VIA Hanseatica is a historically ancient tourism route connecting Russia, Estonia and Latvia. This route is based on historic transport and trade routes from St. Petersburg through Tartu to Riga and further to Western Europe.

VIA Hanseatica and its adjacent area serve as an important tourism development corridor, however, one of the limiting factors for achieving its full potential is the availability and quality of transport services. Both local and foreign tourists, looking for an alternative means of transport for personal road transport, face the fragmentation of the proposed transport solutions, the lack of digitally available information, as well as the inconvenience of public transport use and the incompatibility of scheduling times, which hampers convenient movement between several tourism sites in the vicinity of the transport corridor. Also when choosing personal road transport, tourists face different barriers, such as the quality of infrastructure (road condition, lack of road signs).

On the tourism route VIA Hanseatica, the transport flow in the Vidzeme planning region is moving along the country’s main road A3 Incukalns – Valmiera – Estonian border (Valka), the railway line Riga – Lugaji – the state border, as well as the functionally linked section of the road A2 Incukalns – Drabesi and section of the road P20 Drabesi – Cesis – Valmiera, including the direction of Smiltene – Valka.

The vision of VIA Hanseatica for 2030 highlights its connecting function and its mobility: VIA Hanseatica tourism corridor is the connecting wire between the most demanding destinations – Riga, Gauja National Park and Tartu, which provides extensive, convenient, efficient and environmentally friendly mobility opportunities.

Accessibility of mobility services and infrastructure is one of the main prerequisites for the development of the tourism route VIA Hanseatica. The overall traffic flow will be made more efficient by improving transport infrastructure, public transport services, connections, enabling different modes of transport to be used for the first/last kilometre and introducing new mobility opportunities in the area of the influence of the VIA Hanseatica.

The travel time spent by passengers, including tourists, will be reduced not only by full-fledged infrastructure of the main national roads A2 and A3, but also by the regional and local roads of the state in good technical condition in the VIA Hanseatica impact area, as well as by municipal roads to important tourism sites such as the Ligatne nature trails, Zvartes Rock, Ergļu (Eagle) Cliffs etc.

Vidzeme is crossed by several internationally recognised cycling and pedestrian routes, an important resource for the development of cycling and pedestrian tourism. The perspective for the development of cycling tourism is highlighted not only by the development of infrastructure but also by the increase in the number of users. No less important is the availability of bicycles – rental facilities, availability of electric bikes, sheds, maintenance points, etc. Safe cycling infrastructure will not only boost the choice of locals but also tourists in favour of cycling, reducing the negative impacts of cars on climate change and environment.

The key to public transport is its availability, both in terms of routes and number of journeys, and modern and environmentally friendly passenger services. Convenient connections between different types of public transport and routes will also improve passenger traffic by strengthening the role of public transport and will allow to reduce travel time. Intermodal connection points will be developed in Cesis, Valmiera and Valka, connection points – Smiltene and Berzkrogs.

The popularity of public transport among tourists will also be increased by impact of the infrastructure of park & ride established at multimodality points. Sites of micromobility services where the preferred means of transport may be leased for a short distance will be located in Ligatne, Augsligatne, Cesis, Rauna, Liepa, Smiltene, Strenci and Stalbe, as well as at the beginning/end points of the major cycling routes. In electronic environment, continuous development of information will be available on possible route changes, recreational areas, conditions of movement, etc. factors affecting traffic flows. A major step in the development will be a single ticketing system. Information infrastructure such as road signs, a common and broad labelling system and institutional cooperation to promote the development of tourism and mobility are also important.

Access to the VIA Hanseatica tourism route for tourists needs to be improved in order to meet the set vision and meet the objectives. The integration of the international rail line Rail Baltica, the planned implementation of the common traffic reorganisation and the first level connections should be taken into account. Cross-border bus and train routes should also be improved. The infrastructure of the railway line Riga-Lugaji-Valka and the passenger trains will be up-to-date, accessible to people with reduced mobility, easy boarding/ disembarkation and day-to-day transportation of bicycles. Infrastructure should be developed to improve mobility for pedestrians, cyclists and other micro-mobility options, making it as safe and convenient as possible.

In the impact area of the tourism route VIA Hanseatica there are more than 200 different viewing sites, series of leisure activities and sporting venues, catering companies that present cultural and culinary heritage of Vidzeme. Tourism facilities are most densely located from Ligatne to Cesis, around Valmiera, Rauna and Smiltene, which indicate the main tourist attraction areas.

Smiltene and Valka/Valga and neighbouring areas are marked as tourism key areas. Given the context of VIA Hanseatica as a historic trading route for Hanza, it is necessary to particularly highlight the existing cities and towns of Hanza – Valmiera, Cesis and Straupe, which have rich cultural and historical heritage. Also in perspective, this area will be a key to attracting tourists, increasing the flow of tourists to the surrounding areas. The variable terrain of The Gauja Valley and Vidzeme Heights is a great advantage in providing both landscape views and offers of active winter recreation, reducing the seasonality of tourism.

