On 18 June, partners of the Improving Accessibility of Water Tourism (Riverways II) project from Latvia and Estonia gathered in Limbaži to review the project’s progress, plan upcoming activities, and discuss best practices for improving accessibility in water tourism infrastructure.
Following the partner meeting, participants visited Limbaži Lielezers Beach, where a floating pontoon pier with an adapted platform for easier access to the boat has been constructed as part of the Riverways II project. The beach has also been equipped with a spacious and functional changing cabin, an accessible walkway leading into the water, and other improvements that enhance accessibility for people with disabilities, seniors, families with young children, and other groups of visitors.
During the visit, participants were guided by Jānis Remess, representative of the Limbaži Municipal Agency “Lauta” and Head of the Limbaži Municipality Public Waters Management Unit “Alda”. Earlier that same morning, before the partner meeting, he had welcomed accessibility experts from the Latvian disability organisation “Apeirons”, who assessed the infrastructure developed through the project and other initiatives. The experts highly praised the results.
“If there was an accessibility award in Latvia, Limbaži Lielezers Beach would have a great chance of winning it,” said Ivars Balodis, representative of “Apeirons”.
At the same time, the experts provided several practical recommendations for minor improvements that would make the beach even more convenient for all visitors. It can already be confidently stated that Limbaži Lielezers Beach is one of the best examples of accessible recreational infrastructure in the Vidzeme region.
On 19 June, the Riverways II project partners visited Līgatne, where they explored the town’s cultural and historical heritage and discussed accessibility aspects in one of Vidzeme’s most popular tourist destinations.
During the project implementation, accessibility improvements will also be introduced at Lake Burtnieks in Valmiera Municipality, Lake Zāģezers in Valka Municipality, and Lake Lubāns in Madona Municipality, making water tourism infrastructure more accessible to a wider range of users.
The project “Improving Accessibility of Water Tourism” (Riverways II) is implemented with the financial support of the European Union’s Interreg Estonia–Latvia Programme.
