For more than a century and a half, the Jewish community played an important role in the social and economic life of Varakļāni. In 1897, Jewish residents made up approximately three quarters of the town’s population, while in 1935 there were 952 Jewish residents.

The Jewish community of Varakļāni was almost completely destroyed during the Holocaust in 1941.

Of the town’s three historic synagogues, the White Synagogue is the only building that has survived to the present day. It no longer serves a religious function and is currently used for commercial purposes.

The building is mainly viewed from the outside.

ADDRESS:
Skolas iela 3, Varakļāni, Madona Municipality

Historic Centre of Varakļāni – 1. Maija Square

The development of the historic centre of Varakļāni is closely connected with Count Michael Johann von der Borch and the Italian architect Vincenzo Mazotti, whom he invited to the estate.

In the late 18th century, Mazotti designed not only Varakļāni Manor Palace and its Romantic landscape park but also prepared a concept for the future centre of the town of Varakļāni.

Following Classical town-planning principles, the centre was conceived around a large rectangular square, with straight streets radiating in different directions.

Historical descriptions indicate that the square itself was slightly lowered so that the silhouettes of the surrounding buildings would stand out more clearly. Religious buildings were given carefully considered positions in the landscape – the site of the Catholic church was raised, while an artificial hill was later created for St Victor’s Chapel.

A well once stood in the centre of the historic square.

Elements of this historic planning concept can still be recognised in the urban structure of central Varakļāni.

Today, 1. Maija Square is one of the town’s main civic spaces. The Varakļāni Cultural Centre and Town Library are located here, while nearby attractions include the Varakļāni Sundial, the tourism information and book-exchange point and other elements of the town centre.

A walk through the centre complements a visit to the manor palace, park, Catholic church and St Victor’s Chapel, helping visitors understand Varakļāni as a unified historic townscape.

LOCATION:

Maija Square and the surrounding town centre
Varakļāni, Madona Municipality

Varakļāni Manor Building Complex

Historically, Varakļāni Manor consisted of much more than the palace and its park. A substantial complex of residential, administrative and agricultural buildings developed around the representative centre of the estate.

Most of the complex was created during the late 18th and first half of the 19th century, when the Borch family estate at Varakļāni was one of the major manor centres of Latgale.

The historic complex included:

the manor palace;
the former library and archive building;
the estate manager’s house;
servants’ houses;
a fieldstone barn;
a granary and cellars;
other estate service buildings.

The wider manor ensemble also includes the park, St Victor’s Chapel and the Catholic church, which are presented as separate attractions in the kiosk.

The surviving buildings help visitors understand the everyday workings of a historic estate, where administrative, residential, agricultural and production functions existed alongside the aristocratic residence.

The Varakļāni Manor Building Complex is an architectural monument of national significance, state protection No. 6482.

The protected manor buildings are located at Pils iela 29, 42, 44 and 46.

Ruins of Jadviga’s Chapel

The ruins of Jadviga’s Chapel are located in Varakļāni Manor Park, one of Latvia’s early Romantic-style landscape parks.

The remains of the chapel stand on an artificially created island and are among the historic architectural features of the park that have survived to the present day.

In the late 18th century, the Italian architect and garden designer Vincenzo Mazotti created a landscape for the Varakļāni estate inspired by Romantic ideals, incorporating pavilions, water features, islands, small bridges, avenues and symbolic structures. Jadviga’s Chapel formed part of this scenic and philosophical park concept.

Several local stories connect the chapel with the Borch family and Count Borch’s daughter Jadviga. Her name also appears in legends surrounding the Love Stone and a tragic love story associated with the manor park.

The legends, however, should be distinguished from documented history – reliable historical sources do not confirm that the chapel served as Jadviga’s burial place.

Today, the ruins are one of the characteristic stops on a walk through Varakļāni Manor Park.

LOCATION:
Varakļāni Manor Park
Pils iela 29, Varakļāni, Madona Municipality