Today, Sloka is part of Jūrmala (near Riga), but over a century ago, the town's history was significantly shaped by war. During World War I, Sloka spent several years in the frontline zone. The devastation caused by the war was immense: out of 567 houses in the town, 456 were destroyed. The Sloka cemeteries are also linked to the war era; they are the burial sites of Latvian and Siberian Russian riflemen who fell during World War I and the Latvian War of Independence. One of the memorials there is a monument erected in 1923 based on a design by architect Eižens Laube. The area around Sloka also became a site of action during the Latvian War of Independence in 1919. The Sloka pulp mill has a unique story of its own. It was not merely a significant industrial enterprise; during the war, its operations also became relevant to defense needs. In 1941, the mill considered producing light-proof camouflage materials for air defense purposes. The mill’s importance to the town’s life extended far beyond that. Until 1926, it supplied Sloka with electricity itself, and in the autumn of 1944—during the final stages of World War II—the pulp and paper mill was one of the enterprises that resumed electricity generation, helping to restore the war-disrupted power supply. Therefore, the history of Sloka can also be read as a story of how the war affected the town, its people, and its industry—and how industry, in turn, helped the town recover after the war. Pictured: The chimneys of the Sloka pulp mill are visible on the bank of the Lielupe River.

✈️ A Fake Airfield near Liepāja (Latvia) Hidden in the meadows around Lake Liepāja, near Liepāja Airport, is a rather unusual piece of military heritage – aircraft-shaped earthworks designed to look like real planes from the air. Based on their dimensions, the smaller shapes may represent MiG-15 fighter jets, while the larger ones resemble Tu-4 bombers. The decoy installation was most likely created in the 1950s, at the beginning of the Cold War. As far as we know, this is the only known site of its kind in the Baltic States. Remarkably, the shapes have survived to this day thanks to the marshy terrain. Satellite imagery: https://lvmgeo.lvm.lv/

Zeltiņi Nuclear Missile Base From 1961 to 1989, a highly secret Soviet military nuclear missile base operated in Zeltiņi (North part of Latvia). It housed R-12 (8K63) medium-range ballistic missiles with four launch sites and a range of up to 2,200 km. The approximately 300-hectare, barbed-wire-fenced site was largely self-sufficient, with its own electricity, water and heating systems. Concrete roads connected hangars, storage facilities, launch sites, shelters and other military structures. Today, around 20 hectares of the former military site are accessible to visitors. The history of the base is presented at the Zeltiņi Museum, while a tourist trail leads through the former base area. Information panels and a tactile site map are also available on the territory.

Pakri Lighthouse is located at the northwestern tip of the Pakri Peninsula (Estonia), on the edge of a high limestone cliff overlooking an important shipping route in the Gulf of Finland. The first lighthouse was built here in 1724 by order of Peter the Great, while the present 52-metre-high red brick tower was built in 1889, approximately 80 metres from the old lighthouse. It is the tallest lighthouse on the Estonian coast. The old lighthouse was partially demolished because coastal erosion had brought it dangerously close to the cliff edge. Its surviving remains still stand next to the new lighthouse, although they too are threatened by the advancing coastline. During the Second World War, the lighthouse complex was severely damaged, but the lighthouse was carefully restored in 2001–2002. Today, the lighthouse still serves as a navigational aid. Its light is situated 73.9 metres above sea level and can be seen from a distance of approximately 12 nautical miles. Pakri Lighthouse was more than just a navigational landmark – during the 20th century, it became part of the military observation, communications and navigation system serving one of the Soviet Union’s most strategically important military areas on the Estonian coast.

The Paldiski (North part of Estonia) artillery fire-control tower, built in the 1950s, was associated with a railway artillery battery. Fire-control towers built according to the same design can also be found in Suurupi, Tahkuna and Ristna on Hiiumaa. After the railway artillery battery was dismantled in the 1960s, the tower stood unused. Later, it served as the fire-control post for the Pakri training area. The command post next to the tower also housed a shelter for the Paldiski city authorities.

Estonian tour operators and travel agency representatives visited the island of Hiiumaa and explored its military history heritage tourism sites and various additional services on the island. Estonia-Latvia Programme #militaryheritagetourism Puhkus Maal

The command post of the 130 mm coastal defence battery No. 22 is located in Estonia, on the Pakri Peninsula, near the town of Paldiski. According to information from Battal.ee, Battery No. 22 was established in 1941 and was equipped with four 130 mm guns. Four reinforced-concrete gun emplacements, a command post, a rangefinder post, a gas-tight shelter for the crew, and a boiler house with a pump room were constructed. During the evacuation in August 1941, the gun emplacements and the command post were blown up. In 2010, the fourth gun emplacement and the boiler house were demolished. The ruins of the command post are located by the road, near a border guard post. Next to the ruins of the command post, directly on the shoreline, there is a circular concrete platform with a metal railing. Photo: Juris Smaļinskis

Kā iepazīt militāro mantojumu Baltijā? 🎙️ Latvijas Radio 2 raidījumā "Radio vilks dabā" saruna ar Juri Smaļinski, kurš dalās savā pieredzē par to, kā atrast militāro mantojumu Baltijas valstīs. Un, protams, kur meklēt informāciju – www.militaryheritagetourism.info 🔗Saite uz raidījumu komentārā. 👇

