The active tourism season of 2008 has ended. Last year a lot of Latvian inhabitants and foreign visitors chose to visit Gauja National Park as a destination. The statistics which has been prepared by employees of Gauja NP Visitor centres is presented here.

The most popular tourism destination last year was Līgatne Nature Trails. In 2008 at Līgatne Nature Trails different infrastructure improvements were made. During the improvement works, which lasted five months, the territory was closed. A new Visitor Centre, parking lot, trails and sight-seeing platforms were made there. After the reopening (on 1 August), the prices weren’t raised. In 2008 the number of Līgatne Nature Trails visitors exceeded 47 thousand.

Zvārtes rock and Amatas trail (after the establishment of an open-air exhibitions and the Visitor Centre opening) has became more popular since 2002. In 2008 Zvārtes rock was visited by almost 17 thousand visitors.

The Līgatne ferry across the Gauja River as an unusual and also necessary transport each year is used by approximately 7-8 thousand tourists and local people. In 2008 more than 10 thousand people crossed the river.

The popular tourism destination - Āraišu windmill was visited last year by more than 5.5 thousand people.

Since autumn the Gauja NP Visitor Centre is situated on the first floor of the new Nature Education Centre – at Baznīcas Street 7. Last year the Visitor Centre was entered by 6893 visitors from different countries.

For visiting the Gūtmaņa cave – the biggest sandstone grotto in the Gauja River valley - the drivers can leave their cars at the charged parking-lot. In 2008 this service was used by more than 10 thousand drivers. There were made improvements in the trail to the Gūtmaņa cave and to the pedestrian tunnel. The trail and tunnel was adapted to people with disabilities and special needs.

Each year is groving the number of visitors in Gauja NP administration organized activities: Shrovetide at the Turaida Museum-Preserve, Easter in the Kubesele surroundings, the celebration of rye-bread in Āraiši surroundings, European Bat night in the Ungurmuiža manor, Michaelmas in the farmstead “Lejasbregži” in the Vaidava rural district, International migrating bird species observation excursions in Sigulda and the Day of Mushrooms and the Advent present market in Līgatne Nature Trails.