- 6 best ecological trails in Latvia
- Mystical Latvia
- Multi-day routes
- On a note
Latvia is one of the most beautiful Baltic countries, with a sea coast, glacial landscapes, oak and pine forests, clean lakes and huge mysterious swamps. There are four large national parks and many small nature reserves and reserves, along which hiking trails are laid.
6 best ecological trails in Latvia
Walking along the eco-paths of Latvian national parks and reserves is a great way to get a lot of new impressions and relax. Short routes are suitable for families with children, long ones - for hardy lovers of outdoor activities.
- The Ligatne Trail in the Gauja National Park has several versions: walking, car and cycling, and combines a traditional eco-trail and a visit to the zoo. On the way there are aviaries with owls, rodents, bears, an observation deck 22 meters high overlooking the oxbow of the Gauja River and an aviary with wild pigs. At the end of the route, a recreation area equipped with barbecue awaits visitors. The length of the route is 4, 5 km.
- The "Amata Geological Trail" in the same park runs along the Amata River valley. Its specificity is that it is devoted not to flora and fauna, but to geology: in the valley there are outcrops of rocks that formed 300-400 million years ago on the ocean floor, and geological formations of the Ice Age. The trail is long and relatively difficult, there is not always the usual wooden flooring here. But there are comfortable places for recreation, a 40-meter cliff, a fish nursery. The length of the route is 17 km.
- Shlitere or Slitere is a national park on the Baltic coast, at the junction of the Gulf of Riga and the Baltic Sea. There are swamps, a boreal coniferous forest (or simply a real taiga), and dunes. Natural "Trail to the Shlitere lighthouse". passes along the slope of the Blue Mountains (by the way, they are not the only ones in Latvia, but "blue" - because they are overgrown with bluish spruces and firs). There are two lighthouses in the park: one is located opposite Cape Kolka on an artificial island, and the second on Cape Shliter. It is now abandoned, but the building from 1884 is well preserved. The eco-trail ends with an observation deck from which you can see both lighthouses. The length of the route is 1, 3 km.
- The “Pine Trail” to Cape Kolka in the Slitere National Park will suit amateur bird watchers. Above this cape there are routes of migratory birds, during the season they come here specially to watch them. The trail passes through a pine forest growing on sand dunes, and there is an observation tower for bird watching. The route starts from the village of Kolka, where you can see three churches: Orthodox, Lutheran and Catholic, and a small museum center dedicated to the Livs - the ancient population of these places. The length of the route is 3 km.
- "Big Kemeri bog" in the Kemeri National Park is a wooden path that goes through the bog between rare dwarf pines, around it in summer many beaks grow. The trail is available in two versions - short and long. There are also "swamp windows" - small lakes that seem to be just puddles, but in fact are completely bottomless. Both trails end with a viewing tower, from which the swamp landscape is perfectly visible for several kilometers around. Not so far away in the same park there is another swamp (in fact, it is the same hydro-massif), where you can see mineral springs. The length of the route is 1.5 km. and 3, 6 km.
- The mountains of Latvia are actually hills, the “Mākonkalns Mountain of Clouds” in Rāznas National Park is only 249 meters high. The remains of a medieval castle of the 13th century are preserved on it: a fortress wall and a half-buried underground passage. And from the observation deck you can see two lakes - Raznas and Ubagovas. A steep staircase leads to the hill, but it is comfortable and comfortable to climb. The length of the route is 4 km.
Mystical Latvia
Zilaiskalns, the Blue Mountain, is the most mysterious mountain in Latvia. This is a high hill on which an ancient oak grove has been preserved - once these covered the whole of Europe. There are several huge boulders that have been revered by the pagans since time immemorial. One of them, for example, is called the "vampire stone" in guidebooks: it is believed that it pulls all ailments out of a person. This is indeed a very ancient altar stone, with a recess in which sacrificial blood was collected. The famous Latvian hermit and soothsayer Marta Racene lived on the Blue Mountain, and now lovers of esoteric knowledge flock here in search of a place of power: modern Latvian Magi have even made a map of the local energy circles. There is a concrete fire tower at the top of the mountain. There are benches, gazebos, and the road itself is smooth and comfortable. The length of the route is 1.7 km.
Pokaine Forest is another mystical and unusual place. It is located in the Zemgale region in the south of the country. This forest on several hills is simply strewn with huge various boulders, and tourists prefer to see in this not the work of the glacier, but aliens or American special services. It is believed that this forest has a very special energy and stones affect the body either curatively or destructively. Many believe that there is a powerful magnetic anomaly here, which affects the weather and deflects the compass arrows. One way or another, this forest is simply very beautiful: there are indeed a lot of stones, the trees are entwining them with roots. Large stones lie on their own, while smaller ones are complex in heaps - no one knows when they appeared. The place is located in the heart of a well-groomed forest park, there are wooden ladders, walkways, and paths, so it is pleasant to walk here anyway. The length of the route is 2, 7 km.
Disappearing Lake Linezers is a small lake seventy-five kilometers south of Riga. It is formed in a karst depression and periodically completely disappears: the water now leaves, then comes back again. This happens once every few years, the last time it disappeared and appeared in 2014. A well-groomed path leads around it. The length of the route is 1.2 km.
Multi-day routes
The international hiking trail E-9 passes through the territory of Latvia, which starts from Cape San Vincento in Portugal (the extreme south-west of Europe) and goes along the entire coast to Estonia. All other routes along the Latvian sea coast are in one way or another part of this long route. It starts from the border village of Nida and stretches from the south between the sea coast and the shore of Lake Liepaja, across Lake Tosmares, across the entire coast of the Gulf of Riga, Riga - and then goes to Estonia. This road ends with Narva bordering Russia. On the way, you can see lighthouses, the remains of coastal fortifications on the Kurzeme coast and much more. The length of the Latvian part of the route is 570 km.
Along the Gauja Valley - a five-day eventful route through the Gauja National Park, along the river valley. It starts from the Ramkalna amusement park and ends with the town of Valmiera. On the way, you will meet medieval castles, gorges, suspension bridges over the river, caves and much more. The length of the route is 110 km.
On a note
As in the rest of the Baltics, it can be cool and damp in Latvia even in summer - dress appropriately. Komarov blows away only along the Baltic coast itself, going on hikes in swamps, forests and lakes, take supplies of repellents with you. There are a lot of ticks in the Baltic States, they carry diseases (neighboring Lithuania is the leader in infection with borreliosis and encephalitis), so be very, very careful, use protective equipment, inspect clothes, do not go without hats, and best of all, get vaccinated in advance.
