GAUJA NATIONAL PARK

 The Gauja National Park (Latvian: Gaujas nacionālais parks) in Vidzeme is the largest national park inLatvia, with an area of 917.45 km² running from north-east of Sigulda to south-west of Cēsis along the valley of the Gauja River, from which the park takes its name. It was established on 14 September 1973 and is thus also the oldest national park in Latvia. The park administration is based in Sigulda.

   The park is particularly noted for the Devonian sandstone cliffs, in some places as high as 90 metres, along the banks of the Gauja. In the south-west it is mainly used by the inhabitants of Riga as a leisure facility, while further to the north-east it is more strictly protected.

   The area was formerly sometimes known as the "Livonian Switzerland" and tourists started to visit this area in the 19th century.

   Besides the towns of Cēsis and Sigulda, Līgatne (with the Līgatne Nature Trails) is also located in the park, and Valmiera is close to it. It also includes Turaida Castle, Lielstraupe (known for its church and castle) and the historic Ungurmuiža estate.

47% of the park's territory is forest, mostly spruce and pine, but including some deciduous growth. Of the numerous lakes in the park the largest is Lake Ungurs.

Ķemeri National Park 

Ķemeri National Park (Latvian: Ķemeru nacionālais parks) is a national park west of the city of Jūrmala,Latvia. Established in 1997, Ķemeri is the third largest national park in the country by area, covering an area of 381.65 km². The territory of the park is mostly occupied by forests and mires, the most significant of them being The Great Ķemeri Moorland (Latvian: Lielais Ķemeru tīrelis). There are also several lakes, that are former lagoons of the Littorina Sea. Lake Kaņieris is a Ramsar site. The park also protects the famous natural mineral-springs and muds, used for centuries because of their theraputic nature. The springs led to development of many resorts, spas, and sanitariums in the 19th centuryEcosystem

Forests occupy 57% of the total area of the park. Fragmented mosaic distribution of the forests is not typical for the territory, forests are relatively evenly distributed in the whole area of the national park with some inclusion of meadows and areas not covered in forest. Bogs occupy 24% of the total area of Ķemeri National Park . All three wetland types are found here – fens, transition and raised bogs. Lielais Ķemeru tīrelis bog is an internationally important wetland. Many species of plants thrive in the bog, especially mosses and orchids. Meadows – both dry and wet – occupy 6% of the territory. Water in the form of lakes, rivers, sulphur springs and sea occupy 10% of the park's territory. Many of the outflowing streams have been altered over history to drain the marshland for agriculture, however the waters still support a wide variety of rare species, such as native snails and mussels, fishers, storks and otters.

Sulfur Springs

Ķemeri National Park has many natural sulfur springs, due to its sublayer of gypsum and soil bacteria, forming H₂S gas which easily dissolves in the water. The therapeutic mineral waters and muds found in Ķemeri are used in health resorts located in Ķemeri town nearby.

Rāzna National Park 

Rāzna National Park (Latvian: Rāznas nacionālais parks) is a national park in Latgale region, Latvia. It was established in 2007 and covers an area of 532 km².

It was created to protect Lake Rāzna, the second largest lake in Latvia, and the surrounding areas.

Slītere National Park 

   Slītere National Park (Latvian: Slīteres nacionālais parks) is a national park in Talsi district, Kurzeme Region, on the west coast of Latvia. Although formally established in 2000, it is based on former Slītere Nature Reserve, one of the oldest nature reserves in Baltic States. It covers an area of 264.9 km² (including 101.3 km² in the Baltic Sea), making it the smallest national park in Latvia.

   Slītere National Park is famous for the broadleaf forests covering former coastline and for the unique complex of dunes (called kangari in Latvian) and depressions (vigas) featuring inter-dune bogs. Most of the broadleaf forest is located on the "Zilie Kalni" or "Blue Hills", which are geologically one of the most recognizable features of the park. Thousands of years ago, the Zilie Kalni formed the ancient shore of the Baltic ice lake. Another 30% of the park is covered by coniferous forest. The park hosts hundreds of species of plants and bryophytes, 29 species of which are found nowhere else in Latvia. Slītere National Park lies along the Baltic migratory flyways, making Slītere one of the best places in Latvia for birdwatching. Virtually all species of bird found in Latvia have been observed in Slītere, with many as 60,000 birds per hour have been observed flying over during the spring and fall migrations. [1] The Grey Wolf, Eurasian Lynx, and Elk can all be found within Slītere. The National Park has many rare species of insect and snail due to its high plant and biome diversity. Along the coast, the Baltic Grey Seal is found, and the rarer Ringed Seal is occasionally seen.

   Slītere protects a large portion of the Līvõd Rãnda - the Livonian Coast, featuring Livonian villages. See Cape Kolka and villages Vaide, Saunags, Pitrags.