Madona - city in Latvia

Madona is a town in the center of eastern Latvia, in the eastern part of the Vidzeme region.

Understand

Madona is home to 9,000 residents, and is a centre of culture, education, trade, sports, and medicine in the Madonas novads region.

The name “Madona”, often confused with “Madonna”, comes possibly from lake Madona or the medieval German name for the palace of Birži - Madohn. Birži was the official name of the inhabited area before. The name of the town has absolutely nothing to do with the famous singer nor the Christian religious figure.

Get in

1188.lv provides up-to-date bus and train schedules, route planner and prices.

By bus

Madona is well connected by bus service with Riga and smaller cities in eastern Latvia. Ticket price from Riga to Madona is about €8 and it takes usually 3 - 3½ hours to get there. From Madona you can catch direct buses to Cēsis, Daugavpils, Gulbene, Alūksne, Sigulda, Rēzekne, Aizkraukle, Jēkapils and numerous small villages within Madonas novads.

By train

Going by train is a relatively cheap and quick option (€5, <3 hrs). Unfortunately trains run infrequently, often just once a day. No advance booking of seats is available and trains are often crowded with students on Fridays.

• Madona railway station. 2022-10-02

By car

There are two main roads from the capital, Riga – one through Sigulda and Bērzakrogs, the other through Plavinas. The road through Plavinas is slower due to traffic and inhabited areas with speed limitations but the road conditions are slightly better.

By thumb

It is pretty popular to hitch-hike in Latvia and if you can get to Madona as well. If you come via Pļaviņas, make sure you get off on the bypass road at roundabout before crossing the railway bridge in direction of Jēkabpils. From there the branch road P37 to Madona starts.

By plane

The is no airport with scheduled flights. The nearest airfield (dead link: January 2023) is in Prauliena (7 km on the road from town centre), which is a small non-supervised 400 x 20 m strip but in very good condition, sufficient for small general aviation and ultra light airplanes.

Get around

By car

The town is small and getting around by car is an easy task, without traffic jams and takes minutes. Beware that due to ongoing pipeline replacement works the surface quality on some of the streets may be really bad. Free public parking places are available in many places in the centre.

By public bus

There are 3 public bus lines in the town. Tickets (€0.70) can be purchased on board.

By bicycle

In late spring/summer/early autumn probably the best way to get around is bicycle. Do not leave your bike unlocked on the street as bicycle thefts are not uncommon.

Bicycle rental (dead link: June 2020) is available at Smecere's Sport Complex.

On foot

Getting around the center by walking is a good option in any season.

See

• Historic buildings on Poruka and Blaumana street.
• Town's fountain and the surrounding park. One of the greenest and most beautiful places in town, and right in the heart of it.
• Madona's Regional Museum (Novadpetniecibas muzejs). With a variety of events and ever-changing exhibitions.
• Saieta laukums. The central square of the town, with a small fountain and lots of flowers in the summer season.
• Gaizinkalns. The highest hill in Latvia (312 m ASL) and the second highest in the Baltic countries. 2021-04-04

Do

In the winter

• Cross country skiing and biathlon at Smecere's Sport Complex, just outside the town
• Skiing and snowboarding
• Ice hockey
• Indoor sport activities - volleyball, basketball, floor-ball, climbing on artificial wall, gym etc at newly built Madona Sporta Centrs

In the summer

• Beach volleyball - on the beach of Madona lake, two equipped fields are available, often competitions take place there.
• Rollerskating - on asphalted tracks over small hills and through forests, starts at Smecere's Sport Complex
• BMX track - at Smecere's Sport Complex, one of the most challenging BMX tracks in Latvia
• Off-road driving
• Windsurfing
• Hunting
• Fishing
• Paintball
• Horse riding
• Bird watching
• Nature trails and hillwalking
• Orienteering

Learn

Madona is a home to two high schools and a branch of public university RPIVA. Check the international exchange programs for possibility of studying. Basics of Latvian language are essential for studying and living there.

Work

The current economic situation and high unemployment rates in general do not offer many possibilities to find a job, however finding a seasonal job in tourism may still be possible. For EU/EEA citizens no permits and no lengthy paperwork is required.

Buy

• Four supermarkets are available in the town – one in the centre next to train station, three more on northern side of the town; open every day from 8:00 until 22:00 (including Sundays and public holidays). Smaller shops all around the town but opening times may vary. Credit and debit cards are accepted almost everywhere.
• Petrol stations are open 24/7, most of them located around the roundabout in northern part of the town.

Eat

• Pizzeria "Neapole", Saieta laukums 2. M-Sa. A real and the only true Italian pizza in Madona, restaurant run by an Italian, so you can refresh your Italian language skills. Take away and eat on spot pizzas of different sorts available.
• Restaurant and Bar "Effeja", Saules iela 30.
• Cafeteria "Parka kefejnīca", Gaujas iela 33.
• Self-service restaurant "Rudzons", Saules iela 15. Offers authentic Latvian food.

Drink

• Smeceres krogs.

Sleep

Stay safe

• Beware of extreme temperature surprises in the winter. Temperatures may drop as low as -35°C occasionally, but are often around -20°C in winter. Inappropriate shoes or clothing together with longer periods of time spent outdoors can easily result in frostbite.
• Driving conditions may sometimes get very bad in the winter. Even though the streets are regularly cleaned, they may be covered by ice after a snowfall or when temperatures climb rapidly over 0°C. Drive and walk with great care. Keep in mind that the braking distance of cars may increase by a factor of four.

Connect

• Post office, Saules iela 21.
• Madona public library, Skolas iela 12. M-F 10:00-18:00, Sa 09:00-15:00. Has Internet.

Go next

• Cesvaine – A small town just 16 km north of Madona, easily reachable by road. Home to the eclectic 19th century Cesvaine Palace, and ruins of medieval castles. The oldest palace in the country, its magnificent landscapes of pine forests are cut by Kuja river.
• Gulbene – A small town with the only narrow gauge railway in the Baltics, to/from the recreation centre of Alūksne.
• Lake Lubānas – In the east. In the far southeastern corner of Vidzeme. The largest lake in Latvia by area, but also one of the shallowest ones with average depth just 3 m. A great place for windsurfing and under-ice fishing in winter.
• Teiču Swamp Nature Reserve (Teiču dabas rezervāts) – In the south east. Take some of the wood-board walking paths to observe wild animals and birds. It is necessary to contact the reservoir's guide for entry permission.
• Cēsis – One of the country's oldest towns. It has an impressive castle complex of Livonian Order origin, a charming city centre with some cobblestoned streets, and historic wooden buildings.
• Smiltene – Features a manor, some castle ruins, and a watch tower over the surrounding area. Not very interesting, but quite cosy and slightly larger than Valka, and not far from the Pskov highway.
• Also, check out the Vidzeme region for close-by destinations and attractions.