The Gulf of Riga

Look at a map and you'll realise that the Gulf of Riga is an inland sea, with only a narrow entrance from the Baltic past the Kolka Horn. In the 2nd and 5th centuries this was a centre of trade with southern and eastern Europe, particularly via the Daugava river to Russia.

The Daugava was controlled by a remarkable people, the Liv's, who had developed a fully structured society, speaking a Finno Ugric language, but were conquered by the German Crusaders and assimilated into other tribes. The Livonian Order derived its name from them.

THE LIV COAST

If you drive along the coastal road through Jurmala and up the western shore of the Gulf, close to seemingly endless sandy beaches, you will reach Gipka and the state protected territory of the Liv Coast. Here the remnants of the Livs occupy some 14 fishing villages. One of the most attractive is Kosrags. At extreme north is the Kolka Horn, a six km spit of land helping to separate the Gulf from the Baltic, while round the corner is Slitere Reserve. This was declared a national park in 1921. Returning, you should stop in at Talsi, a notably beautiful town in an area of lakes and hills. The Regional Museum documents the tragic history of the Liv and Cour nations.

THE VIA BALTICA AND THE EAST COAST

The Via Baltica highway to Estonia takes you to the region of Vidzeme, up a stonier shore of the Gulf, the more so as you approach the frontier, though you'll also discover notable towns and recreation areas. Inland near Limbazi you can stay in the magnificence of Birini Castle. North from Limbazi the inland stretches of the Salaca river around Mazsalaca are splendid for boating, with special riverside campsites. The river is the core of the 400,000 ha Northern Vidzeme Regional Nature Protection Complex, planned to be Latvia's first Reserve of the Biosphere. Returning to the coast you'll find the "stony beach" of Vidzeme, backed by woodland, which is a nature reserve. Then close to the Estonia border is the village of Ainazi, notable for its Naval School Memorial Museum. How Latvia's first training college for professional seamen was started in the 1860s, but had to close in 1919, is an unexpectedly interesting story, with many exhibits.

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