For its centenary, Latvia received a unique gift – a tourist route that runs all around the state border. On the summer solstice of the anniversary year, June 21, every resident of Latvia was invited to take part in the Light Up Latvia campaign (“Izgaismo Latviju”) – to walk one of the 1,836 kilometres of this route and gather at the bonfires organized by border municipalities.
Thus, Latvia became the first country in the world whose residents celebrated the centenary of their country by hiking around it and lighting up its borders with bonfires.
Not only 43 border municipalities, but also districts in central Latvia took part in the Light Up Latvia campaign. On June 21, at bonfires all over Latvia, from 21:30 Latvian power songs were sung, and at 22:00 the national anthem was performed simultaneously throughout the country. In addition, almost every municipality and parish in Latvia supplemented the campaign events with their own cultural program: folk dance ensembles, folklore groups, special power rituals dedicated to Latvia and other exciting activities were held around bonfires on the occasion of the campaign.
The 1836 project has a meaningful number – the route was established as a result of three years of work and spans 1,836 kilometres around Latvia. You can measure this route on foot, by bicycle, motorcycle or car, getting to know the Latvian border area and its people. “Road 1836” is also symbolically marked with 1,836 signposts along the state border.
In cooperation with 43 border municipalities, 43 hiking expeditions were organized over the course of three years, in which 3,010 participants took part. These hiking tours brought together people from a wide variety of places in Latvia, professions and ages, but all united by a single goal – to devote their time, energy and joy to their country by walking, exploring the best roads and marking them on maps, as well as enjoying beautiful moments both by talking to other people and observing nature. Road 1836 is a round-Latvia hiking route that was established as a gift to Latvia for its centennial anniversary.
The culmination of weekly hikes along the route were small concerts for hikers and residents of the municipalities – over these three years, a number of great musicians performed, including members of “Prāta Vētra” (known internationally as Brainstorm), the Latvian Three Tenors (Trīs tenori), Goran Gora, Māra Upmane-Holšteine, Jānis Aišpurs, Lauris Valters, Varis Vētra, Olga Rajecka, Choir BALSIS, Ralfs Eilands and many others.
The nationwide campaign “Izgaismo Latviju” was supported by BlueOrange Bank and the insurance joint stock company “BTA Baltic Insurance Company”, giving an opportunity to all enthusiasts who love their country and want to explore it by following the 1,836-kilometre route, even just a small part of it, along the Latvian border.