In 2020, tourist habits have changed significantly under the influence of the Covid-19 pandemic. Natural trails and nature sites are more frequently visited. As the situation changes, the habit of visiting nature sites on a regular basis is expected to persist. The number of visitors to such sites after five years could be three times higher than in 2019.

The VIA Hanseatica tourism route is on the way for those who are going to pass Vidzeme further to Estonia (Tartu) and constitute a strong alternative to the VIA Baltica route. This implies the need to improve road A2 and A3 amenities, starting with the quality of road surface coverage, the improvement of services and recreational points.

Cesis, Valmiera, Ligatne, Valka and Smiltene are the main tourist attraction cities and towns on the VIA Hanseatica tourist route, where multimodal connections, micromobility and services are to be developed. Sigulda is an important tourism anchor town on the VIA Hanseatica route in the Riga Planning Region, with which cooperation in promoting tourism flows shall be developed.

Strengthening of the macro-regional role of the VIA Hanseatica tourism route in Vidzeme is marked by the development and promotion of its brand, the development and diversification of tourism services, and the development of cooperation between stakeholders at different levels. The VIA Hanseatica route is viable and will develop successfully in the future due to the active involvement and cooperation of all stakeholders – tourism entrepreneurs, municipalities, tourism organisations, managers of territories, universities, local society. This will be a modern and passenger-friendly tourism corridor, which will ensure fast, convenient and safe movement.

Full text in Latvian is available Here: Part I – Current situation and Part II – Strategic part

>> Click on the picture to enlarge it

We are pleased to announce that the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme 2014-2020 funded BALTIC LOOP project will hold its final conference on 16th June 2021, ahead of the project’s closing.

At present, both national and European Union levels focus on transportation and passenger flows from the North to the South, while the potential of the West and the East is still undiscovered and has a great opportunity for future development. Baltic Loop partnership from Finland, Sweden, Latvia and Estonia have defined three major transport corridors in the Baltic Sea region – North, South and Middle Corridor – seeing their future competitiveness in the common transport network.

In-depth research has revealed several bottlenecks and hindrances that would not only help smoothening flows in these corridors but could also be valuable for other transport corridors in Europe and elsewhere.

We invite you to get acquainted with solutions, optimal port business models for increasing competitiveness, in which small ports and their potential also plays an important role. Digitization, transparent and real-time flow of information, reduced travel time, collaboration and efficient management of structures are just some of the bottlenecks and hindrances the project has highlighted at all three corridors.

We are one step away from opening new and promising transport corridors

Please find the agenda here and save your virtual seat by filling out the registration form

From October 2020 to March 2021 the Foundation “Ventspils High Technology Park” (hereinafter – VHTP) and “eMobility” Ltd. (hereinafter -“eMobility”) had been preparing a Case Study on the Assessment of the Transit Corridor Belarus – Latvia – Sweden within ‘Baltic Loop’ with relation to the main roles of VHTP in the project, i.e. 1) to estimate the cargo flow potential along the transport corridor Sweden-Latvia (Ventspils)-Belarus, plan improvements in the Ventspils port’s infrastructure and processes to increase efficiency and potential of cargo flows; and 2) to plan the best approach and initiate the starting development activities for Ventspils port’s hinterland (freight village, industrial cluster) in order to increase cargo flows and ensure efficient use of ports infrastructure and services.

The structure of the Study focused the following objectives:
• Analyse the current cargo flows and goods on the transport corridor Belarus-Latvia-Sweden via the Freeport of Ventspils.
• Identify hindrances and establish viable port’s hinterland development activities to facilitate more efficient use of transport corridors and port infrastructure and services.
• Identify companies from Belarus and Sweden that would be ready to invest, expand and/or relocate to the Freeport of Ventspils.
• Identify the services that the Freeport of Ventspils needs to offer to such companies (e.g. freight village).
• Provide recommendations of further activities.

In order to accomplish said tasks “eMobility” arranged a series of interviews with Latvian and international authority representatives and experts on port business and freight management along the Sweden-Latvia-Belarus corridor, who provided valuable insights on how ports are dealing with the challenges of existing bottlenecks and fluctuations in the volumes of cargoes transhipped between the East and West. An important part of the Study also covered the analysis of information attained from Latvian institutions (Ministry of Transport, Central Statistical Bureau, etc.), organisations and NGOs (Latvian ports, VIA Latvia, etc.), data from Belarusian and Swedish governmental organisations, and mass media channels.

