Jaunlubāna can be planned from two distinct perspectives: as the destination of a paddling route to Kodoli and as a place with a layered manor house and industrial history. When deciding on your trip, consider which perspective matters most to you. The route comes with a clear seasonal condition; the historical connections range from an artist’s biography to flax processing. Paddling and culture are therefore different reasons for visiting, which you can weigh up when planning your stay.

Paddling between Lake Lubāns and Kodoli

A paddling route from the Abaines upīte canal at Lake Lubāns to Kodoli is 32.6 kilometres in total. It is possible only during high water. Since the route depends on this period, plan it only if your visit falls during high water. Paddlers can stay overnight at Kodoli Farm; check availability before your arrival.

The Aiviekste flows past the farm. Attractions along a route from Lake Lubāns to Kodoli include the scenic banks of the Aiviekste. In addition, Kodoli is considered a very suitable base for boat trips on rivers in the Aiviekste basin and on Lake Lubāns.

For trip planning, this information answers different questions: the 32.6 kilometres and high-water period apply to a specific route to Kodoli; the recommendation of Kodoli as a boat base points to trips across several bodies of water. This lets you distinguish between a clearly defined route and a broader interest in paddling, without treating them as the same offering.

Manor house, art and flax processing

Rūdolfs Pinnis was a painter and a significant figure in Soviet Latvian art. He was born in 1902 at Jaunlubāna Manor in Madona Municipality, Latvia. His biography provides a personal connection to the manor house’s history. The ruins of the manor’s old buildings are near Kodoli Farm. In this way, the biographical connection and the architectural remains offer two distinct ways of exploring the manor’s past.

A flax factory belonging to the Lubānas-Meirānu linkopju savienība was established in the former centre of the Jaunlubāna sub-estate, which had previously been a wool-processing factory. In the second half of the 1920s, workers from the Jaunlubāna flax factory took flax to the retting ponds; they included Pēteris Liepiņš and his sons Rihards and Māris. The named workers connect local history with a specific activity, while the former sub-estate centre situates it in its industrial context.

Local accounts also recall lively cross-country skiing competitions on the banks of the Aiviekste in Jaunlubāna. This historical detail adds a sporting perspective to the area’s history and can be distinguished from the paddling route, which is tied to a particular season. The traces offer different emphases for your cultural itinerary: Pinnis’s biography leads to art history, while the flax factory and flax deliveries relate to working history. The Aiviekste connects memories of cross-country skiing with the landscape along the paddling route—two distinct perspectives on the river.

Discover more destinations: Bērzaune, Prauliena, Stalīdzāni, Madona, Sarkaņi, Ozoli, Cesvaine, Lautere

For the wider travel overview: Madonas Novads.