Lack of funding leaves Sigulda less scenic and accessible than it might be

Māris Mitrevics, a long-time former nature conservation inspector of the Gauja National Park, told Latvian Radio that some of the viewpoints across the golden Gauja valley are problematic.

"This viewing point called "Vigvams" (Wigwam) has clearly been among the most visited places in Sigulda. Right now I only see the sky here, but I want to see the grandeur of the ancient valley," said Mitrevics. 

Photo: Gunta Matisone / Latvijas Radio

There is even a bench at this spot, designed to sit and enjoy the beauty of the landscape, but when you sit down, the view is obscured by a thicket of thin, overgrown hazel trees.

"I've had people call me asking why it looks like this, and the Nature Conservation Board has replied that it's a habitat of European importance. If you cut down those finger-thick hazelnuts and take two oak branches off there, and take one elm branch off there, then nothing bad will be done to that habitat of European importance, but the fact that people don't see this landscape is nonsense," Mitrevics emphasized.

In order to find ways to nurture and preserve the landscape of the ancient Gauja valley for the future, the Sigulda municipality initiated a discussion. The chairman of the municipality council, Linards Kumskis (Latvian Farmers' Union/Latvian Green Party), acknowledges that this is a significant problem for Sigulda, as one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. 

"In recent years, we have seen that due to a lack of funding, the paths are less well-maintained, the stairways are broken, and sometimes they are even dangerous. We have received complaints, anger, and suggestions from both local and foreign tourists, and we are sometimes a little ashamed," said Kumskis. 

Most of these tourist attractions, located in the ancient Gauja Valley and Gauja National Park, are under the management of the Nature Conservation Board. Laura Anteina, Director General of the Board, emphasized that there are two reasons that affect the management of these objects - one of them is the current regulatory framework.

Photo: Gunta Matisone / Latvijas Radio

"This means that there are different zones - there are both reserve zones and strictly prohibited zones, where activities cannot actually be carried out and the territory is left to nature in its entirety. Therefore, we can only do what we can conditionally do, for example, remove fallen trees that cross a path. And there are zones that are nature park zones, where we can carry out more of these works," said Anteina. 

The second reason that significantly affects management is insufficient funding. 

"Unfortunately, over the last three years, we have seen a reduction in management funding. Last year, it was 8.4% for the Nature Conservation Board as a whole. Considering that management positions are among the most financially intensive positions in the Nature Conservation Board, the impact of this reduction is felt," explained Anteina. 

Currently, several ways are being evaluated to seek additional funding, including European Union funds, and - as the Director General of the Nature Conservation Authority said - one of the ways is to involve the public with voluntary donations. 

"In many places around the world, visiting national parks is generally a paid service, so we are not going in that direction yet, but we are thinking of introducing the option of donating in the near future," said Anteina. 

The head of the Sigulda municipality, Linards Kumskis, said that the municipality is also ready for cooperation. 

"We are currently looking for solutions, because we would be ready to emphasize this on a national scale. This is actually the pocket of both the municipality and the state, we just need to understand how to divide it, because this is really a child that we have to take care of," said Kumskis. 

The golden autumn in Sigulda continues, and a lot of visitors went to Sigulda over the past weekend, for example, near Gūtman cave, according to data from the Gauja National Park Information Center, around 800 cars were registered over two days.

Seen a mistake?

Select text and press Ctrl+Enter to send a suggested correction to the editor

Select text and press Report a mistake to send a suggested correction to the editor