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Name of Litene is associated with one of the most tragic pages of Latvian history. In twenties and thirties of the 20th century a Latvian Army summer camp was located nearby, where in the summer of 1941 Latvian officers faced the communist terror: Nearly five hundred officers of Latvian army were sent to Norilsk in Siberia, part of them was shot and secretly buried in the nearby forest. At the end of the summer of 1941 about 300 civilians, mostly Jews, were shot there by the army of Nazi Germany. Today, honouring the memory of people killed, memorial and memorial sites are created. |
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The site of the Oak tree of love, which was
once a symbol of the growth of Ķemeri on the
left bank of the Vēršupīte.
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Šis ir viens no retajiem ceļiem, kurš saglabājies kā notikumu liecinieks. Ceļš ved no Krimuldas uz Siguldu. Jau vācbaltu apgaismotāja novadpētnieka – mākslinieka Johana Kristofa Broces 1794. gada zīmējumā "Siguldas un Krimuldas pilsdrupas" redzams lauku ceļš gar Krimuldas pili, pa kuru iet zemnieks un darba ratus velk zirgs. Lai braukšana pa Gaujas senlejas nogāzi ar zirga pajūgu būtu droša, ceļu izveidoja līkloča formā, tā uzbrauktuvi padarot daudz lēzenāku. Domājams, ka ceļš atjaunots 19 gs., kad Krievijas cars Aleksandrs otrais un viņa sieva ieradušies uz vizīti siguldā. Pāri ceļam bijuši vairāki mazi tiltiņi, ko iedzīvotāji dēvējuši par velna tiltiem. Tagad serpentīna ceļš kļuvis par romantisku pastaigu vietu. |
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In 1804 Käsmu founded the first Estonian naval school and from 1798 – 1920 built more than 40 ships. Now there is a museum about seafaring. |
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The Smārde saloon has a very long history,
and food is served here. There is a car park, and
approx. 100 m to the East is a cemetery and
monument to commemorate soldiers who fell
during World War II.
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To the East of the Ezermuiža-Dūmele road you will find the bed of the ancient Lake Dieviņezers. It was one of the largest lakes in Kurzeme in the past, being 7.5 km long and 1.6 km wide. A canal was dug in 1838 (Melnsilupe River today), and the water from the lake was siphoned to the sea so as to create fertile farmland. Residents of Ezermuiža have been involved in forestry work since the age when barons ruled the land. Dūmele is connected to Košrags by a lonely forest road that is known as the Bottom Road. A bike route runs down it. The Ziedkalni weekend house is in Dūmele. The "Ziedkalni" homestead in Dūmele offers spa services, cod fishing and accommodations. |
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Around 6 km in length and an isolated route stretching between Ragaciems and Klapkalnciems where, as stories about olden days tell, robbers used to attack travelers. Around 1.5 km before Klapkalnciems (going from the side of Ragaciems), in the dune by the sea there is installed a commemorational stone dedicated to the Finnish jaeger battles. It was installed on December 09, 1997. The stone has "travelled" from the south-eastern part of Finland where in 1940 it served as an anti-tank defense. In the monument, there are engraved the words, "Here during World War I, from August 1916 to December fought the Finnish yeagers". In turn, in Klapkalnciems there is installed a commemorational stone in the place where there are buried five Finnish soldiers. |
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A monument to the founders and
directors of the Ķemeri spa (1861) on the
banks of the Vēršupīte.
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One of the most interesting objects in Bigauņciems, the road begins at the seashore, crosses the Vecslocene River (there is no bridge, but hikers and bikers can get across it), and then continues as a forest road to Lake Melnezers. |
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Vijciema čiekurkalte ir viena no retajām vēsturiskajām čiekurkaltēm Eiropā, kas celta 19. gadsimtā, un ir ne vien teicami saglabājusies līdz mūsdienām, bet arī, izmantojot vairāk nekā 100 gadus senas iekārtas, čiekurkaltē arvien tiek žāvēti čiekuri, lai iegūtu augstas kvalitātes meža sēklas. Pateicoties ēkas bagātajai vēsturei un senajām čiekuru žāvēšanas tradīcijām, Vijciema čiekurkalte ir iecienīts tūristu objekts, kas piesaista vēstures, dabas un tehnoloģiju interesentus. Vijciema čiekurkaltes apmeklētājiem ir iespēja doties izzinošā ekskursijā gan individuāli, gan grupās. Ekskursijas laikā ir iespēja atklāt čiekurkaltes vēsturi, skatīt čiekuru apstrādes cikla demonstrāciju, kā arī uzzināt, kur, kā un kāpēc čiekuri tiek lasīti. Ekskursijas un individuālos apmeklējumus iepriekš jāpiesaka, zvanot 26478620. Cena
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In Metsanurme Village Centre you can see restored old threshing barn, limestone barn oven and few tools that were used ages ago. You could be also interested in seeing an outdoor exhibition which focuses on historical agricultural tools. All of this is made to look interesting to not only locals but also visitors. |
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The graveyard that is alongside the Lestene Lutheran Church is the final resting place for more than 900 soldiers who fell during World War II, particularly during battles at the so-called Fortress of Kurzeme, as well as in Zemgale and Vidzeme. The sculptress Arta Dumpe designed the commemorative monument “Mother Motherland – Latvia.” The cemetery of the brethren is the second largest resting place for soldiers from World War II after the Cemetery of the Brethren in Rīga. The names of some 11,000 soldiers are engraved on the gravestones. |
