Nature sights

Molu (sākotnēji – pāļu rindas ar akmeņu krāvumiem) izbūve pie Sakas ietekas jūrā tika uzsākta 1878. gadā, lai nodrošinātu ostas darbību. 1929. gadā notiek molu pārbūve, pagarinot tos ar masīviem betona blokiem. Pēdējā rekonstrukcija notika 2010. gadā, pārveidojot molus par ērtu pastaigu un makšķerēšanas vietu, no kuras var vērot arī saulrietu.

Daugavas aizsargdambju būvniecību Jēkabpilī uzsāka pēc 1981. gada lielajiem paliem, kad ūdens līmenis pārsniedza kritisko - 6,3 m atzīmi un pakāpās līdz rādījumam „8,7 metri”. Šo plūdu laikā puse pilsētas klāja Daugavas ūdeņi. 2011. gada vasarā notika plašāki dambja atjaunošanas un labiekārtošanas darbi. Pie tā uzstādīja laternas, soliņus, izveidoja pastaigu promenādi un piemiņas zīmi Daugavas kreisajā krastā, kas parāda maksimālo plūdu līmeni. Uz aizsargdambja Daugavas labajā krastā ir izvietoti informatīvie stendi, kur var uzzināt daudz interesantus faktus par pilsētas vēsturi. Dambji ir piemērota vieta, kur fotografēt vai gleznot pilsētas ainavas.

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.

Viena no augstākajām Latvijas celtnēm ar vienu no augstākajiem skatu laukumiem (65 m). Paveras izcila Vecrīgas un Rīgas ainava, kā arī Daugavas (līdz Rīgas HES dambim) un Pārdaugavas skati. Labi redzami blakus esošie Rīgas centrāltirgus paviljoni.

The Wine Hill of Sabile has been known since the age of the Duchy of Courland as the northernmost place where grapes were grown to produce more or less sour wine for the duchy. A wine festival has been held each year during the latter half of July in Sabile since 1999. The hill offers an excellent view of the small town that is on the banks of the ancient Abava River Valley.

Gar Grobiņas ūdenskrātuvi (Ālandes labais krasts) izveidota mūsdienīga un labiekārtota pastaigu un atpūtas vieta - promenāde, uz kuras izvietotas plāksnes ar Zentas Mauriņas un Jāņa Raiņa citātiem. No promenādes paveras labi skatu punkti uz Skābaržkalnu un Grobiņas pilsdrupām. Grobiņas ūdenskrātuves sašaurinājumā pāri Ālandei ved neliels tiltiņš, kas ir bijušā Liepājas – Aizputes šaursliežu dzelzceļa tilta ferma.

The Mežotne castle hill is on the left bank of the Lielupe River and opposite the Mežotne Castle. This was one of the largest Semigalian fortified castle hills during the 9^th to the 13^th century, and an ancient town alongside the hill covered 13 ha of land. The castle hill has been improved. A pontoon bridge across the Lielupe allows hikers and bikers to reach the castle (between May and October). Vīna Hill is approximately 500 m to the South of the castle hill, and a wooden pathway leads to it.

A new section of the walking trail along the sea has been built and an environmental object "Sunset watcher" has been created in Saulkrasti near the White Dune and Sunset Trail. It is a photo object where the newlyweds and every guest of Saulkrasti can capture memories in the symbol of the sun, which is so characteristic of Saulkrasti.

Aptuveni 0,5 km dienvidos no Mežotnes pilskalna atrodas Vīna kalns, kas līdzīgi kā Mežotnes pilskalns, ir veidots, izmantojot Lielupes ielejas stāvās krastu nogāzes, tās pārveidojot. Vietvārds ir it kā radies no stāsta, ka šeit parādījies dievgalds ar maizi un vīnu. Vīna kalnu ar Mežotnes pilskalnu savieno jauka koka laipa, kas ved pa Lielupes ielejas pamatkrasta lejas daļu.

The Eastern breakwater was installed in the mid-19th century to reduce silt in the river valley and to regulate the flow of water.  It is made of wooden pilings that are covered with rocks.  The breakwater is 2.2 km long and has been rejuvenated as a popular place for hiking, leisure and fishing throughout the year.  Birds can be watched from the breakwater, and sometimes people are lucky enough to spot a seal.  At the start of the breakwater are two rocks with engraved text to say that the site was visited by Russian Tsar Alexander II in 1856 and by his heir, Nikolai Alexandrovich, in 1860.  This points to the importance of the Rīga port in terms of Baltic Sea trade routes at that time.

A beautiful part of the Rēzekne-Dagda-Krāslava road – along two km or so, you can see Lake Rāzna and Mākoņkalns hill, which is 10 km away on the other shore of the lake.