In the garden of the guest house “Sīpoli” there is a beautiful house with an art gallery, there are wooden sculptures, paintings, and a collection of chinaware.
The guests can see skilled wooden sculptures made by woodworker Jānis Žīmants from Rucava. There have been exhibitions of Egils Jānis Brūns, Jānis Kalnmalis and other Latvian artists. There are also collections of household ceramics and porcelain cups from the First Free State of Latvia. The fascinating stories by the “Sīpoli” gallery host about the creation of the gallery, art, and life in Bernati will make you lose the sense of time.
About millstones
There are 657 millstones on the territory of the property. It is the largest collection of millstones in Latvia, the creation of which began in 1993.
Collection creator Visvaldis says, “We had already started working in rural tourism. One evening, Latvian boys came to us to overnight and their minibus was full of millstones which were arranged like bread rolls. It turned out they were meant to be brought and sold to Holland. In the moonlight, common sense awakened in me and I began calling friends to raise money for the purchase of millstones. The next morning, there was some money on the breakfast table and my wife said: “Guys, here’s money, let those stones stay in their homeland!” That is how it started. I realized that millstones perfectly color the environment, a bit harshly. I go on expeditions. I record what each stone has experienced. From these stories one can write an interesting history of my homeland. The way millstones are obtained are interesting. I direct the process. Not remarkably successful because it goes different direction than intended. But that is also the most valuable in this. Millstones are placed into the “Sīpoli” landscape and there is smoke coming frim them on summer mornings like from freshly baked bread.”
+371 20638348 (call prior),
www.sipoli.viss.lv
“Sīpoli”, Bernāti, Nīcas pag., Dienvidkurzemes nov.
