Kemeri swamps in Latvia: very pretty female hobgoblins live here
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Kemeri swamps in Latvia: very pretty female hobgoblins live here

I must say right away that I was not enthusiastic about the idea to visit the swamps in the Kemeri National Park on the outskirts of Jurmala - “Have not I ever seen the swamps?” But it turned out, there are swamps that can surprise even an experienced tourist.

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It is hard to imagine that a swamp can be so picturesque. In fact, it is difficult to call this eco-nature reserve spread over 6 hectares a ‘swamp’ - in the classical sense of the word.

The Great Kemeri swamps are one of the largest moss bogs on the Latvia’s coast. A diversity of plants and herbs, moss crop blooming in early spring, and crystal tea ledum blooming later, cranberries, blueberries and cloudberries ripening by autumn delight the eye when browsing through the labyrinths of swamp lakes - the so-called ‘windows’ that are fascinating and alluring in the summer heat.

Step left, step right

But these swamp lakes being very attractive remain dangerous. It is recommended that you move around the entire marsh sanctuary area exclusively on the wooden walkways made here. By the way, when it rains, they become slippery, and you may not enjoy a walk.

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They say that the first kind of bridges appeared here in the Soviet times, they were used to get to the weather station located here. This place has become a tourist attraction quite recently. In Latvia, they not only love nature - they can show it to tourists revealing all the nooks and corners. However, they do it without disturbing the birds nesting here - cranes, geese and small varied wood-sandpipers.

To explore the most beautiful and usually inaccessible places of the wetland, two circles of bridges were laid – a 1.5-km bridge and almost a 4-km long one. There are wider places along this hiking trail - so that travelers could disperse, and the benches are made here to have rest. Most importantly, a viewing platform that you must definitely reach, because you can appreciate the boundless grandeur of nature while standing on it only.

National treasure

However, the Kemeri swamps are not only a masterpiece of fabulous beauty. The most valuable is hidden in its depth. Sulfuric water forms under the lower layers of the swamp, which comes to the surface in the vicinity of the Kemeri spa resort that became famous thanks to this water. Along with medicinal mud extracted here, the water rich in hydrogen sulfide has long been used to treat a number of unpleasant diseases.

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However, the Kemeri swamps are especially valuable for the surrounding meadows and forests. Due to a large number of centuries-old peat mosses that absorb water like a sponge, trees and grass are generously fed, which is especially important in dry periods. The dry periods also come to the Baltic area, although many of those who lost a swimming season here due to frequent and light rain falling here find it hard to believe.

For a traveler, more important is that it is a quiet isolated area and nothing prevents to enjoy harmony. You do not hear the piping of frogs and there are absolutely no mosquitoes, which is typical of marshes. The travelers often ask about them before going to the forest and, especially, to a swamp. Yes, absolutely, you can walk here without fear of being mercilessly bitten. This is thanks to a carnivorous sundew that likes exclusively gnats and does no harm to humans.

Another question is the one children ask, which is in the air and to which I heard several answers on the way to the bogland. “Are there female hobgoblins, kikimoras, here?” My answer is simple: If there are any in the Kemeri swamps, they are, for sure, very pretty.

Kemeri and other places

In Latvia, there are at least four more swamps equally beautiful and grandiose: Dunika, Tirumnieki, Cena, and Stiklu swamps. The Stiklu swamp is widely known as you can see the results of the land reclamation carried here out during the Soviet Union - the dry part of the swamp, as well as modern dams that are designed to saturate this area with water and restore the environment created by the nature for several thousand years.

In the Cena moorland, you can see the peat extraction process. As for the Tirumnieki swamp lake - you can really swim in it, they say, the water is clean and very soft. Along the Dunika swamp, the longest one, six-kilometre hiking trail runs. So, you will enjoy an educational tour and a health-improving exercise.

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Tourists will be pleasantly surprise that visiting any wetland park complex in Latvia is absolutely free. The routes are equipped with signs and information boards, and in the information centres, you will be kindly provided with a map with brief information about the places you are going to visit. And you will be given a very important advice - do not go off the trail to avoid danger and preserve the true natural miracle in its original form.

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