Five marsh trails in Latvia where you can stretch your legs outside the hustle and bustle of the city
Swamps are not the safest place in the world - they should always be visited with respect for nature and with caution in mind. But, oh, how beautiful and tempting they are! They challenge you to experience being outdoors in a slightly different way. But where to go to enjoy the silence of the marsh and stretch your legs? Here are five different marsh footbridges to explore to cool off and take a leisurely stroll in a few of Latvia's magnificent marshes.
Niedrāju-Pilka bog trail - 900 metres
The Niedrāju-Pilka Bog Trail in Limbaži municipality offers a typical landscape of a high or moss marsh: small pine trees and water lagoons, flowering flowers and other flora typical of a marsh.
A platform about three metres high has been created in the marsh near a small lake, which is good for observing birds (including protected birds), as it is an important place for them to stay and nest.
The Niedrāju-Pilka bog is a nature reserve and Natura 2000 site. The Valmiera-Ainaži railway line once ran through it, but now you can experience the unspoilt landscape by walking along the approximately one-kilometre-long trail.
Kalnasu Bog Trail - 1 kilometre
Kalnasu bog is located 28 kilometres from Kuldīga, near Kabile. The wooden footbridge that leads along the marsh lake is approximately one kilometre long and curves through the forest, revealing the lake and plants typical of marshes.
Kalnansu Bog is a protected raised moss bog and is particularly beautiful in August and September, when you can see the natural diversity of the raised moss bog.
The lake in the marsh is called Bezdibenis (Bottomless Lake) because stories say it may be the deepest in Latvia, but in fact it is about ten metres deep and the mud layer is even deeper.
The footbridge is accessible for parents with pushchairs and wheelchairs. There is a well-equipped area with a table and benches.
Čužu Bog Trail - 2.2 kilometres
Summer is the right time to go to Čužu Bog, because here, on the left bank of the Abava River near Kandava, is the only grove of Čužu or rock rose in Latvia. In summer, this place is covered with yellow flowers, which can be seen by following the circular path in the marsh.
Apart from the special flowers, there is a varied landscape - ancient forest and meadows, several sulphurous springs. The bog itself is a rare and specially protected habitat - a calcareous herbaceous bog.
The trail is signposted and there are boardwalks in wet areas. The Čužu Bog Nature Reserve Trail is an easy walk, stretching just over two kilometres in one direction, with a rest and picnic area by the Abava River, offering beautiful views of the surrounding countryside.
Vasenieki Bog Trail - 4 kilometres
Vasenieku bog is a moss or high bog in the nature reserve "Stiklu bogs", Ventspils district. The bog type is so named because of its dome shape, which is formed as the bog "grows". The dome is formed by sphagnum moss, which accumulates in the central part of the bog and accumulates water.
The Vasenieki bog trail is a loop trail about four kilometres long. It winds along beautiful bog lakes, through the forest, past a beaver dam and ends on a dirt track along the edge of a ditch, at the end of which you can see the footbridge again, leading to the trailhead.
Depending on the weather conditions, a small part of the middle of the trail may be flooded, so suitable footwear is recommended. The trail is not suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
Ķemeri Moor Trail - 1.4 and 3.4 kilometres
The Great Ķemeri Bog is not only one of the largest moss swamps in Latvia, but also the most popular attraction in Ķemeri National Park. It is probably also the most photographed, as many capture epic shots of sunset and sunrise at the marsh's horizon.
Five marsh footbridges in Latvia where you can stretch your legs outside the hustle and bustle of the city
A wooden footbridge leads through the Moss Marsh, revealing views of moss, small pine trees, acacias and dark lakes. The short footbridge here is about one and a half kilometres long and the long one is over three kilometres long. This bog also has a viewing platform (you have to walk in a larger circle to reach it) from which you can enjoy the surrounding views from above.
Sources used for this article: "kurzemesregions.lv", "visitkuldiga.lv", "latvia.travel.lv", "kandava.lv", "visitlimbazi.lv", "liepaja.travel.lv", "daba.gov.lv", "celotajs.lv", "kemerunacionalaisparks.lv".
Image credit - Pixabay.com
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