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The first barefoot trail created in the Baltic States in the recreation complex "Valguma pasaule", which is located on the forested shores of Lake Valguma. When walking on the path, the feet "massage" sand, wood chips, clay, peat, gravel, cones and various other materials. |
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The Tērvete Nature Park is located in an area which is not particularly typical of the Zemgale region – the distinct Tērvete River valley. Along its banks there are vast forests which have been nicely adapted to leisure activities. There are natural treasures, as well as an outstanding cultural and historical heritage in the area. The Tērvete Nature Park is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Zemgale. People are interested in the Park of Old Pines, the lovely pine forest, the Sprīdīši arboretum, the Tērvete, Klosterkalns and Svētkalns castle hills, the memorial museum “Sprīdīši” which commemorates the great Latvian author Anna Brigadere, various attractions for children, lovely landscapes, a dense network of pathways, etc. The nature park was nominated as the most family-friendly location in Latvia in 2004. |
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This is one of the most interesting protected territories in the city of Rīga, and its aim is to protect coastline biotopes – dune and coastal meadows and the birds and plants which are found there (among them, 29% of the species of orchids). There is a marked information trail with a bird-watching tower. This is the only outdoor viewing tower in Latvia that has been adapted for the needs of people in wheelchairs.
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One of the most beautiful areas along the Venta River and its tributary, the Šķērvelis River. The river valleys and gullies along them are quite deep, and dolomite and sandstone cliffs can be spotted here and there. There are also rapids on the river. The largest cliffs in Kurzeme – the Ātraiskalns and Gobdziņi cliffs – can be seen on the banks of the Venta. The Lēni Catholic Church is near the restricted area. There are no tourist elements in the restricted territory at this time. The Venta is a popular destination for water tourists, however, from Nīgrande to Kuldīga. |
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This is a large, outstanding and expressive tree, Latvia’s thickest Norway Maple (Accer platanoides).
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This restricted area was established to protect a high-type swamp, a swampy forest and a series of rare birds. The Niedrāji-Pilka swamp can be crossed with dry feet while enjoying almost virginal nature. This is possible on the narrow-gauge railroad embankment which runs through the swamp for three to four kilometres from the North-east to the South-west, or on the well-appointed circular wood pathway which is on the eastern size of the embankment.
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Ja Rušona ezeru iepazīstiet ar laivu, tad var apmeklēt Lielo salu (ezera rietumdaļā),kur (augstākajā vietā) ir jāuzmeklē ap 1,2 m augstais akmens. Konstatēts, ka tā apkārtnē un uz virsmas kurināta uguns. Atrastas arī senlietas. Nostāsti vēsta, ka akmens virsmā bijušas iekaltas zīmes (nav saskatāmas) un pie tā upurēti jēri. Tikai nedodieties ezerā, ja ir vai gaidāms stiprs vējš! Rušona ezera salas ir dabas liegums. |
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These two lakes, along with Lake Mazezers, Lake Auziņš, Lake Skuja and Lake Bruņķītis, are found in a sub-glacial depression with shores and hillsides that are home to various kinds of forest, including stands of broadband trees such as ash. These are protected habitats. Alongside the Priedītes homestead there is a well-appointed nature trail for visitors who wish to study Lake Dziļezers and its surroundings. A boating facility is on the north-eastern shore of the Lake.
