The "sea of Latgale", a large glacial lake in south-eastern Latvia surrounded by hills and traditional villages.
Area
532 km²
Designated in
2007
Region
Baltic states
Lake Rāzna and the morainic relief of the Latgale uplands
Rāzna National Park was established in 2007 in the Latgale region, in south-eastern Latvia, and protects some 532 km². It is the most recent of the Latvian national parks.
Its core is Lake Rāzna, Latvia's second by surface area and the largest by volume, popularly known as the sea of Latgale. It is a glacial lake of relatively clear water surrounded by rolling moraine relief, with dozens of smaller lakes scattered among the hills, some of them of great clarity.
The landscape combines water, forest and a traditional farming mosaic of small fields, meadows and scattered hamlets, with the wooden architecture characteristic of Latgale and a strong presence of Catholicism, unusual in a mainly Lutheran country; the sanctuary of Aglona, Latvia's principal pilgrimage centre, is close by. The wildlife includes beaver, otter, elk and an abundant waterbird fauna, and the lakes support populations of pike, zander and eel that sustain traditional fishing.
Ecosystems found in Latvia, where Rāzna lies.
Which other parks are like this one?
Same country: Latvia
Same country: Latvia
Same country: Latvia
Same type of protected area: National Park
Based on what we already know about this park.
Climate
Temperate
Threatened:,,,