This is Latvia’s oldest nature reserve and, indeed, the country’s oldest protected natural territory. Moricsala is an island in Lake Usma, which is the fifth largest lake in Latvia. The reserve was established in 1912 at the initiative of a group of nature students from Rīga. They wished to protect the deciduous forest of oak trees on the island, along with the local flora and fauna. The nature reserve also includes the Lielalksnīte island. Visits to the reserve, however, are strictly prohibited.