📱✨ Discover the history of Zvārde through augmented reality! Our MIL-HER ACCESSIBLE project partner, Saldus Municipality Saldus novada pašvaldība, has developed a new augmented reality app “ZvARde”, offering an innovative way to explore the history of the former Zvārde military firing ground in Latvia. 🏚️✈️ Using augmented reality, visitors can see historical sites and objects that no longer exist today – including Veczvārde Manor, Zvārde Church, the former entrance gates to the military firing ground area and aviation target models, as well as experience simulations of aircraft attacks and bomb explosions. The app combines 3D reconstructions, historical photographs, animations and audio guides to make the complex history of Zvārde more accessible, engaging and easier to understand. Audio guides are available in Latvian, English and Estonian. 🎧 ♿ Accessibility is an important part of the development – where historical sites are difficult to reach, AR markers have been placed closer to the road, allowing more visitors to experience and learn about these places. 📲 “ZvARde” is available free of charge for both Android and iOS devices. The app was developed within the MIL-HER ACCESSIBLE project (EE-LV00094), co- funded by the European Union under the Interreg VI-A Estonia-Latvia Programme 2021-2027. 👉 A great example of how digital technologies can help us preserve, understand and experience military heritage in new ways! #militaryheritagetourism #zvarde #saldus #MilitaryHeritage #accessibletourism

Today we can be found in Kaunas, Lithuania - History festival Fortunija 🇱🇹

In Pärnu County, Estonia, there’s a place called Lavassaare - a place full of military heritage, if you know where to look for it 🔍 Eesti Muuseumraudtee Yesterday we held a training event for Estonian schoolteachers there to introduce different opportunities the Military Heritage Tourism network offers them. 📍The day started in Tamme Farm with a seminar where we talked about investments meant for increasing accessibility for schoolchildren. 📍Next stop was German prisoner of war cemetery in Lavassaare - a place of remembrance for prisoners who died working in the peat industry there. 📍The last stop was Estonian Museum Railway, where we learned about the narrow-gauge railway and also how different armies have used it on Estonian territory. Come and see for yourself what secrets Lavassaare hides! 👀 🤝The event was supported by Interreg Estoni-Latvia Programme through the project Mil-Her Accessible. Tamme talu ürdiaed

How to make military heritage interesting for schoolchildren? 🪖We recommend interactive programs and visiting military heritage sites. This is why we organised a training event on 18 August for Estonian schoolteachers in Valga War Museum, where they learned about different ways of engaging students with strategic games, action programs and rides in military vehicles. 🚛 We also introduced the new opportunities offered by Mil-Her Accessible project partners. History is best learned through experiences, not lectures 👩‍🏫 🤝The event was supported by Interreg Estonia-Latvia Programme through the project Mil-Her Accessible. Valga Militaarteemapark

35 years ago today, at 23:03, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Estonia adopted the Resolution on the National Independence of Estonia. 🇪🇪 After more than fifty years of Soviet occupation, Estonia restored its independence — not by establishing a new state, but on the basis of the legal continuity of the Republic of Estonia, proclaimed in 1918. Today we celebrate with you, Estonia – strong yesterday, free today! ⚔🥂

3, 2, 1... Valga MilFest starts tomorrow! ⚔ Get ready for two action-packed days as military history comes alive in Valga! ⚔️ Historical battle re-enactments 🚛 Military vehicles and equipment 🛍️ Antiques and handicrafts fair 💬 Military history conference 🎶 Festival concert and Ave Maria film music concert Whether you’re a dedicated history enthusiast or simply looking for an exciting weekend, Valga is the place to be. 📅 14–15 August 2026 📍 Valga, Estonia Come and experience history in action – see you in Valga this weekend! 🇪🇪🪖 Valga Militaarteemapark

This August, Piibe Teater tells the story of forest brother Ruuben Lambur in the play "Viimane metsavend" 💬 You can hear Ruuben's memories from his book "Alutaguse Saaga" together with forest brother songs. It is a story about his love for his homeland and the fight for its freedom. The play will take you to some of the toughest years of Estonia's history, but there is always hope for a better future. 🌲Come and get to know Estonia's last forest brother – his story is worth hearing. Find the link to the tickets in the comments.

🌊 Pakri Peninsula and Paldiski – where nature meets Cold War history. For decades, Pakri Peninsula was one of the most heavily militarised areas in the Baltic Sea region. The closed city of Paldiski served as a Soviet Navy base, while the surrounding area contained coastal defence structures, military ports, missile and air defence facilities, as well as a secret nuclear submarine crew training centre with two nuclear reactors. The Pakri Islands were also transformed into a military aviation training area. Today, this is a place where military heritage stories merge with spectacular limestone cliffs and the landscapes of the Baltic Sea. The Pakri Peninsula can be explored by following the Baltic Coastal Trail, one of Europe’s long-distance hiking routes.

🪖 New Military Heritage Map of the Baltic States is now available! Together with our project partners from Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, we have prepared and published a new Military Heritage Map in four languages. 🗺️ The map highlights 280 military heritage sites across the Baltic region – including: 🏰 historic military bases ⚓ coastal defence structures 🌲 Forest Brothers’ bunkers ⚔️ battle sites 🏛️ museums, collections and exhibitions 🕯️ monuments and memorial sites For each location, the map provides information about the historical period, address and contact details, helping travellers discover the diverse military heritage of the Baltic States. 📥 The map is available for download on our website. Explore the stories hidden in landscapes, forests, towns and coastlines – and discover the military heritage that shaped our shared history. ℹ️ The travel map has been produced within the framework of the project EE-LV00094 “Improved Accessibility of the Latvian-Estonian Military Heritage Tourism Product” (MIL-HER ACCESSIBLE), with the support of the European Union Interreg VI-A Estonia-Latvia Programme 2021-2027.