At the first day of the visit the German guests visited the “Minhauzen’s museum” in Dunte and the White dune at the Baltic Sea in Saulkrasti.  For many of the guests especially for those who were for the first time in Latvia the sandy beach of the Baltic Sea was a real discovery. There were mentioned some statements that the beach of Saulkrasti is much better than Mediterranean Sea beaches that are popular among German tourists.

At the second day the delegation went to Sigulda and Cesis. In Sigulda they visited the complex of Sigulda Middle Ages and new palace and the Turaida museum reserve but in Cesis our guests acquainted with the touring offer of the Cesis castle’s complex and also went sightseeing along the Cesis old town.

The further three days the guests from Weyhe visited at Madona district. These were three satiated days at which the official reception interchanged with hearty friendship between the Weyhe and Madona friends. In our district the guests visited “Kalsnava arboretum”, the farm “Sveki”, the writer’s R. Blaumanis memorial museum “Braki”, the Cesvaine palace and the new secondary school of Cesvaine.

The Madona hospital, the exhibition halls of Madona folk and art museum, the ceramic works of Janis Seiksts and the SPA health resort “Marcienas muiza”.

During the visit two official events went on. One of them was the reception of Weyhe delegation at Madona district council, but the second one – the friendship evening at leisure complex “Reku kalns”. During the reception at Madona district council official speeches of the administration of the Madona district council and the Weyhe town council went on and also general information about the Latvia and Madona district was presented.

In its turn at the evening the oration was said by chairman of Madona district council Andrejs Celapiters, burgomaster of Weyhe parish town council Frank Lemmermann, chairman of the Madona – Weyhe friendship association Laimonis Sembergs, chairman of the Weyhe – Madona friendship association Manfred Becker and executive director of Madona district council Ruta Klodane. Musical greetings were performed by Madona town recreation center’s folklore group “Vertumnieki”. To this rest evening had come the German guests and the families that welcomed the guests at their homes, and also the members of Madona – Weyhe friendship association, and employees of Madona district council that organized this visit, and the chairmen of Madona district towns and parishes.

As it is traditionally the guests from Weyhe while staying in Madona district did not live in the hotel but in families that gladly received the German guests in their homes.  In this time the guests stayed by families of Arta Audze, Astrida Svilane, Rasma Pujate, Ilze Gaujena, Inguna Klavina, Janis Stafeckis, Laimdota Graudina, Ilze Azena, Nikolajs Kostomarovs, Dace Sproge, Laimonis Bogdanovs, Olga Madzule, Viesturs Rikveilis, Zina Apsite, Maija Snepste, Ilze Vavere, Janis Seiksts and Gunta Lapsa.

In the further days of the visit our guests visited the Koknese medieval castle ruins, Jaunpils castle and the Old Riga.

The welcoming program of the Weyhe delegation and its successful realization was provided by executive director of Madona district council Ruta Klodane, the chief specialist of Madona district council tourism work’s organizer Sanita Soma and chairman of Madona – Weyhe friendship association Laimonis Sembergs.

Text: Sanita Soma

Photo: Sanita Soma, Laimonis Sembergs