Raimonds, who is blind, has come to walk the "Feel Jugla" trail with his guide dog Razo. This is a new environmental education and infrastructure facility in Rīga dedicated to exploring the natural values of Lake Jugla.
Raimonds said: "I walked this path when it was being assembled. It was really a very pleasant surprise for me. It would be good if there were more trails like this. We use this trail quite often. We come to walk in the park, where the dog can exercise freely, and we also come to enjoy the rest area, the playground, the benches.
The 250-meter-long walking trail was created on the initiative of the Jugla Development Association. The tactile trail was created next to the blind accommodation complex "Strazdumuiža". Therefore, it has been designed with people with visual impairments in mind.
The trail was immediately popular with people in the surrounding area. "Many people choose this walking trail as an activity every morning. I personally know people who are severely visually impaired and they choose this route precisely because it is safe," said Kaspars Biezais, board member of the Latvian Blind Association.
The funding for the trail, amounting to around €55 000, was provided by the Riga City Council through a citizens' participation budget competition launched by the Jugla Development Association. Ilze Neimane, chairwoman of the association's board, said: "Hopefully, through this small project, we have set in motion a bigger change to make this neighborhood what it really deserves to be. Lake Jugla is very beautiful in landscape terms."
Next year, the municipality plans to rebuild the pier at the end of the trail, which will also include a beach for people with visual impairments.
