Hiking
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The Engure lake nature park(Latvia, 1 day)The route: The walk to the bird-watching tower (with herds of wild cattle and horses along the way) is 0.8 km long, while the orchid path is 3.5 km in length. Distance from Rīga: The start and finish point on the walks, which is at the Ornithology Research Centre on the shores of Lake Engure, is 85 km from the capital city. Best time to visit: The orchid path is best in mid-June, the rest of the territory is lovely from April until October. Path cover: These are forest paths. Getting there: By bus, take the Riga-Roja-Kolka-Mazirbe bus to Bērzciems, after which you will face a walk of around 2.5 kilometres. If you are driving, go to Bērzciems, then past Bērzciems to Mērsrags (approximately 2 km further). Turn left at the sign "Engures ornitoloģisko pētījumu centrs". Another 2 km to the lake, and on the right hand side you will see buildings. |
A brief description of the routeThe Engure Lake Nature Park was established in 1998, and it includes Lake Engure and its surroundings along the seashore - from Engure to Mērsrags. The area is rich with important nesting and rest areas for birds. Some 800 species of plants have been identified in the park. The nature park features several nature trails, bird-watching towers, information stands and a park centre. It is recommended that the nature park be toured with a guide. The seaside meadows and the shallow shoreline by Bērzciems and Mērsrags are good places to watch birds.Points of interestLake Engure: The lake is Latvia’s largest lagoon-type lake, and in ancient times it was a lagoon of the Littorene Sea. The lake is one of the main nesting areas for water birds. The lake is on the protection list of the Ramsara Convention.The Engure Ornithological Research Centre: For more than four decades, the Latvian Institute of Biology has had a field laboratory for ornithological research on the shores of the lake. Specialists study the birds which nest on the lake, and they put identification rings on some birds. The centre and its "floating house" have become legendary among ornithologists in Latvia. Pastures for wild horses and cattle: To the West of Lake Engure and its research centre, there is a pasture where wild horses and cattle were released in 2002. They are now the "managers" of the lake’s flood-land meadows. The bird-watching tower: The tower is 800 metres from the research centre, and it reveals a beautiful landscape, featuring the central part of Lake Engure with its reeds and its open water. There is an information stand up in the tower with information about the kinds of birds that can be seen in the area. The orchid path: Under the leadership of a guide, walk down this 3.5 km long path to look at some of the 32 kinds of orchids which grow in Latvia. More than 20 of these types of orchid have been found growing in the Lake Engure Nature Park. The infrastructureDining: "Mazā kaija" at "Cīrulīši" in Bērzciems; "Rūķis" at "Vizbuļi" in Bērzciems; "Kreses" at Lielā iela 74 in Mērsrags; "Tīna" at Zvejnieku iela 3 in MērsragsAccommodations: 3, 120,158, 509, 700
Information & booking - tel: +371 67617600, e-mail: lauku@celotajs.lv
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