Venta Waterfall (Ventas Rumba)
Mar 10, 2010 Nature
Ventas Rapid or (Ventas Rumba in Latvian) is the widest waterfall in Europe. It falls on the Venta river near town Kuldiga and is 249 metres wide (up to 270 metres during spring floods). It is 1.80m - 2.20m high. The height depends on the water level in the Venta river.
Located about 150km from Riga. You can reach the waterfall by car. From Riga drive to Ventspils direction, until left turn to Kandava, then follow the signs to Kuldiga.
Detailed information on the map.
Tags: Kuldiga, Latvia, Venta, Ventas rapid, Ventas rumba, waterfall, widest waterfall
Lesser Spotted Eagle
Oct 30, 2009 Nature
Considering the area of Latvia, how small it is, the country could be named as the Land of Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina). Latvia has the highest density of nesting lesser spotted eagles in the world. According to ornithologists about 20 percent of world’s and about 24 percent of Europe’s lesser spotted eagle population is nesting here in Latvia. In the beginning of the 21st century the size of the population was about 5000 pairs.
The lesser spotted eagle is one of the bird species we are paying for our wealth - among their enemies is intense, chemicalized agriculture, they don’t live well together with forestry, escpecially in the springtime.
In 2007, when preparing the new edition of IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, it was considered to list the lesser spotted eagle there mainly because of processes taking place in Latvia where the population of lesser spotted eagle has shrunk by 20 percent since the very end of 20th century.
But anyway - Latvia still is the Land of Lesser Spotted Eagle and the most possibility to see the eagle is right here!
Tags: Latvia, lesser spotted eagle
Vaidava Willow
Sep 28, 2009 Nature
When we think of willow we think of small trees planted in parks. Sometimes it even can be mistaken as a bush.
But not if we let it grow in natural habitat for more than hundred years, then its girth of the trunk can reach almost 9 meters near the soil and the crown about 26 meters in diameter. That is what has happened to Vaidava Willow near Dzenīši farmstead. Growing there for more than 120 years it is now the largest willow in Europe.
About 100 meters from this willow there was once one even greater. Unfortunately it wasn’t spared in the storm in 1992.