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Stupeļu Hill is 3 km to the South of the Vecumnieki-Ilūkste road. There are no signs, so the castle hill might be difficult to find. The Great Stupeļu Rock, which is discussed further on in this guidebook, is also hard to find when there is vegetation. Stupeļu Hill is approximately 30 m high, and it was one of the highest castle hills in the historical district of Selonia. Archaeologists say that it was first abandoned at the beginning of our era and then populated again during the late Iron Age. It is interesting that iron was extracted and processed near the castle hill. Archaeologists believe that this is the site of one of the earliest “cities” in the region. To the West of the hill is the Great Stupeļu Rock, which is 6.7 m long, 5.6 m wide and up to 2.7 m high. Above ground, it is 35 m3 large, and it may have been a cult location. During archaeological digs in the late 1970s, antiquities from the 10th to the 13th century were found here. |
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Near Mākoņkalns hill there is a trail that is mowed in the summer and leads to several historical rocks – Plakanais (Flat) rock, Āža muguras (Ram's Back) rock (on which you can clamber), and the Jaunstašuļi Velna pēdas (Devil's Footprint) rock, on the surface of which is a shape similar to a human footprint. There are signs along the side of the road leading to the trail. |
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Atrodas Vārtājas ielejas labajā krastā un labi saskatāms no Priekules – Grobiņas (P106) ceļa. Senās kuršu zemes – Piemares pilskalns, kas vēstures avotos pirmo reizi minēts 1253. gadā – līgumā starp Kurzemes bīskapu un Livonijas ordeni. Viens no lielākajiem Dienvidkurzemes pilskalniem. Iespējams, ka iepriekš – arī sens kulta kalns. Pagājušā gadsimta sešdesmitajos gados veiktajos arheoloģiskajos izrakumos konstatēts, ka pilskalns bijis apdzīvots jau vidējā dzelzs laikmetā. Pie tā konstatēta liela senspilsētas vieta. |
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This is one of comparatively few castle hills along the banks of the Daugava River that is not overgrown with trees and bushes, which means that it has a classical castle hill form that is part of the local landscape. The Dignāja castle hill was settled during several periods, particularly between the 5th and the 9th century AD, when it was an important centre. Archaeologists have found that Lettigalian tribes lived here. After the Holy Crusade invasion, the Livonian Order built a castle on the hill that has not survived. It is said that there was once an underground passageway under the hill. The hill itself offers a lovely view of the Daugava River valley. World War I trenches have been preserved the area. There was once a settlement at the foot of the hill. |
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This partly forested hillock stands 40 metres above the surrounding area and offers impressive views. The fact that this was once a castle hill is attested by the presence of a moat and remnants of defensive fortifications. It is thought that Lettigalian tribes settled here in the 10th century AD. You can climb the hillock to take a look at the surrounding landscapes. |
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The memorial stone to Augusts Muižulis,a recipient of the Lāčplēsis Military Order, is placed in the Lapmežciems, at the edge of the road (P 128, Jūrmala-Talsi) at the marker for the 9th kilometre. A. Muižulis, (189 –1941) was a lieutenant colonel in the No. 4 Valmiera Infantry Brigade. The adjacent Tuteņi homestead is his native home. |
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Vāldamõ – a residential building that is yellow and has natural roofing materials. It was built as a new farm at the beginning of the last century. Virgo is the next homestead to the North from Vāldamõ, and it was established as a new farm in the 1920s. The house (1930) features interesting wood carvings. Next to the North is Fīlmaņi, which has a building that appears antique, but was built in the early 20th century as a single roof. Silkalni is the homestead that we find if we turn to the right toward Pitrags at the crossroads. The yellow building was built around 1906 as a single room. Norpiedagi is to the South from Silkalni – a brown and larger house than the previous one. The home was built around 1906 as a one-room granary by the active Liv public activist and boat builder Diriķis Volganskis (1884-1968). His son, Edgars Valgamā, who was also a Liv cultural activist and worked as a pastor in Finland, was born here. Anduļi can be found at the aforementioned crossroads. This is one of the largest old farms in the village, and it is owned by the village elder. The history of the homestead was first recorded in 1680, when it was called Kūkiņi. The homestead includes a residential building (c. 1909), a threshing barn (1905), a granary (mid-19th century), and a smokehouse made of a boat that was cut in two. Under the part of the threshing barn which is on the back of the dune, there is the medieval, so-called Plague cemetery. Žoki is a homestead that is on the other side of the road from Anduļi. The building that is there now was built on the foundation of an older one. In the mid-19th century, Žoki was home to the first reading school for Liv children from the seashore villages of the Dundaga region. Liv Nika Polmanis (1823-1903) worked there as a teacher. Next to the North of Žoki is the Tilmači homestead, with several buildings that were built in the late 19th and early 20th century – a brown residential building, a stable and part of a granary. When the residential building was restored, the owner found a board reading "1825. Kurlyandskaya gubernya." The seven historical homesteads and buildings were at one time considered for listing on the UNESCO list of world heritage. |
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Approximately 200 metres to the North-East from the Liv People's Centre, along the Mazirbe-Košrags road, there is the Seppes homestead. The little log granary was built in the 1920s and 1930s by an Estonian fisherman and builder who arrived in Mazirbe from Saaremaa. He was called Jēkabs Jaga. On the other side of the road is the Kalši home, which was built in the early 20th century. It has been restored, but the bricks that were made in a local kiln were preserved for its walls. |
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