Salainis is a small forest lake that attracts visitors with its unusual shape—from a bird’s-eye view, it resembles the outline of Latvia. The lake is connected by canals to six other forest lakes: Mellūzis, Bezdibenis, Bezvārdis, Niedrīte, Zummers, and Niedrājs. These canals were artificially created more than 100 years ago. In the past, you could boat from one lake to the next through the canals, but today they are overgrown. Boating is now only possible during particularly high spring water levels, and even then, not in all of the canals.

About the lake

• The northern and eastern shores of Lake Salainis are higher and drier; further inland, the forest becomes sandy and hilly.
• The southern and western shores are marshy; aromatic wild rosemary blooms here in early summer, and cranberries can be found along the shoreline in autumn.
• Lake surface area: 2.7 ha.
• Two streams flow into the lake (from Zummers and Bezdibenis); one stream flows out toward Mellūzis.
• A forest road and several cycling routes run along the northern shore.
• Salainis and the surrounding forest lakes can be explored via the unmarked route “Niedrājs and the Little Brothers”, created by Smiltene Tourism Information Centre.