More than art in Pedvale

  • 2007-02-21
  • By Holly Morrison
RIGA - Approximately 120 kilometers from Riga, near the town of Sabile, down a tree-lined lane, nestled back off the main road amongst rolling hills and heavily wooded forests, is Pedvale. The open-air art museum is situated on 100 hectares of some of the most beautiful countryside in Latvia.

Yes, it takes some time to reach from Riga. Yes, it requires a little walking if you want to appreciate the full spectrum of what's offered. And yes! It is most definitely worth your time and effort to visit.
As early as 1230 AD Pedvale was home to ancient tribes. Fast forward a few centuries and find the Germans exploring the beautiful and highly diversified natural surroundings of Pedvale, quickly deciding this is where they will build their mansions.
Once again fast forward, directly over the Soviet years, to 1991 when Pedvale was established as an open-air art museum by renowned sculptor Ojars Arvids Feldbergs.

Rolling hills, steep ravines, meadows and farmlands are the perfect backdrop for the sculptures and artwork you'll find here. It's the product of local artisans and those visiting from every corner of the globe, as well as a first-class collection of Feldbergs' own work.

At first glance the nature of Pedvale appears almost untouched. It's only upon closer scrutiny, when hiking through the forest, across a field or down a lane, that one realizes: art is absolutely everywhere. There is however no impression that nature has been interrupted to accommodate this art. Instead the art and nature coexist in a harmonious (one might say mystical) environment that is as soothing to a visitor's nerves as any deep forest experience. These surroundings excite the imagination with art of various genres 's sometimes whimsical, at other times profound 's in avant-garde displays spread throughout the seemingly enchanted forests and scattered playfully across fields.

Two of the area's ancient estates remain on the Pedvale grounds and are gradually being restored.
Visitors are welcome to spend the night in charming, simply furnished rooms in one of the estates, where the price for a bed begins at 10 lats (14.25 euros). In the winter season, only two rooms are available. But in summer Pedvale can accommodate up to twenty guests. For the more rugged art and nature enthusiast, a tent can be pitched in the midst of the sculpture garden for 1 lat (for 24 hours).

The whimsically decorated restaurant Dare 's reminiscent of a child's fantasy 's is casual, reasonably priced and operates Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. 's 8 p.m. in the winter months, and 9 a.m. 's 11 p.m. in the summer, with outdoor seating available. Call ahead to reserve your room or bed in this fantasyland, where art and nature have merged to create a magical experience for the entire family!

Telephone: +371 32 52249 or +371 7 622335
Website: http://www.pedvale.lv/About.htm
email: [email protected]