Livonian Coast ( liv, Līvõd Rānda, italic=no; lv, Lībiešu krasts, italic=no) is a territory of
Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
historically inhabited by
Livonian people
The Livonians, or Livs ( Livonian: ''līvlizt''; Estonian: ''liivlased''; Latvian: ''līvi'', ''lībieši''), are a Balto-Finnic people indigenous to northern and northwestern Latvia. Livonians historically spoke Livonian, a Uralic language c ...
. It is located in Northern
Courland
Courland (; lv, Kurzeme; liv, Kurāmō; German and Scandinavian languages: ''Kurland''; la, Curonia/; russian: Курляндия; Estonian: ''Kuramaa''; lt, Kuršas; pl, Kurlandia) is one of the Historical Latvian Lands in western Latvia. ...
and encompasses twelve Livonian villages. The protected area is about 60 kilometers long.
On February 4, 1991,
Par valsts aizsargājamās lībiešu kultūrvēsturiskās teritorijas «Līvod rānda» izveidošanu
/ref> the Latvian government created a culturally protected territory called ' – the Livonian Coast – which included all twelve of the Livonian villages: Lūžņa
Lūžņa ( Livonian: ''Lūžkilā'') is a populated place in Tārgale parish, Ventspils municipality, Latvia, one of the twelve Livonian villages on the Livonian coast. Lūžņa was a long fishing hamlet at the coast of the Baltic Sea about 30 ...
(Livonian: Lūž), Miķeļtornis
Miķeļtornis ( Livonian: Pizā) is a populated place in Tārgale parish, Ventspils municipality, Latvia. It is one of the twelve Livonian villages on the Livonian Coast.
Miķeļbāka
Lighthouse "Miķeļbāka" established in 1884 is lo ...
(Pizā), Lielirbe
Lielirbe ( Livonian: ''Īra'') is a populated place in Tārgale parish, Ventspils municipality, Latvia. One of the twelve Livonian villages on ''Līvõd rānda'' - the Livonian Coast. Lielirbe is also known as Liyelirbe, Gross Irben, and Lielirb ...
(Īra), Jaunciems (Ūžkilā), Sīkrags
Sīkrags ( Livonian: ''Sīkrõg'') is a populated place in Kolka Parish, Talsi Municipality, Latvia. It is one of the twelve Livonian villages on ''Līvõd rānda''—the Livonian Coast.
Other names: Sīkrags, Sīkraga, Sikraguciems, Sikrag, S ...
(Sīkrõg), Mazirbe
Mazirbe ( liv, Irē or '', german: Klein-Irben'') is a village place in Kolka Parish, Talsi Municipality, Latvia 18 km southwest of Kolka. It is one of twelve Livonian villages on ' - the Livonian Coast. Mazirbe is the cultural capital ...
(Irē), Košrags
Košrags ( Livonian: ''Kuoštrõg'') is a populated place in Kolka Parish, Talsi Municipality, Latvia on the shore of the Irbe Strait of the Baltic Sea.
One of twelve Livonian villages on the ''Līvõd rānda'' - the Livonian Coast in Courland (K ...
(Kuoštrõg), Saunags
Saunags ( Livonian: ''Sǟnag'') is a populated place in Kolka Parish, Talsi Municipality, Latvia, located from the Cape Kolka, within the borders of Slītere National Park. The name derived from Livonian ''Sǟnag'' – pike perch (Sander), a l ...
(Sǟnag), Vaide
Vaide ( Livonian: ''Vaid'') is a village in Kolka Parish, Talsi Municipality in the Courland region of Latvia. It is one of the remaining twelve Livonian villages on the Livonian Coast.
Poulin Klavin (), one of only a handful of native speakers o ...
(Vaid), Kolka (Kūolka) (see also Cape Kolka
, lv, Kolkasrags
, type =Cape
, photo = Kolkas rags.jpg
, photo_width =
, photo_alt =
, photo_caption = Cape Kolka
, map = Latvia
, map_width =
, map_caption =
, m ...
), Pitrags
Pitrags ( liv, Pitrõg) is a village situated in Kolka Parish, Talsi Municipality, in the Courland region of Latvia, at the mouth of the river Pitraga. It is one of twelve Livonian villages.
