Rēzekne is the heart of Latgale, the eastern region of Latvia, which has its own language, its own pottery and a strong Catholic tradition that sets it apart from the Lutheran north. It lies on the river Rēzekne, among low hills and lakes, a short way from the Russian and Belarusian borders.
The day out here is a gentle one. The roads are quiet, flat and straight, running between forests of pine and birch, fields and small wooden villages, with the occasional long climb over a glacial ridge. The surface varies, and some rural roads are gravel, though main routes are well kept. Traffic is light, and the best time is summer, when the days are long and the lakes are warm, or early autumn, when the forests turn gold. Winters are cold, with deep snow, and fog can be thick.
The city has a long history. The ruins of a castle built by the Livonian Order in the thirteenth century stand on a hill above the river, and the statue called Latgales Māra, a tall female figure holding a cross, stands near the centre as a symbol of the region's unity. It was destroyed by the Soviets and rebuilt in 1992. A modern concert hall, the Latgale Embassy Gors, has become a centre of culture. The Latgalian ceramic tradition produces dark, burnished pots, sold in local craft shops.
Fuel and food are easy, with stations on the main roads and supermarkets and cafes in the centre. Local dishes include rye bread, smoked fish, mushrooms, potato pancakes and a sour milk soup, and the region's dairy products are good. The famous basilica of Aglona, a major pilgrimage site, is about forty kilometres to the south.
Visit the castle hill if you have time. From it the view over the town and the river is a gentle introduction to the region.