Mouth of the Gauja (Gaujas ieteka jūrā)

10.04.2022

<p>The Gauja is Latvia's longest river, 452 km. Quite close to Riga it flows into the Gulf of Riga: the mouth lies between Carnikava and Gauja, in the Piejūra nature park.</p>
<p>On a walk along the shore you can see what the sea has done to the forest and its trees.</p>
<p>You can drive to the mouth from two sides, from Carnikava and from Gauja. Either way the route leads first through forest and then along the sea. On the Carnikava side a made-up promenade runs through the woods.</p>
<h3>Getting there</h3>
<ul>
<li>From the Carnikava side: look for parking in WAZE as <em>Carnikavas promenāde</em>. You can also drive a little further along Laivu iela, as far as the junction with Grīvas iela, and walk on the forest tracks. As of April 2022 roadworks had begun on the stretch of Laivu iela from the Grīvas iela junction, so it was not possible to drive right up to the sea.</li>
<li>From the Gauja side: parking in WAZE is <em>Piejūra, Skautu iela</em>.</li>
<li>If you want a longer walk: leave the car at the small parking area in Lilaste (57.175900, 24.324721), walk through the forest past the Long Lakes to the sea, turn left at the shore and carry on to the mouth for about 40-50 minutes. On the way along the shore you come to "Šamanistan", a place where shaman idols have been made from tree roots.</li>
</ul>

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