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Every day - one my picture from Latvia

100K views 338 replies 62 participants last post by  cracow_24 
#1 · (Edited)
Nature and cultural monuments of Latvia - 1 picture with short explanation every day. All pictures - my own.
It starts today - and I got enough own pictures to continue for some 5 years without repeating the subjects :D
- - -
1. Gauja River valley in Sigulda town, 50 km north-east from Riga. At the northern rim of the cosy, silent Sigulda town there starts wilderness - Gauja River valley with lots of ravines, waterfalls, cliffs. Silent, slow several day rafting down the river through primeval forests, among cliffs - there can't be any better relaxation.
 
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#27 ·
OK, so be it, thanks :D

15. Mersrags, sea cape in Western Latvia. Our beaches in general are sandy, but there are occasional sites where are concentrated boulders. For those people who don't live in places where glaciers have passed in past - in Latvia all boulders are rounded - they are "imported" here by glacier from contemporary Sweden and Finland, and on the way they have been nicely rounded.
 
#32 ·
really beautiful!!!
 
#34 · (Edited)
Many many thanks!!!
19. Platere castle mound - some 60 km east from Riga. Typical remains of fortified late Iron Age settlement of local people - I am not sure which one but most likely ancient Livs (extinct Finno-Ugric tribe). Could be 9th - 11th century.
This place was geographical centre of Latvia until Russians took away part of Latvia in 1945. Now geographical centre is some km to west.
 
#36 · (Edited)
21. Jumpravmuiza, Bauska district some 80 km south from Riga. Old manor park at the steep bank of Lielupe river. There are some 800 countryside parks like this around the country - for most part abandoned and untended but still beautiful. Here, in this one you see the "artificial castle ruins" - in order to get more romantic view the landowner in beginning of 19th century built replica of "medieval ruins".
 
#39 · (Edited)
@payo - "Three brothers" are used (as far as my knowledge goes) as office building for State Heritage Inspection. In the Gothic building there is also small exhibition hall.
@Vecais Sakarnis - good idea. We can do the following - you start similar thread with your pictures in world photophorum with a link in signature to my thread here. And I add here a link to your thread :D You will get a lot more visits there, than I do here - that's what I am sure.

...but today we see...
22. Dainu kalns - very very impressive sculpture park in Turaida, some 60 km north-east from Riga. Wonderful, up to 90 m high hill with beautiful views around. Quintesence of landscape architecture of 1980ies - in some places it reminds some enormous Japanese garden but at the same time - very traditional, local. Many large granite sculptures by our wonderful sculptor Indulis Ranka. Try to visit it, when in Latvia and go there. If you are in philosophical mood - nirvana might come to you :D
 
#40 · (Edited)
#42 ·
Yeh, not only people, bot those zillions of cars makes Riga very lively.. When I try to take pictures, cars spoils so many potentially good shots. Of course, there are also some examples, when cars help to photo to be good.
 
#44 · (Edited)
All of these pictures are mine - this is the principle of this thread. Everyone can find nice professional pictures in net about their countries - but not many can post only their own ones :D

24. Tirspurvs - bog close to a border with Lithuania, Western Latvia. Bog is very common part of our landscape - some 10 - 15% of our area is taken up with bogs. But, of course, people don't go there often.
Tirspurvs bog is one of the many bogs in Latvia which recently have got nice tourist trails. The one in Tirpurvs is phantastic because of it's length - it is some 7 km long, stretching across whole bog and ending in fairy-tale like forest - the only hornbeam Carpinus betula forest in Latvia. If you have whole day free - this is good opportunity to go away from everyday reality for whole day. In my childhood I have also spent a night in this bog - participated in goose hunting.
 
#46 · (Edited)
Thanks, @Siberian!
Yes, bog is a kind of tundra. Some Northern Latvian bogs have preserved species of plants from postglacial times (some 9 500 years ago), when tundra was the main biotope here. At the same time (for people who have little knowledge of bogs) - bog is like a living organism, all the time growing, the middle is per some 7 - 15 meters higher than the outer rim.

But now - back to city:
25. Old Riga, Reiterna nams - stone flowers on delicate Barocco time apartment building (Reiterna nams, built in 1688) and real flowers on Jugendstil building in forefront. Love both of them!!!
 
#48 ·
bravo, gatis! :)
one of the greatest threads i've ever seen in this forum!


some comments:

photo no.8 ---> hhheeeey, i know that place! :D

photo no.12 ---> and that view, seen some 10000 times, hehe! (that friend of mine lives near there)

photo no.20 ---> museum of latvian architecture? last time i was in riga i forgot to go there...

photo no.22 ---> for me, this must be the most interesting thing in latvia that i haven't seen yet... must visit! :)
 
#49 ·
One of the best threads on this forum!! Latvia is simply amazing!! Your architecture, cities and especially landscapes. Personally, I always thought that in Latvia you can find only Riga which is interesting and nothing else. Now i see that i was wrong... I've been in a trip through those 3 baltic countries 2 years ago and since then i felt in love with them... Keep going, cause your thread is amazing!!
 
#50 ·
@Rebaspoiss:
Why don't latvians go to bogs often? I suggest you turn those bogs into tourist attractions, because we have lots of nature trails in different bogs and lots of people enjoy walking on wooden track enjoying the beauty of nature.
Estonia might have better and more bog trails (also because you have more bogs), but we have good array of bog trails as well. Here you see map with red dots - each shows one bog trail for tourists. Some are up to 7 km long, some - just 1 - 2 km long. In total - more than 20. It seems enough for now. People are visiting them often.

But still you see a lot more people in Riga streets than in bogs nowadays - Latvian countryside is very very silent just because there are very few people. That was what I meant by saying that people don' t go there often.
- - -
@Jarmo-K - thanks!!! Visit Sigulda+Turaida+Krimulda one day! You would be very pleasantly surprised, it's very very rich place - rich with architecture, history, culture and nature! Take train early in morning and return late at night with your friends. I can help with information and more pictures!
- - -
@Jedrzej - many thanks!!! So far this thread has only touched a tip of iceberg - there is a lot more to see :)
- - -
26. Vecmokas manor causeways, Tukums District, 60 km west from Riga. One of many manors in Latvia, unfortunately the palace itself was destroyed in Second World War. Three large causeways remain - untended, wild and incredibly beautiful. This is one of them.
 
#52 ·
Heh, how could I miss this thread?! :) Very good idea and yes, you are right - by posting just 1 pic a day it does stimulate spending much more attention to each one. :)

I've forgotten. This red shop in picture 8 rocks! Is this some kind of shop with maps?? Anyway, it looks like one of those american shops where i spent my childhood
Yes, it is a shop of main the map publisher in Latvia -Jana Seta.
 
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