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One of the highest dunes in Latvia, located between Bernāti and Jūrmalciems villages. It is 37m high and offers a magnificent view of the sea and natural pine forests. The highest dunes in Latvia stand to the South of Jūrmalciems village: the Pūsēnu hill, the Ķupu hill, the Mietragkalns or Tiesas hill, the Pāļu hill, the Garais hill, the Ātrais hill, the Lāvas hill. The Pūsēnu dune is the highest of these dunes which are all called hills by the local people. The Pūsēnu hill developed between 1785 to 1835 when shifting sand became extremely dangerous. Several homesteads were buried in sand, among them „Pūsēni”, where a forester’s family lived. The family is said to have moved to Bārta. The dune was named after the buried homestead. Jēkabs Janševskis, a Latvian writer, wrote in his book „Nīca”: “In olden times, large pine trees were growing in the dunes on the coast of Nīca and they stood steady and firm. But i Swedish times (around 1650), the Swedes built a large kiln for charcoal and tar. Pine wood and stumps provided an excellent material for this. Once a big fire rose, and the charcoal kiln burned down as well as the whole pine forest. The remaining stumps and bare trunks in the vast burnout could not hold the storm-driven sand; it flew further and further burying not only the burned-out forest, but also the nearest fields. In wintertime, when the vast, low marshy grasslands were covered with ice, jets of sand drifted further over its surface, and soon most of the grasslands and large meadows turned into sandy heath-land and dunes.” To reconstruct Liepāja, severely damaged during WWII, a silicate brick factory was built in the town. The main raw material was white sand and it was taken from the Bernātu forest. In the 1960-ies they started to dig off the Green Dune and the White Dune, later also the Pūsēnu hill. The excavators used to work day and night, in three shifts. The work stopped at around 1980, as there was no more sand suitable for production of brick. A trail is set up to facilitate walking in the Pūsēnu Dune in the Bernātu Nature Park. |
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This mixed-type park dates back to the latter half of the 19th century and has remained all but unchanged. It is in a lovely place between two lakes, and its spatial structure was preserved when it was restored. The park covers 10 ha and has two parts. One is a fairly precisely rectangular territory alongside the state, surrounded by a stand of linden trees and introduced trees. The other part has a natural forest. The largest oak tree in the park has been declared to be a protected element of natural heritage. The mighty trunk of the tree is 6.3 m around, has a 2m diameter and stands 30.5 m high. |
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Sāmsalas ziemeļrietumu daļā jūrā iestiepjas iespaidīgā Tagameizas pussala (Tagamõisa poolsaar). Tās ziemeļrietumu daļā meklējama mazāka – ap 5 km garā Harilaidas pussala (Harilaid). Pussalas vidusdaļā viļņojas Lajalepas ezers (Laialepa järv) - bijušais jūras līcis, kas zemes garozai ceļoties, kļuvis par iekšēju ūdenstilpi. Arī pati Harilaida (igauniski „laid” nozīmē „saliņa”) vairāk nekā trīs gadsimtus atpakaļ bijusi sala. Harilaidu iecienījuši ne tikai migrējošie putni, bet arī roņi, kurus piesaista vientuļi līči un akmeņainās sēres. Harilaidu var apmeklēt tikai ar kājām vai ar divriteni, bet spēkrati ir jāatstāj autostāvlaukumā. No tā ~ 1 km attālumā atrodas vieta, kur pēc 17. gs. radies Harilaidas savienojums ar Sāmsalu. Šeit paveras nepierasti klaja un akmeņaina ainava. Pārējā Harilaidas daļa ir apmežota pirms ~ 40 gadiem. Kopumā būs jāveic ~ 10 km garš pārgājiens. |
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This is Latvia’s thickest common pine (Pinus slyvestris)
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The park was established to protect the Venta River valley and the landscapes that are around its tributaries. On the west bank of the Venta, at Papilė, there is a cliff from the Jurassic period which is unique in the Baltic States, has been known since 1925, and has layers in which more than 300 forms of life have been identified over the course of time.
