In
the Gulbene district growing peculiar and
rare trees
Forked branch oak - Galgauska village
"Žuburi" - 7 metres (stem perimeter)
Oak - Beļava village, Ozolkalns
"Ozoli" - 6.3 metres
Veckrimu oak - Dauksti village
"Veckrimi" - 6 metres
Ozolleju oak - Stāmeriena village
"Ozollejas" - 5.5 metres
Litenes oak - Litene village
Litene park - 5.3 metres
Lizuma oak - Lizums village
"Kļavas" - 5.3 metres
Aizvēju oak - Stradu village
"Aizvēji" - 4.8 metres
Pinteļu lindens - Beļava village
"Pinteļi" - 3 lindens grown together
Galgauskas knotty pine - 3.2
metres
Krusta
Pine
The
Krusta pine is located in the Gulbene district,
Daukstu village, 200 metres from the Krapas
ancient cemetery, at the old Stāķi - Krapa
road. The pine has a perimeter of 2.8 metres.
Height - only 12. 5 metres. As the pine has
been growing in an open space, its corolla
is thick - 13.6 X 14.7 metres.
In the stem of the pine, crosses of different
sizes have been carved. We can notice several
tens of such crosses. In former days, funeral
guests used to stop here, carve a cross and
drink vodka.
Pededzes
Oaks Growth
The
Pededze oaks growth is a botanic restricted
area.
It is situated in the Gulbene
district, Stradu village, on the bank of the
Pededze River. Since 1977, the growth is under
state protection. It covers the territory
of 22.2 hectares. Oaks prevail in this growth.
There are also maples, ash-trees, lindens,
bird cherries, woodbines, mountain ashes.
The thick growth of trees and bush shades
caulescent plants, therefore their covering
is not large. The most common caulescent plants
are: lilies of the valley, horse-tails, true-loves,
spear- grass, ferns. The soil is clayey. The
surface is rich in humus.
Woodpeckers, owls, black
storks and eagles nest there.
Paideru
Stone
The
Paideru stone stands in the Gulbene district,
Lejasciems village, 50 kilometres from the
left bank of the Gauja River (1 km above the
Paideru mills). Since 1977, it is under state
protection. The stone has a triangle form.
Its perimeter is 14 metres. Height - 1.8 metres.
Length - 5.2 metres. Width - 3.5 metres. Overground
volume - 15 cubic metres. The stone is a weathered,
red-brown, coarce grained granite.
Plēķu
Stone
The
Plēķu stone is located in the Gulbene district,
Galgauska village, in the Tirza ravin (1 km
to the south from "Plēķi"). Since
1977, it is under state protection. Its perimeter
is 14.8 metres. Length - 4.7 metres. Width
- 3.9 metres. Its maximum height on the side
of the brook is 3 metres. Overground volume
- 30 cubic metres. The stone is a red-brown,
crystalline granite. The diameter of the feldspar
crystal reaches up to 3 centimetres.
Robežkalnu
Boulder
The
Robežkalnu boulder stands in the Gulbene district,
Lejasciems village, near the highway Smiltene
- Gulbene, in the Gauja flood-lands, 2 kilometres
above Sinole.
Since 1977, it is a geological object under
state protection. Its length is 3 metres.
Width - 2.4 metres. Height - 2.9 metres. Overground
volume - 12 cubic metres. The stone has an
iron form. It is a red - brown granite. The
stone is partly moss-grown.
Rožkalnu
Raganas Stone
It
is an archeological monument of state importance.
The stone is an ancient
place of cult. It is located in the village
of Dauksti, 200 metres to the west from the
former "Rožkalni", opposite the
Krapas mount, 300 metres to the right from
the road Krapa - Galgauska.
The perimeter of the stone
at the surface of the ground is 10.5 metres.
Height - 1.6 metres. It is also called the
Maras stone. Its name "the Raganas stone"
quite obviously originated during the Middle
Ages, in the period of "hunting witches",
because ancient magic rituals were practised
and sacrifices were brought there. In the
19th century, when this custom was continued
to be practised, the pastor Shilling ordered
to destroy this stone, hoping to turn more
people to the church. However, people were
afraid of destroying the stone. They split
another stone, the genuine one leaving untouched.
According to some legends,
people were afraid of passing the stone, because
this place was haunted.
Rutkaviņas
springs
The
Rutkaviņas springs are located in the Gulbene
district, Ranka village, on the left bank
of the Gauja River, about 800 metres below
"Sejātas", 5 kilometres to the north
from Ranka. Since 1977,
this nature object is under state protection.
It covers the territory of 7.2 hectares. The
springs flowed out of the 25 kilometres high
slope of the Gauja. Farther, they make two
streams. The longest fall of the stream is
20 metres, and it has formed a steep ravine.
The springs contain a great amount of carbonates
and iron compounds.
Tirza
Healthy Spring
It
is one of Latvian ancient springs of cult.
The spring is located in
Gulbene district, Tirza village. The easiest
way to find it, is at first to come to the
centre of Tirza and seek out the Tirza Lutheran
Church. The spring is to be found opposite
the valley of the Tirza River, at "Zvanulejas".
Formerly, it flew out of the entrails of the
earth natural bed. It is well maintained.
The spring has a shed and a plait with the
inscription: "Svētavots - kultavieta"
(healthy spring - the place of cult).
The news in written form
about the spring can be found since 1748,
but more in detail it is described by the
pastor Shilling in 1832. He has described
the activities, traditions, rituals of cult.
It is said that the healing
power of the spring comes from the cemetery
and the church. There are legends about this
spring. According to some of them, the healing
power of the spring is especially strong during
the Līgo festivity.
The first news about the
usage of this spring date to the Sweedish
- Russian war time (1700 - 1721), when a heavily
wounded soldier recovered by using the water
of the spring.
The spring is also depicted
by the Latvian writer Jānis Poruks in his
story "The Lame Ješka".