Other names: Pitraguciems, Pitrag, Pitraga Ciems, Pet ...
(Pitrõg), and Melnsils
Melnsils ( Livonian: ''Mustānum'') is a populated place in Talsi Municipality in the Courland region of Latvia. One of the twelve Livonian villages on ''Līvõd Rānda'' - the Livonian Coast. Other names: Melnsil, Melsils.
Melnsils camping
...
(Mustānum). The Latvian government discourages new settlements here and prohibits alterations to historical village sites. Also, it is restricted for anyone to start a hotel, restaurant, or other public establishment which might adversely influence the Livonian culture or draw outsiders into the area. However, there have been several old fishermen or farmer houses converted into modern summerhouses by Latvian higher class, as well as some well-off descendants of local Livonian families. Among them is former President of Latvia, former Prime Minister, Ministers, politicians, CEOs, bankers and businessmen, artists, doctors, etc. There are some prominent German, Russian and Swedish residents. The coast is also becoming more popular with Lithuanians. The Livonian Coast is part of Slītere National Park
Slītere National Park ( lv, Slīteres nacionālais parks) is a national park in Talsi Municipality, Courland, on the west coast of Latvia. Although formally established in 2000, it is based on former Slītere Nature Reserve, one of the oldest n ...
.
Local roads
Until World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
these villages were connected only by small forest roads along the coast and were practically inaccessible from inland. Most deliveries were made by the sea and most villages had their own pier
image:Brighton Pier, Brighton, East Sussex, England-2Oct2011 (1).jpg, Seaside pleasure pier in Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th century.
A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of ...
(remains of piers can still be seen in Saunags
Saunags ( Livonian: ''Sǟnag'') is a populated place in Kolka Parish, Talsi Municipality, Latvia, located from the Cape Kolka, within the borders of Slītere National Park. The name derived from Livonian ''Sǟnag'' – pike perch (Sander), a l ...
, Pitrags
Pitrags ( liv, Pitrõg) is a village situated in Kolka Parish, Talsi Municipality, in the Courland region of Latvia, at the mouth of the river Pitraga. It is one of twelve Livonian villages.
Other names: Pitraguciems, Pitrag, Pitraga Ciems, Pet ...
and Mazirbe
Mazirbe ( liv, Irē or '', german: Klein-Irben'') is a village place in Kolka Parish, Talsi Municipality, Latvia 18 km southwest of Kolka. It is one of twelve Livonian villages on ' - the Livonian Coast. Mazirbe is the cultural capital ...
; only Kolka pier is still in use). During World War I the German Army
The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...
built a narrow-gauge railway
A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard-gauge railway, standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and .
Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with Minimum r ...
behind the dunes to move ammunition and wood. The railway connected Pitrags
Pitrags ( liv, Pitrõg) is a village situated in Kolka Parish, Talsi Municipality, in the Courland region of Latvia, at the mouth of the river Pitraga. It is one of twelve Livonian villages.
Other names: Pitraguciems, Pitrag, Pitraga Ciems, Pet ...
, Mazirbe
Mazirbe ( liv, Irē or '', german: Klein-Irben'') is a village place in Kolka Parish, Talsi Municipality, Latvia 18 km southwest of Kolka. It is one of twelve Livonian villages on ' - the Livonian Coast. Mazirbe is the cultural capital ...
and Lielirbe
Lielirbe ( Livonian: ''Īra'') is a populated place in Tārgale parish, Ventspils municipality, Latvia. One of the twelve Livonian villages on ''Līvõd rānda'' - the Livonian Coast. Lielirbe is also known as Liyelirbe, Gross Irben, and Lielirb ...
with Dundaga
Dundaga ( liv, Dūoņig) is a village in Talsi Municipality in the Courland region of Latvia. From 2009 until 2021, the village served as the administrative centre of the former Dundaga Municipality.
Dundaga is known for its castle, construc ...
, a small regional town. Earthworks were installed to extend railway from Pitrags
Pitrags ( liv, Pitrõg) is a village situated in Kolka Parish, Talsi Municipality, in the Courland region of Latvia, at the mouth of the river Pitraga. It is one of twelve Livonian villages.
