Country Holidays
101-120 / 125
No Name Description
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In 1944, between November 14 and December 9, there were fierce battles between SD and SS units from the German 16th Army, under the command of Police General Friedrich Jekeln, and a separate battalion of the Kurelians, under the command of Lt Roberts Rubenis. The battles were waged in the Ugāle, Usma, Renda and Zlēki parishes. Rubenis’ men were well-armed and organised. There were more than 600 troops, and the soldiers saw themselves as a national force which stood apart from the two hostile occupant regimes. This was the longest and most extensive battle in the history of Latvian national resistance. As the military force of the Latvian Central Council, the unit enjoyed extensive public support and confirmed a high level of morality in fighting for the restoration of a democratic Latvia. (The preceding text comes from the Rubenis Fund.)
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The former missile transport facility at Karaosta is not used any more. The territory is mostly closed off to visitors.
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The border guard facility at Pāvilosta is closed to civilians at this time, because it is used by the Latvian Navy.
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The Karaosta canal and its naval and submarine base date back to the tsarist era in advance of World War I. The former submarine base is now closed to visitors and is used for business purposes. The canal can be viewed from Pulvera Street and the restored Kalpaks bridge.
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Another coastal defence battery was sited about 1,500 metres to the East of Lūžņa, where the Lūža River flows into the Baltic Sea. Remnants of Soviet-era buildings can still be seen there.
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This facility is used for military and tactical training at this time. The facility can be used for automobile and motorcycle racing, testing drives, and security training, all of which must be arranged in advance. The surrounding nature reserve offers a chance to look at local plants and animals.
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Another example of a costal defence battery along the Kurzeme shoreline is found here.
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The hydroplane airfield is on the eastern shore of Lake Durbe, not far from Līguti. It was built between 1939 and 1941. During the Soviet era, the 43rd aviation escadrille was located here, and it had 13 MBR-2 hydroplanes. All that’s left today are the cement sheets on the shore of the lake. You can look at the site itself.
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The Pape airfield was used for arms training in Soviet times, with bombs being dropped on specific targets. The facility is owned by the regional local government and is not used. There are sunken ships and targets in the sea.
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This testimony to World War II can be found in the Blīdene Parish. It is one of the very few objects of its type to still be in good condition.
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The zenith missile base at Rucava is in the forests of the Baltic coastline. The facility is owned by the regional local government and is not used at this time.
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The largest collection in Europe of Soviet aviation and military equipment is on the territory of the Rīga International Airport and is open to visitors. The collection was assembled over the course of 40 years.
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The 77th Zenith Missile Brigade of the Soviet Army was charged with air defences along the Soviet Union’s external border. The facility is owned by the regional local government and is not used for anything. There is an interesting gate at the entrance to the facility, however.
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This was at one time an important element in the protection of Soviet Latvia’s shoreline. A visually interesting and impressive territory near the seashore, it has sadly not been properly managed and is thus full of trash.
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In Soviet times, all lighthouses were military objects. Today the lighthouse at Pape is managed by the Latvian Maritime Administration, and it can only be viewed from the outside.
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Only indirect evidence of the former tank base that was here is still available (see the story).
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The Plāņciems missile base is in the forests of Bārta and is not easy to access. This special air defence facility is being dismantled for the purpose of obtaining building materials.
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A small part of the impressive fortifications of Liepāja, these encircle the city’s perimeter and its shoreline. They’re found at the Olimpija stadium. See also Objects No. 30077, 30078, 30079, 30080 and 30098.
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The battery is to the South of Ventspils, not far from the Piejūras Park. Work on the battery began in 1939. Today the site is a complete mess, standing out in a negative way from the tidy city itself. People seeking building materials and ferrous metals helped to tear the place down. It’s too bad that this historical location – one that might be of interest to tourists – is in such sad shape, and right at the gates of the city, to boot.
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The Northern Forts of Liepāja are on the edge of the Baltic Sea, and some parts of them have been washed away. This is a small, but very impressive part of the Liepāja fortifications which once encircled the entire town. The underground bunkers of the forts are on two levels, and it’s worth visiting them in the company of a knowledgeable guide from Karosta (tours are organised from the Karosta prison). There’s a car park alongside the forts. It’s also worth walking down the beach for a distance of around four kilometres to the Northern breakwater. On the shore and in the sea, you’ll see two coastal defence batteries and some pretty impressive views.