SMILTENE AND SMILTENE RURAL TERRITORY

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Three-Pronged Pine

• An unusual pine tree that branches into three, equal branches, a few metres above the ground.

Smiltene Venerable Tree Park

• The Smiltene Venerable Tree Park is part of the Old Park and is located at the beginning of Dakteru Street, near the Lake Teperis Promenade.
• More than 20 protected pine trees grow here and can be viewed by walking along the park’s paths.
• In spring, the park is especially beautiful, when a colourful carpet of wood anemones blooms beneath the majestic trees.

Kalnamuiža Protected Pine and Nature Park

• On the grounds of Kalnamuiža, near the restaurant “Kalnamuiža” (formerly the manor stables) and the hotel “Kalna Ligzda”, grows a Weymouth pine.
• The pine tree is notable for its branching, which begins close to the ground, and for its long needles, giving it an unusually striking appearance.
• The Kalnamuiža pine is part of the manor park, the origins of which date back to 1910.
• To preserve the area’s dendrological value, Smiltene Manor Park was granted local nature park status in 2001.

Zauska Pine

• The Zauska Pine is located along the Smiltene-Valmiera road, approximately 5 km from Smiltene.
• Until 1951, it was considered the greatest pine tree in Latvia.
• The tree was named after nearby homesteads.
• Its trunk circumference reached 4.63 m.
• According to specialists, the tree was approximately 370 years old.
• The pine later died, and in 1958, it was felled and cut into sections. Today, a part of the trunk can be seen at the original site. Cross-sections of the trunk are displayed at the Latvian National Museum of Natural History and the Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia.

According to local legends, in ancient times, residents brought offerings to various Latvian deities at the pine, especially Māra. On holidays and significant days, people would stop at the tree, tie ribbons around it, and leave coins and other items. This tradition has survived to the present day, and newlyweds often stop at the pine on their wedding day.

Brutuļi Great Oak

• The Brutuļi Great Oak is located in Brutuļi Village and can be reached via an asphalt road. The oak has a hollow trunk large enough for a person to stand inside.
• The trunk circumference at 1.3 m in height reaches 5.52 m.

 

APE AND APE RURAL TERRITORY

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Dzenīši Great Willow

• More detailed information and a photo gallery are available here.

Fine-Branched Pine

• The fine-branched pine grows in Ape, in a field near 2 Parka Street.
• It only begins branching at 1.8 metres above the ground, forming an unusual crown, the structure of which resembles a witch’s broom.
• Specialists estimate the tree to be around 200 years old.
• According to Guntis Eniņš, it is considered the smallest pine tree in Latvia.
• Due to its distinctive appearance and isolated location, it is also known as the “lonely pine”.

Twin Pines

• The Twin Pines are located next to Dāvis Ozoliņš Ape Primary School.
• They grow approximately one metre apart from each other.
• About three metres above the ground, the trees have formed a branch bridge – a branch from one pine has grown into the trunk of the other.
• Several large burls growing on both trunks make the trees look even more unusual.

A local legend about the Twin Pines explains why there is no bark on the branch bridge. It is said that witches sit there, having flown in from the nearby “Witch Cliffs”. From there, they watch the schoolchildren – checking whether they behave well or need to be disciplined with the help of their brooms.

Werewolf Pine

• The Ape Werewolf Pine grows on the bank of the River Vaidava, near Dāvis Ozoliņš Ape Primary School.

Legends about werewolf pines say that a person can transform into a werewolf if, during a full moon, they remove their clothes and crawl through the roots of the pine three times, naked. To return to human form, one must crawl through the roots three times in the opposite direction. If someone steals the clothes left at the pine, the transformed person is said to remain a werewolf forever.

 

BILSKA RURAL TERRITORY

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Mēri Great Oak

• The Mēri Great Oak has been measured many times, and for several decades has been considered the tree with the widest crown in the entire Baltic region. It is considered a strong guardian of the region, a witness to history, and a bearer of blessings, symbolically reflecting the endurance, strength, wisdom, and beauty of local people.
• More detailed information and a photo gallery are available here.

