On 18 May 2026, Kurzeme Planning Region organised the second environmental guide training session “North Kurzeme from the Ice Age to the Present Day” within the “Geosites” project. The training was led by Dr. geol. Kristaps Lamsters, Associate Professor at the Department of Geology, Faculty of Exact Sciences and Technology, University of Latvia.
The training was intended for environmental guides working in the Kurzeme region and focused on North Kurzeme’s geological heritage, its formation processes and interpretation during guided tours. During the study excursion, participants explored the development of the North Kurzeme landscape from the Ice Age to the present day, with particular attention to glacially formed relief, evidence of the Baltic Ice Lake and the Littorina Sea, and Devonian rock outcrops.
The route started in Talsi and continued through Kamparkalns, Kaltene, Roja, the Dundaga area and Šlītere. At Kamparkalns, the highest point in North Kurzeme, participants examined the glacially formed relief of the Talsi, or Aklāciems, hill massif. They then continued towards the sea, learning about the Kaltene coastal formations and Kaltene Kalvas – unique boulder ridges and ramparts formed in the coastal zone of the Baltic Ice Lake.
The excursion also included the Kaļķupe Valley near the Jaunkalni quarry, where participants explored Middle Devonian Burtnieki Formation outcrops and evidence of a buried valley. The final part of the training took place at the Šlītere Blue Hills escarpment and nature trail, where participants observed Baltic Ice Lake coastal terraces, Devonian sandstone outcrops, broad-leaved forests and calcareous fens.
During the training, participants also discussed how to explain geological processes to different target groups, including tour participants, pupils and nature tourists. The training was organised within the project “Enhancing protection and conservation of geological structures in Latvia and Lithuania” (“Geosites”, No. LL-00244), co-funded by the European Union Interreg VI-A Latvia–Lithuania Programme 2021–2027.
The GEOSITES project is co-financed by the Interreg Latvia–Lithuania Cross-border Cooperation Programme 2021–2027 and represents a strategic effort to strengthen cross-border collaboration in geological heritage conservation.
Information prepared by:
Anna Elizabete Upsava
Phone: +371 26369876
E-mail: anna.upsava@kurzemesregions.lv
