The nature park in the Ogre River valley is found along the middle section of the river. It has been established so as to protect the unregulated river valley and its surrounding territory, as well as biological diversity and habitats. For instance, this is an area in which rare park-type meadows can be found in Latvia. The Ogre is one of Latvia’s most popular rivers for water tourism in the spring, particularly downriver from the town of Ērgļi, where the technically complicated Braži rapids are found.

The nature park in the Daugava River valley is the only place between the cascades of the Daugava hydroelectric power plants there is still a chance to see the Daugava River valley and the ravines of its tributaries as they appeared before the area was flooded so that the power plants could be constructed. Particularly lovely views are found on the right bank of the river near the Aizkraukle church and castle hill. Forests, meadows, origins of streams and small dolomite cliffs in this area are all protected biotopes. Leisure facilities have been installed on the Aizkraukle castle hill, and the Aizkraukle castle ruins are not far away.

One of the highest dunes in Latvia, located between Bernāti and Jūrmalciems villages. It is 37m high and offers a magnificent view of the sea and natural pine forests. The highest dunes in Latvia stand to the South of Jūrmalciems village: the Pūsēnu hill, the Ķupu hill, the Mietragkalns or Tiesas hill, the Pāļu hill, the Garais hill, the Ātrais hill, the Lāvas hill. The Pūsēnu dune is the highest of these dunes which are all called hills by the local people. The Pūsēnu hill developed between 1785 to 1835 when shifting sand became extremely dangerous. Several homesteads were buried in sand, among them „Pūsēni”, where a forester’s family lived. The family is said to have moved to Bārta. The dune was named after the buried homestead.

Jēkabs Janševskis, a Latvian writer, wrote in his book „Nīca”: “In olden times, large pine trees were growing in the dunes on the coast of Nīca and they stood steady and firm. But i Swedish times (around 1650), the Swedes built a large kiln for charcoal and tar. Pine wood and stumps provided an excellent material for this. Once a big fire rose, and the charcoal kiln burned down as well as the whole pine forest. The remaining stumps and bare trunks in the vast burnout could not hold the storm-driven sand; it flew further and further burying not only the burned-out forest, but also the nearest fields. In wintertime, when the vast, low marshy grasslands were covered with ice, jets of sand drifted further over its surface, and soon most of the grasslands and large meadows turned into sandy heath-land and dunes.”

To reconstruct Liepāja, severely damaged during WWII, a silicate brick factory was built in the town. The main raw material was white sand and it was taken from the Bernātu forest. In the 1960-ies they started to dig off the Green Dune and the White Dune, later also the Pūsēnu hill. The excavators used to work day and night, in three shifts. The work stopped at around 1980, as there was no more sand suitable for production of brick.

A trail is set up to facilitate walking in the Pūsēnu Dune in the Bernātu Nature Park.

Ārkārtīgi ainaviska teritorija Augšzemes augstienes centrālajā daļā ar vairākiem ezeriem - Medumu, Lielo un Mazo Ilgas, Šķirsteņu un dažām mazākām ūdenstilpēm. Medumu ezera salām ir dabas lieguma statuss. Teritoriju šķērso vairāki grantēti ceļi, no kuriem dažviet paveras brīnišķīgas, bet nelabiekārtotas skatu vietas. Teritorijā atrodas Medumu katoļu baznīca. Piemērota teritorija dažādu aktīvā tūrisma veidu attīstībai. Dabas parks ietilpst Augšzemes aizsargājamo ainavu apvidū.

The forests of Zvārde are located on land which used to be a Soviet air base. The territory was unpopulated and was not accessible to civilians. The vast area includes various types of forest - boreal forest, bogs of black alder, etc. The fact that the military used to control the territory is one of the reasons why the forests of Zvārde are a location where many rare and protected birds live, reproduce and find food. Some of the elements of the old air base are still in place, including a unique surveillance platform. It is recommended that visitors to the area drive only along general use roads.