Gulbenes novads

Gulbenes novads (Gulbene Municipality) sits in the northeast of Latvia, in the historic region of Vidzeme, where the rolling Vidzeme Upland gives way to lakes, pine forest, and a patchwork of farmland. The administrative centre, Gulbene, is a modest railway town that grew up around the junction where Latvia's surviving narrow-gauge line meets the standard-gauge network. Away from the town the municipality is quiet and rural, defined more by its landscape and its single famous railway than by any large urban draw.

The municipality's signature is the Bānītis narrow-gauge railway, the last operating line of its kind in the Baltics, which still runs scheduled and heritage services between Gulbene and Alūksne (the latter in the neighbouring municipality). This 750 mm-gauge railway, more than a century old, is the reason most travellers find their way here, and it anchors the area's identity as a place for slow, nostalgic travel through northern Vidzeme.

Beyond the railway, Gulbenes novads rewards visitors who like their countryside unhurried: manor estates and their parks, Orthodox and Lutheran churches, and the literary curiosity of Stāmeriena, whose palace is tied to the Italian novelist Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. It is a destination for landscape, heritage, and a measured pace rather than headline sights.

Late spring through early autumn (May to September) is by far the best window. Summer brings the warmest, longest days — useful for the open-air railway rides and manor-park walks — and is when most heritage events and steam-train specials are scheduled. June and the Jāņi (Midsummer, 23–24 June) celebrations are a high point of the rural calendar.

Autumn (September–October) is short but beautiful, with the Vidzeme forests turning colour. Winter is long, cold, and snowy this far northeast — atmospheric, but with reduced services and short daylight; check railway and museum timetables before travelling off-season.

Gulbene is the local hub. The town is connected to Rīga and other Latvian cities by long-distance bus and by standard-gauge rail; road distance to the capital is roughly 180–200 km (allow around three hours by car or coach).

Within and around the municipality, the Gulbene–Alūksne narrow-gauge railway is both a sight and a genuine means of transport, running about 33 km between the two towns. For everything off the rail corridor, a car is the practical choice — rural roads link the smaller parishes and manor estates, and public transport between villages is sparse and timed around school and work schedules. Regional buses radiate from Gulbene's bus station; taxis are available in town but should not be assumed in the countryside.

• Gulbene — the municipality's main town and home to the terminus of the Bānītis narrow-gauge railway, with a small-town centre, railway heritage museum, and connections to the surrounding Vidzeme countryside.
• Stāmeriena — a village with a picturesque palace and park linked to the family of Italian novelist Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, author of The Leopard, alongside a distinctive Orthodox church.
• Lejasciems — a quiet lakeside settlement in the southern part of the municipality, surrounded by forest and water, popular with anglers and nature lovers.
• Lizums — a small village on the Vidzeme Upland, known for its manor park and proximity to the forests and lakes of northeastern Latvia.
• Litene — a remote hamlet deep in the Vidzeme highlands, surrounded by pine forest and bog, offering genuine isolation and unspoiled northern Latvian landscape.

Food here is rural Latvian and seasonal, leaning on what the forests, lakes, and farms provide: rye bread, smoked and freshwater fish, pork, mushrooms and berries gathered in the surrounding woods, and dairy from local farmsteads. Hearty soups, grey peas with bacon (pelēkie zirņi ar speķi), and potato dishes are the everyday staples, with preserves and honey common roadside finds.

Dining is informal — expect cafés and small eateries in Gulbene town rather than a developed restaurant scene, plus farm-based and seasonal venues in the countryside. Vegetarians will find the classic dishes meat-heavy but can rely on bread, dairy, mushroom, and vegetable dishes; vegan and other specialised diets are best arranged ahead in such a rural area.

The strongest cultural thread is the railway heritage centred on Gulbene station, celebrated through heritage-train days and museum activity around the narrow-gauge line. Traditional Latvian observances shape the rest of the year: Jāņi / Līgo (Midsummer, 23–24 June) is the biggest folk celebration, marked with bonfires, song, and oak-leaf wreaths, while song-and-dance traditions, local crafts, and church-centred events round out the calendar.

The municipality also carries quieter cultural memory — the manor estates of northern Vidzeme and the literary association of Stāmeriena Palace with Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's family — which inform local museum and heritage programming.

• Ride the Bānītis narrow-gauge railway between Gulbene and Alūksne — the only working line of its kind in the Baltics, and the defining experience of a visit.
• Explore the Gulbene railway heritage at the station and its narrow-gauge collection, including hand-car/draisine rides and heritage rolling stock.
• Visit Stāmeriena Palace and park, the manor with ties to the author of The Leopard, alongside the distinctive Stāmeriena Orthodox church nearby.
• Walk the manor estates and lake-and-forest landscapes of the Vidzeme Upland for a slow, scenic day in rural northeast Latvia.