2025-11-03
Kristīne Vugule, Kaspars Cērps
River tourism is a popular type of recreation across the globe. There is a strong tradition of river tourism in Latvia, mainly boating and rafting in wildlife areas. Zemgale district, with its slowly flowing rivers and predominantly agricultural landscape, is not among the most popular boating destinations. However, the main river of Zemgale – Lielupe River has a tremendous history of river shipping traffic, which nowadays is largely neglected. Seeking a way to revive this kind of river traffic, this paper examines the river’s forces on human society to find a way of river traveling that is compatible with ecological and human comfort necessities. The territory of the Lielupe River floodplain section from Bauska to Sloka towns is characterized according to a travel perspective, considering a passage both on the river and alongside it. The sustainability of the territory is analyzed from the aspects of accessibility, attractiveness, and environmental quality. Since river travel is not imaginable without public access to the riverbank, this paper discusses the development of public waterfronts. It proposes examples of tourist routes along the river and the development of public infrastructure for shipping and boating. The places and character of primary development are considered. The research fits in the framework of the policy of sustainable development of the Latvian countryside.
2025-11-03
Ojārs Spārītis
The purpose of the article is to provide a focused overview of the evolution of measures taken to protect Latvia’s medieval architectural heritage as a value of material culture, from the restoration of the functionality of utilitarian architectural objects to the complex implementation of scientific methodological and technological techniques for the preservation of the original substance through conservation, restoration and partial restoration. In European society, both approaches to the preservation of architecture have always coexisted: both practical and aesthetic, with the latter partially appraising the artistic value in addition to its utilitarian function. The scope and attitude of their application have been dictated by rational considerations. It was only the academically educated European society of the Age of Enlightenment and the 19th century came to understand the importance of historical, symbolic, emotional and aesthetic values of architecture, laying the foundations for the theory and practice of architectural heritage preservation. In the experience of preservation of medieval architecture in Latvia, there have been both ups and downs of a prudent attitude, caused by either political cataclysms or a revisionist attitude. Taking care of the preservation of their cultural heritage, since the second half of the 18th century, the Baltic German community in Latvia have been trying to discover and nurture the evidence related to their immigration to the Baltics. This was done with encyclopaedic historical research and also with early archaeological and architectural research methods. A hundred years ago, the protection of Latvia’s cultural heritage developed as a science-and-research-based system, but due to insufficient resources, it did not become comprehensive. After the Second World War, cultural heritage preservation was dictated by a politicized approach and ideological motives. The re-establishment of Latvia’s independence in 1991 could provide support for a modern scientific, methodological and theoretical basis as well as appropriate technical and professional realization of the conservation and restoration. of medieval architectural monuments.
2025-11-03
Anda Bakute, Inga Grinfelde, Marcel Groosman
Effective landscape planning requires a comprehensive understanding of how land use affects hydrological processes - especially in regions such as Latvia, where climate change, urbanisation, and fragmented hydrological data complicate decision-making. This study applies the METQ conceptual rainfall–runoff model to three representative Latvian catchments (Iecava, Pērse, and Imula), each characterised by differing forest, agricultural, and urban land use patterns. Using long-term hydrometeorological data and detailed land cover classifications, the model was calibrated and validated to simulate daily runoff dynamics and explore the influence of land use on flood risk and water balance. Results indicate that forested and semi-natural areas attenuate peak flows and enhance baseflow retention, while intensively cultivated and urbanised landscapes increase surface runoff and flood potential. Scenario simulations further reveal that even small increases in impervious area can significantly elevate peak discharge, whereas the implementation of green infrastructure can mitigate these effects. The study demonstrates that METQ provides reliable, spatially explicit hydrological insights that support sustainable land use planning, particularly in data-scarce contexts. The findings emphasise the importance of incorporating hydrological models into spatial planning and environmental assessment processes. Such integration allows planners and designers to visualise the consequences of development decisions, evaluate alternative land use configurations, and enhance landscape resilience in the face of climate change. The approach presented here offers a transferable model for landscape planning in other Baltic and Northern European regions facing similar socio-environmental challenges.
2025-11-03
Una Īle, Reičela Ozola
The study examines the coastal landscape of Jūrmala as a sustainable public outdoor space, ensuring seasonal accessibility and a modern identity in the context of the beach and coastline. The spatial structure of the coastal and beach areas was studied, including the beaches and coastal areas of Bulduri, Dzintari, Majori, Dubulti, Jaundubulti, Pumpuri, Melluži, Asari, Vaivari, and Kaugurciems. Historical information was researched and the coastal and beach area was surveyed in the present day, obtaining an assessment of public outdoor spaces. Based on the data obtained from the research, coastal and beach development measures were created.