Latgale Lakes & Heritage Road Trip
Travel from Riga to Daugavpils, Aglona, Rāzna, Ludza and Rēzekne on a six-day eastern circuit.
- Allow
- 6 days
- Route
- 646 km
- Drive time
- 9 hr 31 min
- Stops
- 6
Latgale is Latvia’s longest road trip and its most culturally distinct. Daugavpils anchors the Daugava corridor, Aglona brings pilgrimage history, Rāzna National Park changes the horizon into lake and hill country, and Ludza and Rēzekne frame the region through old-town and contemporary perspectives.
The route approaches external borders without needing to visit a crossing. Follow current official guidance, do not wander onto unsigned tracks, carry fuel margin and finish rural stages before dark. Six days keeps the east from becoming a windshield exercise.
The road, in one glance
Pinch or scroll with Ctrl / ⌘ to zoom
Drawing the route…
The route earns
its distance
Each pin is selected as a place to do something—not merely proof that you passed through.
Photo: Jorge Franganillo from Barcelona, Spain · CC BY 2.0Riga
Start east after the city stay with a Daugavpils night booked and live road status checked.
Riga ( REE-gə), officially Riga State City (Latvian: Rīgas valstspilsēta), is the capital, primate, and largest city of Latvia and the second largest in the Baltics. Home to 588,911 inhabitants (as of 2026), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga metropolitan area, which stretches beyond the city limits, is estimated at 847,162 (as of 2025).
Photo: Ivo Kruusamägi · CC BY-SA 4.0Daugavpils
A vast fortress, Rothko museum and multilingual city identity anchor Latvia’s southeast.
Daugavpils (see also other names) is a state city in southeastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city derives its name. The parts of the city to the north of the river belong to the historical Latvian region of Latgale, and those to the south lie in Selonia. It is the second-largest city in the country after the capital Riga, which is located some 230 kilometres (143 miles) northwest and is the ninth most populous city in the Baltic states.
Photo: Dainis Matisons uploaded and derivative work: MrPanyGoff · CC BY 2.0Aglona
A major basilica and surrounding lakes make this pilgrimage town a measured cultural stop.
Aglona (Latgalian: Aglyuna, Lithuanian: Agluona, Russian: Аглона, hist. German: Aglohn) is a village in the Aglona Parish of Preiļi Municipality in the Latgale region of Latvia. It is located 40 kilometers (25 mi) northeast of the city of Daugavpils.
Photo: anakes · CC BY 3.0Rāzna National Park
Latvia’s ‘sea of Latgale’ sits among wooded hills, smaller lakes and rural villages.
Rāzna National Park (Latvian: Rāznas Nacionālais parks) is a national park in the Latgale region of Latvia. The park was established on 1 January 2007 in the Latgale Highlands of eastern Latvia to safeguard Lake Rāzna and its surrounding landscapes. Covering 596 km2, it is the youngest and second largest of Latvia’s four national parks, spanning parts of the Rezekne, Ludza and Krāslava municipalities across the Andrupene, Andzeļi, Čornaja, Ezernieki, Kaunata, Lūznava, Mākoņkalns and Rundēni parishes.
Photo: Irēna Možeika · CC BY-SA 3.0Ludza
Castle ruins and old streets rise between lakes in one of Latvia’s oldest towns.
Ludza (; Polish: Lucyn, German: Ludsen, Yiddish: לוצין, romanized: Lutsin, Russian: Лудза, Ludza) is a town in the Latgale region of eastern Latvia. Ludza is the oldest town in Latvia and this is commemorated by a key in its coat of arms. Ludza is the administrative centre of Ludza Municipality that is located nearby the Russian border.
Photo: Harald Hansen · Public domainRēzekne
Castle hill, churches and the Gors cultural center provide a contemporary Latgale finale.
Rēzekne is a state city in the Rēzekne River valley in the Latgale region of eastern Latvia. It is called The Heart of Latgale (Latvian: Latgales sirds, Latgalian: Latgolys sirds). Built on seven hills, Rēzekne is situated 242 kilometres (150 miles) east of Riga, and 63 kilometres (39 miles) west of the Latvian-Russian border, at the intersection of the Moscow – Ventspils railway and Warsaw – Saint Petersburg Railways.
Drive the conditions,
not the itinerary.
Check live road and security guidance, keep to public roads and avoid border areas unless explicitly open to visitors. Refuel early and drive rural sections in daylight.
Checked against
the people who run it
Distances and driving times are planning estimates. Conditions, closures, ferries, permits and park rules can change, so check the linked official guidance before setting out.