Eleja manor park restores woodland section with new visitor facilities

Work has begun to restore the historic landscape in the less-developed northwestern section of Eleja Manor Park in Jelgava Municipality, known as Mežapark, with new recreation areas and sensory gardens, LSM reported, citing Zemgale Regional Television.

The restoration is based on a more than 120-year-old plan for the manor park by landscape architect Georgs Kufalts. The aim is to restore the park’s historic composition as far as possible while preserving existing plantings, including rare tree species and 16 notable trees.

Eleja Manor Park is an important natural and cultural heritage area. Restoration has been carried out in stages since 2009. The Tea House has been restored, historic paths renovated, and a bridge and exhibition hall built.

The current project also includes a children’s playground, picnic and recreation areas, information boards and signposts.

Several sensory zones will be created in the sensory gardens, with plant selection playing a central role. Each zone will contain specific plants, including those that create sounds and attract bees. The taste section, for example, will feature kale and various herbs intended to enhance visitors’ experiences of taste and smell.

“The main idea of therapeutic gardens is to activate our different senses. I want everything to be connected with the place, and for the senses to be activated in any setting, even in the smallest squares,” landscape architect Natālija Ķitavska said.

The landscaping work in Mežapark is scheduled for completion by September 25. The project is part of the Latvian-Lithuanian cross-border cooperation project Green Secrets.