Other names: Pitraguciems, Pitrag, Pitraga Ciems, Pet ...
to Saunags
Saunags ( Livonian: ''Sǟnag'') is a populated place in Kolka Parish, Talsi Municipality, Latvia, located from the Cape Kolka, within the borders of Slītere National Park. The name derived from Livonian ''Sǟnag'' – pike perch (Sander), a l ...
and Vaide
Vaide ( Livonian: ''Vaid'') is a village in Kolka Parish, Talsi Municipality in the Courland region of Latvia. It is one of the remaining twelve Livonian villages on the Livonian Coast.
Poulin Klavin (), one of only a handful of native speakers o ...
, but the work was interrupted by moving front lines. Between the two wars, the railway was the main method for passenger transportation along the Livonian coast. After World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, in 1950s the Soviet Army
uk, Радянська армія
, image = File:Communist star with golden border and red rims.svg
, alt =
, caption = Emblem of the Soviet Army
, start_date ...
built a wide dirt road connecting all the villages and the railway become obsolete. The railway was closed completely in 1960s, but there are several straight sections of roads or passages which still can be seen behind the dunes in Saunags
Saunags ( Livonian: ''Sǟnag'') is a populated place in Kolka Parish, Talsi Municipality, Latvia, located from the Cape Kolka, within the borders of Slītere National Park. The name derived from Livonian ''Sǟnag'' – pike perch (Sander), a l ...
and Pitrags
Pitrags ( liv, Pitrõg) is a village situated in Kolka Parish, Talsi Municipality, in the Courland region of Latvia, at the mouth of the river Pitraga. It is one of twelve Livonian villages.
Other names: Pitraguciems, Pitrag, Pitraga Ciems, Pet ...
, and in forests in Mazirbe
Mazirbe ( liv, Irē or '', german: Klein-Irben'') is a village place in Kolka Parish, Talsi Municipality, Latvia 18 km southwest of Kolka. It is one of twelve Livonian villages on ' - the Livonian Coast. Mazirbe is the cultural capital ...
and Lielirbe
Lielirbe ( Livonian: ''Īra'') is a populated place in Tārgale parish, Ventspils municipality, Latvia. One of the twelve Livonian villages on ''Līvõd rānda'' - the Livonian Coast. Lielirbe is also known as Liyelirbe, Gross Irben, and Lielirb ...
. During 2009–2011 the dirt road was asphalted and modernised as part of EU funded Kolka-Ventspils
Ventspils (; german: Windau, ; see other names) is a state city in northwestern Latvia in the historical Courland region of Latvia, and is the sixth largest city in the country. At the beginning of 2020, Ventspils had a population of 33,906. It ...
road project. Several years ago replica Mazirbe
Mazirbe ( liv, Irē or '', german: Klein-Irben'') is a village place in Kolka Parish, Talsi Municipality, Latvia 18 km southwest of Kolka. It is one of twelve Livonian villages on ' - the Livonian Coast. Mazirbe is the cultural capital ...
railway station (original station is still standing now as a private house in Mazirbe
Mazirbe ( liv, Irē or '', german: Klein-Irben'') is a village place in Kolka Parish, Talsi Municipality, Latvia 18 km southwest of Kolka. It is one of twelve Livonian villages on ' - the Livonian Coast. Mazirbe is the cultural capital ...
) was re-created as part of narrow gauge railway line in Ventspils
Ventspils (; german: Windau, ; see other names) is a state city in northwestern Latvia in the historical Courland region of Latvia, and is the sixth largest city in the country. At the beginning of 2020, Ventspils had a population of 33,906. It ...
, along with a restored engine and carriages, and is now used as a tourist attraction.
See also
* Cape Kolka
, lv, Kolkasrags
, type =Cape
, photo = Kolkas rags.jpg
, photo_width =
, photo_alt =
, photo_caption = Cape Kolka
, map = Latvia
, map_width =
, map_caption =
, m ...
References
External links
The State Institution Līvõd Rānda
Ethnic groups in Latvia
Languages of Latvia
{{Courland-geo-stub