Three Places in Latvia to See Unusually Blue or Greenish Water

The places which pride themselves on unusually-coloured water are favourites among Latvian travellers. And this is natural—why not enjoy a splash of the exotic right at home?

Tūrisma Gids presents three special locations to enjoy this unusual—for Latvia—water colour. But before you go and enjoy nature, remember: preserve it!

"As bright blue as the Mediterranean!" exclaims photographer Egona Lācis as he describes Lake Lāčkrogs, not hiding his surprise at his discovery of the natural tourist attraction in Kurzeme, near Renda. "The water is so clean that I think you could drink it. I was in Cyprus last year, and I can promise that the water here is clearer and cleaner than the Mediterranean. I think that this will be a discovery for all Latvians. Even the Estonians, who believe that they have the only lakes like this in the Baltics—the Äntu Lakes—, will marvel at it."

As the photographer previously told to Tūrisma Gids, he tried to find more information about this lake online, but found practically nothing—just two photographs taken some time ago, and a description of just a few sentences. When he went there, he discovered that it was somewhat difficult to find—the lake is around 200 metres by foot from the road.

If you succeed in finding the lake, an unbelievably beautiful view opens up: the water is completely clear, allowing you to see down to its depths. This beautiful natural feature was formed in a limestone quarry, and it is thanks to this rock that the spring-filled reservoir gained its vivid colour.

One of the prettiest places here is the millpond, which has been formed from the spring waters. They flow onto Devonian-period bluish clay, so the lake, particularly on sunny days, makes the water shine in different colours—you can see green, blue, turquoise and green-blue tones. The water is so clear that you can see to the bottom of the lake. The view, with the landscape reflected in the water, is truly spectacular.

There is also a short trail, the Kaļķugrava Nature Trail, which starts at the springs and ends at a picnic zone. The approximately 700-metre trail leads through the forest and past local plants.

In Latgale, not far from Aglona, in Škeltova parish, is a small lake, Velnezers, which is sometimes called Čertoks. Despite a previous lack of signposts directing tourists, interest in the lake was not diminished. Now, the lake is a popular tourist attraction in the local area.

Its name—which translates as Devil's Lake—was given thanks to mystical events surrounding this lake, while it gained popularity among tourists for its unique, greenish colour. The information board by the lake explains that there is an unusual quiet near this body of water, and that neither animals nor birds go there. Many believe that you shouldn't swim there, but some daredevils try their luck to see if there is any truth to the tales.

As already mentioned, there are many legends and mystical happenings associated with the lake. Scientists even say that their equipment often doesn't work, gets lost or suffers unexplained glitches in the area.