Ligatne
Encyclopedia
Līgatne is a town
on the Gauja River
, in Latvia
. The village of Līgatne was built around the paper mill, still extant, on the River Līgatne in the 19th century.
, in the forest on the left bank of the Gauja River downstream from the paper mill. There are extensive paths through the nature reserve both for walking and for cycling, and there is a separate route for cars. There are also facilities for horse-riding and camping.
The reserve was set up in 1975 for the protection and display of the diversity of species, both plant and animal, which are characteristic of Latvia.
The animals here have been rescued from all over Latvia, either because they were injured, or because they had been tamed and could not survive on their own in the wild. The reserve contains bear
, lynx
, elk
, European bison, roe deer
and red deer
.
The Gauja river valley contains distinctive geological formations, forests and meadow plants. Particularly significant places are Jumpraviezis rock, Katriniezis rock, Gudu cliffs and one of the country's rare sandstone canyons: Paparzu Glen ("Fern Glen"), known for its ferns.
Ligatne has numerous caves in vertical sandstone banks, that were digged as cellars for paper mill workers in tsarist time.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
on the Gauja River
Gauja
The Gauja is one of the longest rivers in Latvia, with a length of and a catchment area of . Its source is in the hills southeast of Cēsis. It first flows east and north and forms the border with Estonia for about . South of Valga and Valka, it turns west towards Valmiera, continuing southwest...
, in Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
. The village of Līgatne was built around the paper mill, still extant, on the River Līgatne in the 19th century.
Līgatne Nature Trails
The reserve known as the Līgatne Nature Trails is also located here, in the Gauja National ParkGauja National Park
The Gauja National Park in Vidzeme is the largest national park in Latvia, with an area of 917.45 km² running from north-east of Sigulda to south-west of Cēsis along the valley of the Gauja River, from which the park takes its name. It was established on 14 September 1973 and is thus also the...
, in the forest on the left bank of the Gauja River downstream from the paper mill. There are extensive paths through the nature reserve both for walking and for cycling, and there is a separate route for cars. There are also facilities for horse-riding and camping.
The reserve was set up in 1975 for the protection and display of the diversity of species, both plant and animal, which are characteristic of Latvia.
The animals here have been rescued from all over Latvia, either because they were injured, or because they had been tamed and could not survive on their own in the wild. The reserve contains bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
, lynx
Lynx
A lynx is any of the four Lynx genus species of medium-sized wildcats. The name "lynx" originated in Middle English via Latin from Greek word "λύγξ", derived from the Indo-European root "*leuk-", meaning "light, brightness", in reference to the luminescence of its reflective eyes...
, elk
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
, European bison, roe deer
Roe Deer
The European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...
and red deer
Red Deer
The red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
.
The Gauja river valley contains distinctive geological formations, forests and meadow plants. Particularly significant places are Jumpraviezis rock, Katriniezis rock, Gudu cliffs and one of the country's rare sandstone canyons: Paparzu Glen ("Fern Glen"), known for its ferns.
Ligatne has numerous caves in vertical sandstone banks, that were digged as cellars for paper mill workers in tsarist time.
Nearby places of interest
- Ferry across the Gauja River (closed in winter).
- Līgatne village, with peculiar 19th century wooden architecture (30 unique row dwelling houses for paper mill workers).
- Līgatne paper mill, in operation since 1816.
- Zvartes rock, forest trail and Witches' Meadow on the banks of the Amata River.
- Kempji village church and water mill.
- Skalupe nature trails.
- The Park of Vienkoci.