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One of the most important locations for migrating water birds in terms of rest and feeding in Latvia is the Svēte flood-land, which overflows in the spring time, along with the Svēte polder. It has been calculated that when circumstances are good, tens of thousands of birds can be seen in the area – swans, geese, corn-crakes, pintails, predatory birds, plover-type birds, etc. |
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The trail (the length 1.2 km) introduces with the habitats of dunes and century-old pines, partly covered with sand. Biologists estimate that the oldest tree, the “mother of pines”, could be around 200 years old. Coastal pine forests serve as a barrier between the sea and land protecting inland areas from impact of the sea and winds. Felling coastal forests was forbidden by law already back in 1643, during the Duchy of Courland. Still due to economic activities, the seashore forests were often fell and fires occurred there occasionally. As a result, the sand which had for centuries been hold by trees, started drifting at Cape Kolka. In the 1930ies, there were about 142 hectares of sandy areas in the Slītere National Park, and 11.5 hectares of those were drifting sand. To stop drifting, the sand areas were carefully afforested. Afforestation was started before WW I and it was completed in the 1970ies. To plant new trees, first the sand had to be stopped. Just 26km to the south from Kolka there was one of the largest sand dunes in Latvia, 25km in length. Every year it devoured 0.3 hectares of land. The sand was stopped covering it with heather, twigs and branches of pines and junipers. Pine trees were planted between them. Today in Kolka, the old, low pine trees tell about the once drifting sand. After storms, when the water washes the bluff and tree roots are exposed, one can see that the tree trunks once have been covered with sand more than 1 meter high. The trees on the seacoast usually have crooked trunks and flag-shaped crowns formed under influence of persisting sea winds. Now these forests are designated biotope “Wooded dunes of the coast”. Stable white dunes (biotope 2120) do not form in Cape Kolka as they are washed by sea waters during spring and autumn storms. Embryonic dunes develop here (code 2120) with plants that usually grow in dunes. These plants have adapted well to poor soils, heat, drought, and the saline sea water. The Kolkasrags Pine Trail is in Slītere National Park. |
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This is the thickest European wild apple tree in Latvia. It is just lovely when it is blossoming.
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Taka ved gar Vaidavas krastu, kur iespējams veldzēties dabas skaistumā, kāds vērojams tikai šeit. Starp Apes vidusskolu un kapsētu Vaidavas upes kreisajā krastā ir izveidojušies 8 - 10 m augsti, līdz pat 100 m gari smilšakmens atsegumi - Raganu klintis. To lejasdaļā upes straume izskalojusi nelielas nišas. Pie klintīm pāri upei izveidots gajēju tiltiņš uz otru krastu, no kura klintis paveras visā savā krāšņumā. Te ir teikām un nostāstiem apvīti avoti un alas. Avots ar skaidru ūdeni iztek no vietas, kur Vaidavas upes smilšu klints krasts ir augsts un stāvs. Senāk vietējie ticējuši, ka tas ir veselības avots, jo daudzi to lietojuši dažādām acu slimībām.Dīvainos dabas objektus – Vilkaču priedi un Dvīņu priedes, Raganu slotu, “raganu apļus”, “raganu kaulus” u.c. te var apskatīt un vides gida vadībā mēģināt izprast to veidošanos
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This territory is around 9 square kilometres in size and is found to the North of the village of Kūdra, where the so-called old peat quarries are found. Peat was extracted here during the first period of Latvian independence. Today the territory is overgrown, preserving the old and flooded quarries which offer a very unusual landscape. The best way to examine them is on foot or bike, taking the road from the Kūdra railroad station which leads to Lake Sloka. |
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Above and below the town of Kuldīga, the Venta River is distinguished by a variety of biotopes – hillside forests, sandstone and dolomite cliffs, meadows, protected plants and animals, and diverse landscapes. There are popular tourism objects in this part of Kurzeme – the Venta dam, the stone bridge of Kuldīga, the Veckuldīga castle hill, etc. An ecological tourism trail runs along the banks of the Venta, and a bicycling trail has been installed on its left bank. |
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Veisieji reģionālais parks (Veisiejų regioninis parkas) veidots (1992.g.) Sudavas augstienes (Sūduvos aukštuma) ainavu, bioloģiskās daudzveidības un kultūras pieminekļu aizsardzībai. Viena no parka bagātībām ir ezeri, kuru iegarenās formas liecina par ledāja darbības rezultātu. Pēdējā apledojuma laikā šeit atradusies ledāja mala. Ezerus (kopā – 37) ieskauj lielāki meža masīvi uz kontinentālām (iekšzemes) kāpām, kas piemēroti atpūtai dabā, dabas vērošanai, ogošanai un sēņošanai. Parkā ir iekārtotas peldvietas, kur patīkami gremdēties vasaras tveicē, izveidotas dabas takas, bet mazās upītes, kas savieno ezerus, ir piemērotas braucieniem ar kanoe laivām. Veisieji reģionālā parka teritorijā ir liela augu un dzīvnieku daudzveidība. Šeit tiek aizsargātas arī tādas retas sugas kā Eiropas kokuvarde Hyla arborea (parka simbols), purva bruņurupucis Emys orbicularis, dažādas orhideju sugas u.c. |
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