Sigulda walking stick seeks EU geographical protection

The more than 200-year-old Sigulda walking stick could become the first Latvian craft product to receive geographical-origin protection across the European Union, LSM reports.

A final decision will come only after objections have been reviewed in Latvia and at EU level. The process is expected to take at least six months.

Once a practical aid for walks along trails in the Gauja ancient valley, the stick has become one of Sigulda’s best-known symbols. But fewer craftspeople are continuing the tradition. About 10 years ago, 11 people in the area knew how to make the sticks, including six active artisans. Only four makers have been identified while the application for EU protection is being prepared.

One of them is Antra Plavgo, who has practised the craft for about 40 years after marrying into a stick-making family. She makes thousands of small souvenir sticks and about 300 large ones each year. A small stick takes about an hour to make, while a large one requires a full working day.

Plavgo says hazel branches are cut when they have no leaves, usually in late autumn before the snow and in early spring after it melts. The branches are stored in a cool place under plastic to keep them from heating up, then bent in batches. She says foreign visitors often ask what the sticks are, as they have not seen souvenirs like them elsewhere.

The Sigulda stick was originally used to help people walk along trails in the Gauja ancient valley. It later became a souvenir and a local symbol.