One of the highest dunes in Latvia, located between Bernāti and Jūrmalciems villages. It is 37m high and offers a magnificent view of the sea and natural pine forests. The highest dunes in Latvia stand to the South of Jūrmalciems village: the Pūsēnu hill, the Ķupu hill, the Mietragkalns or Tiesas hill, the Pāļu hill, the Garais hill, the Ātrais hill, the Lāvas hill. The Pūsēnu dune is the highest of these dunes which are all called hills by the local people. The Pūsēnu hill developed between 1785 to 1835 when shifting sand became extremely dangerous. Several homesteads were buried in sand, among them „Pūsēni”, where a forester’s family lived. The family is said to have moved to Bārta. The dune was named after the buried homestead.

Jēkabs Janševskis, a Latvian writer, wrote in his book „Nīca”: “In olden times, large pine trees were growing in the dunes on the coast of Nīca and they stood steady and firm. But i Swedish times (around 1650), the Swedes built a large kiln for charcoal and tar. Pine wood and stumps provided an excellent material for this. Once a big fire rose, and the charcoal kiln burned down as well as the whole pine forest. The remaining stumps and bare trunks in the vast burnout could not hold the storm-driven sand; it flew further and further burying not only the burned-out forest, but also the nearest fields. In wintertime, when the vast, low marshy grasslands were covered with ice, jets of sand drifted further over its surface, and soon most of the grasslands and large meadows turned into sandy heath-land and dunes.”

To reconstruct Liepāja, severely damaged during WWII, a silicate brick factory was built in the town. The main raw material was white sand and it was taken from the Bernātu forest. In the 1960-ies they started to dig off the Green Dune and the White Dune, later also the Pūsēnu hill. The excavators used to work day and night, in three shifts. The work stopped at around 1980, as there was no more sand suitable for production of brick.

A trail is set up to facilitate walking in the Pūsēnu Dune in the Bernātu Nature Park.

Науенское городище находилось на крутом правом берегу долины Даугавы на высоте 25 м, между двумя оврагами. Под руководством магистра Ливонского ордена Эрнеста фон Раценбурга в 1275 - 1277 гг. на месте прежнего латгальского деревянного замка возводится каменный замок. До середины XVI века замок служит резиденцией комтура Динабурга. В 1577 году войска Ивана Грозного полностью разрушили замок. После этого события Динабург теряет свое стратегическое значение, и строительство новых укреплений начинается в том месте, где сейчас находится Даугавпилс.Рядом с развалинами замка ордена установлен уменьшенный макет замка. С места автостоянки до городища можно дойти по тропе. С городища открывается один из красивейших видов на изгибы Даугавы.

The Sunset trail starts in the centre of Saulkrasti town and takes you to the White Dune. Saulkrasti town with its municipal rural territory, occupies a 17km long stretch of coastal land to the North from the river Lilaste and the lake Lilaste.

The White Dune stands on the right side of river Inčupe mouth. It is covered by old pine forest. The white, 18m high sand outcrop in olden times served as a landmark for fishermen. The White Dune formed as winds carried the sand from the beach over clay sediments of the Baltic Ice Lake. Some 150-200 years ago, the dune had been drifting as witnessed by several layers of soil buried within it. Local fishermen and farmers at Bātciems initiated afforestation of the drifting dunes. At that time, the 30m high dunes which are now covered with forest, were bare, shifting and even buried a farmstead. To speed up afforestation, mountain pines were planted. The White Dune was partly washed away in heavy storm in 1969, and 4-6m high precipice formed. Now the wind and sand have levelled out the dune surface, it has been fixed with willow-twigs or grown with forest where the largest pines are more than 170-190 years old. The pines are notable with their large trunks and branches, the scars obtained during their lifetime and the typical “crocodile skin” – the bark forms rhombuses resembling those of the reptile’s scales. Scots Pine (Pinus Silvestris) is one of the most common tree species in Latvia. It grows in dry, meagre sandy soil in dunes as well as in marsh. However, it does not stand overshadowing. Forest fires help pines to get rid of competitors as pine endures fire better than other trees because of its thick bark and high crown. The wood exudes resin and burned wounds close soon. Fire cleans space for seedlings of young pines. Pines can live 300-350 years.

Ground cover in dune forests is very sensitive. If the sparse vegetation is destroyed, not only the natural biodiversity and landscape is damaged, but also the dangerous shifting dunes can possibly “wake up”.

Embryonic dunes, White (yellow) dunes, Grey dunes and Wooded dunes are EU protected biotopes. Grey Dunes are protected by Latvian law as well.
A wooden trail with watching platform is built to protect the White Dune and to facilitate the sightseeing. In winter, a skiing trail in the vicinity of the White Dune is arranged.

One of the most important locations for migrating water birds in terms of rest and feeding in Latvia is the Svēte flood-land, which overflows in the spring time, along with the Svēte polder. It has been calculated that when circumstances are good, tens of thousands of birds can be seen in the area – swans, geese, corn-crakes, pintails, predatory birds, plover-type birds, etc.

Here the visitor will find an ecological tourism trail in the ancient Embūte valley. The hills around Embūte date back to the Ice Age. There are valleys and forests of many fallen trees which are protected habitats. The visitor will learn about important natural and cultural monuments – the Embūte castle hill, as well as the ruins of a baronial estate, a castle and a church. The Courlandian chieftain Indulis died in the region. The visitor can view the Devil’s Dam, along with meadows, a viewing tower, etc. There are bicycler routes in the region. The site is located in the Embūte nature park.

1,8 km garā taka atrodas neparastā vietā – uz Cirīša ezera salas. Tās galvenās vērtības ir augu valsts un dzeņveidīgo putnu daudzveidība. Viens no apskates objektiem ir Upurkalns – sens pilskalns. Taka labiekārtota, izveidoti informācijas stendi, atpūtas vieta. Lai nokļūtu uz salas, no vietējiem jānomā laiva, vai jādodas ar savējo. Atrodas dabas parkā „Cirīša ezers”.

Kuģinieku drošībai 1875. g. celtā bāka stipri cieta 1. pasaules kara laikā. Savu tagadējo izskatu tā ieguva pēc atjaunošanas 1922. g. Bākas uguns atrodas 21,3 m v.j.l. un tās detaļas savulaik vestas no Francijas. Pie bākas ieejas 1975. g. uzstādīta piemiņas plāksne par godu bākas simtgadei. Pie bākas atrodas bijušās padomju armijas militārās bāzes atliekas.