Slītere National Park Professional Guides: Planning and Geographical Resource Collection

Latvia's smallest national park protecting the Livonian Coast and Blue Hills at Cape Kolka

Slītere National Park

Slītere National Park occupies a geographically significant position at the northwestern edge of Latvia, where the Courland Peninsula extends into the Baltic Sea. The park's territory centers on Cape Kolka, a prominent headland that separates the Bay of Riga from the open Baltic Sea and marks the southern entrance to the Irbe Strait. This coastal setting has shaped both the park's natural character and its human history, as the Livonian Coast within the park boundaries has been inhabited by fishing communities for centuries. The park's landscape showcases a remarkable diversity of coastal and terrestrial environments. The Zilie Kalni (Blue Hills) rise as the park's most recognizable geological feature, their formation dating back to the era when they served as the ancient shoreline of the Baltic Ice Lake. The underlying geological history extends even further back, approximately 40 million years to a period when the region experienced subtropical climates, a legacy preserved in fossilized amber that continues to wash ashore after storms stir the seabed sediments. Beyond the Blue Hills, the park contains extensive dune systems characterized by the Latvian terms "kangari" (dunes) and "vigas" (inter-dune depressions), which create a complex wetland habitat with interspersed bogs. Approximately 30% of the park remains under coniferous forest cover, while the broader landscape supports a mosaic of wetlands, meadows, and coastal habitats. The small Irbe River traverses the park, its brown moor waters continuously reshaping the sandbanks at its estuary as it carries sediments toward the Baltic Sea. The park's significance extends beyond its natural features to encompass the cultural heritage of the Livonian Coast. Traditional fishing villages including Vaide, Saunags, Pitrags, Sīkrags, Mazirbe, Košrags, Kolka, and Uši dot the coastline, representing communities that have maintained Livonian identity and maritime traditions through generations.