On 25 May 2026, the training seminar “Garden Pearls” took place at Šlokenbeka Manor in Milzkalne, Tukums Municipality, bringing together garden owners, tourism service providers, municipal specialists and other interested participants wishing to enhance their knowledge of garden accessibility, planning and the development of visitor-friendly environments.
The seminar focused on the development of accessible, well-planned and inclusive gardens and parks, with particular attention paid to practical solutions that help make garden environments more comfortable and accessible to different groups of visitors, including people with functional impairments.
The event was moderated by Aija Neilande, Project Manager at the Kurzeme Planning Region, who introduced participants to the latest project developments and guided them through the seminar programme.
At the beginning of the seminar, Gita Memmēna from the association “Garden Pearls” presented the project initiative, introduced the garden accessibility assessment tool and outlined recent improvements made to the website www.gardenpearls.eu.
Jurģis Briedis from the organisation “Apeirons” then shared practical insights into adapting garden environments for people with functional impairments, helping to make them more accessible, convenient and inclusive for different visitor groups.
Landscape architect Solveiga Dzene introduced the basic principles of garden planning, highlighting a thoughtful, sustainable and user-friendly approach to creating outdoor environments.
At the close of the seminar, Ingrīda Smuškova, Head of the Tukums Tourist Information Centre, shared experience and examples of some of Kurzeme’s most beautiful ornamental gardens, as well as the opportunities for developing garden tourism in the region.
The seminar provided a valuable opportunity for participants to gain new knowledge, practical ideas and inspiration, as well as to meet like-minded people, discuss accessibility solutions and establish new cooperation contacts.
We would like to thank all participants, speakers and cooperation partners for their active involvement and for contributing to a meaningful and valuable seminar.
The seminar was organised by the Kurzeme Planning Region within the framework of the project “Garden Pearls for Everyone”, co-funded by the INTERREG Estonia–Latvia Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2021–2027, in cooperation with Visit Tukums.
The “Garden Pearls II” project aims to create a network of gardens, parks, and natural sightseeing spots, developing and promoting garden tourism. It focuses on improving tourism solutions, especially focusing on the accessibility and tactile solutions of gardens and parks to enhance accessibility for people with disabilities.
The project activities are carried out with the support of the Interreg Estonia-Latvia Program for the period 2021-2027.
For more information about the project, please contact:
Aija Neilande
Project Manager
aija.neilande@kurzemesregions.lv