Kalnaegļi Sacrificial Oak and Stone

• The Kalnaegļi Sacrificial Oak is located near Zeltiņi, in Bilska Rural Territory.
• The oak is estimated to be around 300 years old.
• The trunk circumference at 1.3 metres in height reaches 5.85 metres.
• 1994. In 1994, it was included in the list of nationally significant archaeological monuments as an ancient cult site.
• The Kalnaegļi Sacrificial Stone is located next to the oak.

The Kalnaegļi Sacrificial Oak was already mentioned as an ancient cult site in a journal in 1926. Legend has it that the oak was once called “The Old Father”, and people brought flowers there, predicted the weather, and left offerings.

 

BLOME RURAL TERRITORY

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Blome Fairy Oak

• The Fairy Oak is located 1.3 km from the centre of Blome, along the V232 road. The oak is not large, but with its fairy-tale appearance, it greets every traveller.
• More detailed information and a photo gallery are available here.

Kāļi Oak

• The Kāļi Oak can be seen while walking along the Nigra Nature Trail. Thanks to its location on the edge of a slope, it creates an impressive landscape view.
• The oak is currently known as “five centimetres short of a venerable tree”, as it only lacks a few centimetres in trunk circumference to reach the official venerable-tree status.

 

GAUJIENA RURAL TERRITORY

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Nature Reserve “Gaujienas priedes”

• The reserve was created to protect the boreal forest, with its primary value being pine stands aged 150–180 years.
• Within its 51-hectare area, there are more than 50 protected pine trees, five western red cedars, and other notable trees.
• More detailed information and a photo gallery are available here.

 

LAUNKALNE RURAL TERRITORY

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Kapusils Long Juniper

• The juniper coexists harmoniously with a nearby pine – a few metres above the ground, the juniper’s branches wrap around the pine. It appears as though the two trees are lovingly entwined in an eternal embrace. The Kapusils Long Juniper is considered one of the tallest junipers in Latvia, exceeding 12 metres in length.
• More detailed information and a photo gallery are available here.

Silva Dendrological Park

• Silva Arboretum is a nationally protected nature area that covers 15 hectares. Approximately 200 species of trees and shrubs grow here, and for many of them, this is the northernmost place they grow.
• More detailed information and a photo gallery are available here.

 

RAUNA RURAL TERRITORY

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Rauna Werewolf Pine

• The Rauna Werewolf Pine is located along Rīga Street, near the Freedom Monument.
• The tree received its name due to its unusually exposed pine tree roots.

Pines of Love

• The Pines of Love are a special place in the part of Rauna on the other side of the river, where several impressive pine trees grow on a peaceful, scenic hill. Some of them have grown together, symbolising unbreakable friendship and love.
• This place has been special to locals since at least the 1920s-1930s, when young local lovers came here to carve hearts into the bark as a sign of close friendship. As the newspapers used to write, “these pines have outdone even the Rauna registry office.” At that time, one of the most beautiful panoramic views of Rauna could be observed from this hill – a view that is no longer visible today due to dense tree growth.
• During the Soviet period, it remained a popular place for couples on their first dates, offering privacy from curious eyes. It was a place for two to be alone together in the shade of the Pines of Love. Others came simply to walk, enjoy nature, or relax. The Pines of Love remain familiar to younger generations of Rauna residents as well.
• In everyday speech, the Pines of Love are also simply called “The Lovers”.

 

TRAPENE RURAL TERRITORY

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Trapene Larch Avenue

• This is one of the longest larch avenues in Latvia,
  stretching approximately 5 km from the Vidzeme Highway (Līzespasts) to Bormaņi Manor.
• More detailed information and a photo gallery are available here.

Wish Apple Tree and Sacrificial Linden

• The Wish Apple Tree is more than 100 years old and gained its name because, in the past, people tied ribbons or yarn to its branches while silently making a wish. According to legend, the wish would always come true.
• At the Sacrificial Linden, flowers were once brought for the dead, especially during the time of spirits.

 

VIREŠI RURAL TERRITORY

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