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Loop Trails in Gauja National Park

10 routes in Gauja National Park qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 7.8 km and 172 m (564 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 17.1 km.

That is 34 percent of the 29 routes we map in Gauja National Park. They are shorter than the local average, 7.8 km against 13.6 km, which is what makes this a practical shortlist for a half day. They also climb less than the area average, 172 m (564 ft) against 300 m (984 ft), so they suit a recovery day or a group with mixed fitness.

Circular routes: park once, finish where you started, and never walk the same section twice. The mix is broad: 5 are rated easy and 1 are hard or harder, so there is something here whether you have two hours or a full day. A good share of them are loops, so you can park once and finish where you started.

Trails

Moderate

Kvēpenes takas

Gauja National Park · Latvia

Distance
12.1 km
/ 7.5 mi
Elevation gain
266 m
Typical duration
2 hr 55 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Apkārt Vaidavas ezeram

Gauja National Park · Latvia

Distance
12.9 km
/ 8.0 mi
Elevation gain
284 m
Typical duration
3 hr 7 min
Easy

Kubeseles taka

Gauja National Park · Latvia

Distance
3.3 km
/ 2.0 mi
Elevation gain
72 m
Typical duration
47 min

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Kvēpenes takasGauja National Park12.1 km266 m2 hr 55 minModerateApril to October
Fischer slēpošanas centra 12km traseGauja National Park13.0 km286 m3 hr 8 minModerateApril to October
Fischer slēpošanas centra 16km traseGauja National Park17.1 km376 m4 hr 11 minHardApril to October
Fischer slēpošanas centra 2km traseGauja National Park2.1 km46 m30 minEasyApril to October
Fischer slēpošanas centra 4km traseGauja National Park4.3 km95 m1 hr 3 minEasyApril to October
Fischer slēpošanas centra 8km traseGauja National Park8.7 km191 m2 hr 5 minModerateApril to October
Apkārt Vaidavas ezeramGauja National Park12.9 km284 m3 hr 7 minModerateApril to October
Cecīļu dabas taka (Dzilnas loks)Gauja National Park3.3 km73 m48 minEasyApril to October
Cecīļu dabas taka (Mazais loks)Gauja National Park1.4 km31 m20 minEasyApril to October
Kubeseles takaGauja National Park3.3 km72 m47 minEasyApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Kvēpenes takas, Fischer slēpošanas centra 8km trase, Fischer slēpošanas centra 12km trase. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

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