New "Lyre Hill" landscape feature opens in Valka's Forest Park

A new landscaped feature, "Liras kalniņš" (Lyre Hill), has been completed in the Forest Park of Valka, a town in northern Latvia. At its centre stands a pine whose branches resemble a lyre, the musical instrument. It was built by workers of the Valka municipality's Management Division, and reporters from the regional paper Ziemeļlatvija visited it on a hike last Sunday.

What was built

Workers levelled the ground, cleared undergrowth and trimmed excess branches around the pine, then covered the area with mulch. For visitors, three sturdy benches made of timber beams and a waste bin were installed. New steps were built so the hill is easier to reach from the allotment-garden side. There is no sign pointing to the site itself, but it is easy to spot.

Other sights in the park

The Forest Park lies a little under four kilometres from the town centre, in the direction of another popular recreation spot, Zāģezers. It includes the Red Cliffs on the bank of the Pedele river, the Valka boulder and the Bride's Stone. The Valka boulder has a volume of about 18 cubic metres and measures 4.8 metres in length and width and up to 1.5 metres in height. A stone qualifies as a notable boulder when its volume exceeds 10 cubic metres. The hikers did not find the Bride's Stone.

At the start of the route, near Varoņu and Parka streets, there is also a "VALKA" sign that can be read when driving in both directions. Its idea and design are by Ands Blūms.

Problems

The park is tidy and the visitors saw no litter or bottles, but nearly all direction signs have been torn down. Viktors Bavins, head of the Management Division, said the signs may not be restored, calling it an endless struggle. After Lyre Hill was created, someone tried to light a campfire in the mulch, and such cases recur. Bavins said he is glad that people have a place close to the town to spend time in nature.