Page 196 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Estonia Latvia & Lithuania

194  LA T VIA REGION B Y REGION

tower for a view of the city. Fire-fighters’ Museum (Ainažu
Just beyond the church lie ugunsdzēsības muzejs).
the ruins of the Livonian Exhibits in the main building
Order castle and the Museum include hand-operated water
of Local Studies (Valmieras pumps, uniforms and insignia,
novadpētniecības muzejs). The while the garage displays fire
museum covers local history trucks. The museum staff are
and hosts exhibitions. Close by former fire-fighters.
is the city’s oldest wooden
building, a former pharmacy E Naval College Museum
built in 1735. Valdemāra iela 47. Tel 6404 3349.
Open May–Sep: 10am–5pm Wed–Sun;
Oct–Apr: 11am–5pm Tue–Sat. &
R St Simon’s Church
Bruņinieku iela 2. Tel 6420 0333. E Fire-fighters’ Museum
Forlorn remains of the Livonian Order castle Open 11am–5pm Tue–Sun. Valdemāra iela 69. Tel 6404 3280.
in Valmiera Open May–Sep: 10am–4pm Tue–Sat,
E Museum of Local Studies 10am–2pm Sun; Oct–Apr: 10am–4pm
2 Valmiera Bruņinieku iela 3. Tel 6422 3620. Tue–Fri, 10am–2pm Sat.
Open 10am–5pm Tue–Sat. &
Road Map D3. * 30,000. £ from
Rīga. @ from Cēsis. n Rīgas iela 10,
6420 7177. _ Winter Music Festival 3 Ainaži
(Jan), City Festivities (Aug), St Simeon’s
Fair of the Middle Ages (Oct), Road Map D2. * 1,800.
Christmas Market (Dec). @ from Cēsis. n Valdemara iela 49a,
∑ visit.valmiera.lv 6404 3241. ∑ salacgriva.lv
Once a Hanseatic League Close to the Estonian border,
member, Valmiera was founded Ainaži occupies a crucial place
in 1283 and has a distinguished in Latvia’s maritime his tory. For
history of trade due to its centuries, the coast line was
position on the Gauja river. sparsely inhabited, justifying the
Today, it is the second-largest town’s name, which is derived
city in Vidzeme after Rīga, but its from the Livonian word ainagi Striking snowcapped Liv Sacrificial Caves
Old Town was devastated in meaning “solitary”. However, by near Salacgrīva
World War II. Most sights of the 19th century, it had
interest are clustered together become an important fishing 4 Salacgrīva
beside the river, just east of the centre, and in 1864, was chosen Road Map D3. * 6,000. @ from
city’s main roundabout. by Krišjānis Valdemārs as the Rīga. n Rīgas iela 10a, 6404 1254.
The 13th-century St Simon’s location for his naval school, _ Positivus Music Festival (Jul).
Church (Sv Sīmaņa baznīca) which closed only in 1919 ∑ tourism.salacgriva.lv
has been destroyed several during the civil war. The ori ginal
times and its current appear- school building is now the Positioned at the mouth of the
ance dates from 1739. The Naval College Museum (Ainažu Salaca river, the fishing port of
altarpiece shows a depiction of jūrskolas muzejs), which displays Salacgrīva officially became a
the Temptation of Christ by photographs, documents, town in 1928. There is evidence
Christiana Vogels-Vogelstein. model ships and a collection of that German traders may have
Visitors can climb the church anchors. Ainaži also boasts the visited the Salaca before reaching
the Daugava river. Salacgrīva is a
good jumping-off point for
exploring the area nearby.
Environs
On the banks of the Svētupe
river, 10 km (6 miles) east of
town, are the Liv Sacrificial
Caves (Lībiešu upurala). Coins
and artifacts dating from the
14th to the 19th centuries have
been found here, and there are
runes carved into the walls.
The Randu Meadows (Randu
pļavas), about 8 km (5 miles)
north of Salacgrīva, are rich in
Nautical objects displayed in the garden of the Naval College Museum, Ainaži birdlife and rare plants.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp302–303 and pp324–5

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