The presidents' bike ride began at the bridge over the cross-border Ramata River — known in Estonian as the Raamatu (Book) River — and continued through ancestral Livonian lands to the Ramata village library in Latvia.

There, Karis presented three books translated into Latvian: "That First Book: 500 Years of Shared Written Culture," a collection of contemporary Estonian plays translated by Daila Ozola, and Estonian poet and translator Contra's "Kuram vedas! Kuram vedas?"

Built a cultural bridge rooted in friendship, language & literature. Cycled with President @edgarsrinkevics to mark 500 years of the first #Estonian & #Latvian books were published. pic.twitter.com/utbgbi4Q38

— Alar Karis (@AlarKaris) August 22, 2025

Back in Estonia, Karis and Rinkevics stopped in Raamatu village, where they were greeted by local residents and leaders from Mulgi Municipality and the Mulgi Cultural Institute, before riding to Mõisaküla to visit the local museum, library and St. Mary Magdalene Church.

The two heads of state also visited "Baltas naktis," the northernmost point in Latvia and a traditional Estonian-Latvian gathering site.

The joint bike ride concluded at Eglites Farm in the Latvian village of Ipiki, the historical home of Estonian writer and Old Germanic epic translator Rein Sepp, where Karis and Rinkevics planted two apple trees in the garden.

With President @AlarKaris marked
500 years since first book in Latvian and Estonian were published. Our nations have a lot in common, also love for literature and books. Rain or shine we celebrated anniversary biking from to and visiting local communities and libraries pic.twitter.com/LDXp7J56Gr

— Edgars Rinkēvičs (@edgarsrinkevics) August 22, 2025

Click here for more photos of the presidents' joint bike ride.

2025 marks 500 years since the earliest known publishing of an Estonian-language book. Dedicated to celebrating this quincentennial, the Year of the Estonian Book began on January 30.

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