On 22 May, 2026, the Brocēni Culture Centre hosted the seminar “Lake Management for the Development of Water Tourism in Kurzeme”, organised by the Kurzeme Planning Region within the Interreg VI-A Latvia–Lithuania project WaterWays. The event aimed to promote sustainable lake management by balancing environmental protection, business development and community interests .
The seminar was opened by Aiga Meri, Head of the Kurzeme Planning Region Project Department, who presented the water tourism offer in Kurzeme and the achievements of the WaterWays project. She highlighted several improved waterbodies, including Lake Ciecere, where new access infrastructure — a gravel path, changing cabin, benches, bicycle racks and safety equipment — has been installed .
Expert presentations
Participants learned about current trends in lake management:
- Kārlis Lakševics (University of Latvia) discussed human–lake relationships in Latvia, emphasising the interplay between tourism, private property and nature protection. He noted that lakes are not only ecological but also cultural and identity-forming elements, reflected in folklore and contemporary literature .
- Dr. Andris Klepers (Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences) presented examples from Vidzeme, stressing that “there is no universal management model” — each lake requires an individual approach based on location, user groups and recreation pressure. He emphasised that a good lake manager “not only protects the lake but manages the relationships around it” .
- Karīna Ciesmane (Saldus County Municipality) shared the experience of managing Lake Ciecere, highlighting challenges such as eutrophication, overgrowth, intensive recreation and climate change. She stressed that lake quality depends not only on the municipality but also on community involvement .
WaterWays project results
Later, Inga Hartika presented the results of lake surveys in Kurzeme and introduced the new Lake Guide, which includes 176 lakes in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. The guide, published in Latvian, English and Lithuanian, offers ideas for outdoor activities, sightseeing and accommodation near lakes .
Field visit in Brocēni
After the presentations, participants visited Brocēni Lake and local tourism providers — “Cieceres Ūdensrozes” and SIA “Zezer”. Participants also visited Ciecere Harbour — to explore the newly developed water tourism infrastructure and WaterWays project investments .
The seminar concluded with questions, comments and discussions on future cooperation.
More about the project
The WaterWays project (LL‑00011) aims to strengthen the cross‑border water tourism network between Latvia and Lithuania, expanding routes and improving accessibility for residents and visitors. The project WaterWays, or “Development of the Water Route Network in Latvia and Lithuania by Expanding the Cross-Border Tourism Product www.riverways.eu” (LL-00011), is being implemented with the support of the Interreg Latvia – Lithuania Programme!
Official project website: https://latlit.eu/theprojects/waterways/
Information prepared by:
Viktorija Reine
Project Manager of the Kurzeme Planning Region
Phone: +371 28232978
Email: viktorija.reine@kurzemesregions.lv
