Slītere National Park
The park was established in 2000, however, its beginnings date back to 1923 when a nature monument covering the area of 1 100 ha was identified near the Šlītere Zilie kalni [Blue Hills]. In 1957 Slītere National Reserve with the area of 7 861 ha was established and in 1977 this area was expanded to cover 14 882 ha, in 1979 the reserve obtained its own administration and research staff.
At present the territory of the park covers 16 414 ha of dry land.
From the point of view of the nature diversity, Slītere National Park is among the richest territories at the Baltic Sea coast and can justly be referred to as the «open air museum» of the preceding development stages of the Baltic Sea. The Šlītere Zilie kalni [Blue Hills] are the current «alive» witnesses of these geological events - the step of the ancient coast of the Baltic ice lake with the height of 20-30 m (a development stage of the Baltic Sea 10 000 years ago), Stiebru Hills - Ancilus lake ancient coast (8-9 thousand years ago), and the European biggest (from the point of view of its area) landscape of dune dams and wet depressions between dunes is the creation dating back to the Lithorine Sea time (4-7 thousand years ago).
The mild climate of the Northern Kurzeme is the reason for the great diversity of plant species there (about 860 species) and the presence of a high number of rare plants in Latvia (for example, the simple yew-tree and the Baltic ivy). In the territory of Slītere National Park all the types of forest growing conditions in Latvia (23) and all the bog types (3) and their transitional forms can be found.
The former soviet military regimen at the coastline of the sea actually provided its «contribution» to the preservation of the nature values here because due to it there were very few visitors and very little ongoing construction activities here for half a century. The witnesses from this era are the abandoned USSR army bases and various military sites. In Slītere National Park there is a famous tourism site in Latvia –
Kolkasrags (Cape Kolka) where the annual number of visitors exceeds 50 000, and during the spring migration time of birds tens of thousands of birds per hour fly over this place. Within a section of the Baltic Sea coastline, at the so referred
Livonian coast from Ģipka to Oviši there are Livonian (one of the smallest global nations) fishermen' villages and other culture witnesses. Nature paths, bicycle routes, a view towers,
Šlītere lighthouse where visits are possible has been created for the needs of tourists.
