Abandoned rural properties can be found in almost every municipality in Latvia, while interest in the possibility of living in the countryside is also growing. In the Kārķi and Ērģeme parishes of Valka municipality, several dozen properties that are empty have been identified, and their owners would be prepared to sell them. A new owner has already been found for one. Before setting off on a tour of the empty rural properties, the manager of Ērģeme and Kārķi parishes introduces interested parties to the area with a small dose of humour about the weather in Northern Vidzeme. Everyone is also given a list of the places they will be visiting, along with a contact person for the property for further communication should interest arise.

The properties included in the tour vary – some are in better condition than others, and they also differ in terms of their location and the size of the land plot. Interest in rural properties is just as varied. Pēteris Pētersons, head of the Ērģeme and Kārķi parish administrations in Valka municipality, says: “There are people who are only interested in the village centre, and there are those who specifically need the edge of a forest where there is no community nearby at all and who want to live in a secluded environment. Some need something old with a breath of history, while others are looking for something newer that requires less investment.” (...)
Pixabay photograph used