The company also took part in conducting a survey of Belarusian and Swedish businesses as a potential niche market for the freight village to be established in Ventspils, defining the lead industries of both countries that could make use of the existing infrastructure and workforces available in Ventspils and Latvia. According to the survey a significant number of Belarusian companies are ready to relocate to another country completely or partially. However, Latvia is not the only country that tries to attract Belarusian business. Its main competitors are Poland, Lithuania, Russia, and Ukraine, who are also interested in the raw materials and commodities coming from Belarus. In terms of Swedish companies, the survey indicated that the aforementioned could be attracted by promoting their branches in Ventspils. The main attention should be paid to companies that work in the field of wood processing, manufacture of products using wood as a raw material, and high-tech/machinery, as companies in Sweden are more consumer-goods-oriented.

To ensure that the contributions of the Study are effectively heard and used, the summary included a set of recommendations on the potential of the Belarus-Latvia-Sweden transport corridor and industries willing to expand or relocate to the Freeport of Ventspils, indicating the necessary steps to ensure a competitive offer, hi-tech and innovative solutions for a flexible and productive work environment, a smooth transition and cooperation options to strengthen the image of the country and the Freeport, and ensure more regular cargo flows and diverse customers for a potential freight village and industrial cluster.

The content of the Case Study includes an overview of Latvian port and transit business (industries, cargo volumes, transhipment options, etc.), information on the cooperation in transit business between Belarus, Latvia and Sweden, and infrastructure assessment along the Belarus-Latvia-Sweden Corridor (rail and road infrastructure), economic description, SWOT and competitors’ analysis in terms of cargo flows and freight village development in Ventspils, as well as a list of Belarusian and Swedish companies that have expressed interest in expanding to the Ventspils Freeport.

The “Assessment of the Transit Corridor Belarus – Latvia – Sweden within Baltic Loop” funded by the INTERREG Central Baltic program project “Baltic Loop” within the P3 project priority ‘Well-connected Region’, SO 3.1. ‘Improved transport flows of people and goods’, project No. CB774, and may serve as an example for stakeholders, port authorities and operators in other regions and countries to address similar challenges and opportunities, as well as replicate good practices.

>> Full text version of the research paper available HERE 

On April 28, Vidzeme Planning Region organized an online seminar “Via Hanseatica – tourism and mobility in Vidzeme”. During the event, the attendees were introduced to the vision of the development of the Via Hanseatica tourism and transport corridor 2030. The strategic document within the Baltic Loop project was developed to identify the necessary transport infrastructure, services and information improvements . The setting is closely in line with the issues raised by Baltic Loop and the goals to be achieved.

The VIA Hanseatica tourist route has more than 200 different attractions, a number of leisure activities and sports venues, and catering companies that introduce Vidzeme’s cultural, historical and culinary heritage. The availability of mobility services and infrastructure is one of the main preconditions for the development of the tourism route VIA Hanseatica, moreover, Vidzeme is crossed by several internationally recognized cycling and walking routes, which is an important resource for the development of cycling and walking tourism.

It should be reminded that the section of the Southern Corridor in the territory of Latvia winds from Ventspils through the Riga metropolitan area and further divides in the directions along the two main state roads A2 and A3 and ends at the Estonian border. It should also be noted here that the A2 section of the road is also known as the VIA Hanseatica tourism and transport corridor, the potential of which has not yet been fully exploited, so its vision is essential for the development of the corridor itself and its anchorages.

The development vision document was prepared in Latvian and it will be available both in the Deliverables section of the Baltic Loop website and on the Vidzeme Planning Region website www.vidzeme.lv.

We invite you to get acquainted with the summary of the document in English HERE.

A special platform was created during the project (https://www.balticloop.eu/index.php/platform/). The aim of the platform is to encourage mutual communication and facilitate access to documentation for transport stakeholders.

It is possible to find different traffic planning documents of Latvia, Sweden, Finland, Estonia on the platform. The platform consists of several sections, as well as its content is available in different languages.

In the news section, there are compiled articles about the transport industry daily. This allows you to easily get acquainted with current events in one place. The information is updated daily and is gathered from a variety of sources related to the transport industry.

A specially created forum is an opportunity to communicate with those who are related to the transport industry and address issues that are important to them.

It is very important to promote better public sector dialogue with intermodal logistics, passenger transport stakeholders, and other interested parties.

The platform is intended to provide cooperation on innovation for better accessibility. The platform can help agree on common decisions and thus prevent bottlenecks. Particular hopes are placed on stimulating technical innovation in the day-to-day running of freight and passenger transport.

The platform also offers the opportunity to seek partnerships between actors at both regional and national levels, as well as between the public and private sectors. High hopes are placed on joint activities in both planning and strategy development issues.

We invite you to get acquainted with the content of the platform and initiate the first discussions at the national or even international level.