Sākums » Projects » Tourism » Unigreen » Nature trails » Sventāja Valley with the Lejas Sacred Spring

Description:

Sventāja River Valley Trail begins at Rucava Manor Hill, the highest point in Rucava. This spot offers a breathtaking view of the Sventāja River Valley and the neighbouring country of Lithuania just beyond the river. To enhance the experience, a comfortable and spacious boardwalk with a viewing platform has been built on Manor Hill. During the Duchy of Courland era (16th–18th century), this was the site of the Courland dukes’ manor, the remnants of which now consist of only the cellar foundations. Today, the area hosts a dendrological park.

Once you’ve taken in the spectacular view, head downhill towards the river along the Sventāja River Valley walking trail. This path winds past the Lejas Sacred Spring to a resting area on the banks of the border river. Here, visitors can catch their breath, take a photo next to the Latvia–Lithuania border marker, and then return to Manor Hill.

Lejas Sacred Spring, also known as the Sacrifice Spring, is one of the most intriguing ancient sacred springs in Kurzeme. It is a significant artesian spring that emerges from the slope of the Sventāja River Valley’s right bank—the valley forms the border between Latvia and Lithuania. The spring is notable for its high iron content, as evidenced by the vibrant orange deposits in its bed.

Ancient sacred springs are known in various locations across Kurzeme and were revered by the ancient Curonians. This is supported by numerous legends and significant archaeological findings, such as those at the now-lost Krotes Brūveri Sacrifice Spring. In the 1960s, 20 bronze artifacts offered by the Curonians were discovered there. A characteristic feature of these offerings was that the items were often deliberately broken or damaged by fire.

According to legend, a church once stood near the spring. Other accounts suggest ancient burial grounds were located in a nearby field. Next to the sacred spring is a locally significant boundary stone, situated 4 metres from the spring’s bed on its left side, along the access trail. It is believed that this stone once marked the boundaries of a nearby homestead. The area was also home to one of Latvia’s largest bird cherry trees, which no longer exists, though other old bird cherry trees still thrive nearby.

The area surrounding the sacred spring, on both sides of the Sventāja River, features numerous ancient cult stones, including groove stones. These are found on the Latvian side (e.g., three groove stones near the Pērkoni homestead, a prominent groove stone near Vecvismiņi, and others) and across the border in Lithuania. On the Lithuanian side, there are also notable Curonian hillforts.