There are four national parks in Latvia:
In the Gauja National Park, you will discover a diverse world of plants and animals, amazing rocks, mysterious caves, lively streams, the winding Gauja and ancient castles and manors. In this park, which is more than 90 thousand hectares wide, you will be surrounded by an authentic natural world at every moment.
Kemeri National Park is a very diverse territory of 38165 ha. Human activity has affected this territory relatively little, mainly in coastal fishing villages and agricultural lands on the Slampe side, so the park is home to many rare species of plants and animals that are protected both in Latvia and Europe.
Rāzna National Park is the newest and the second largest of the four national parks of Latvia, established in 2007 on an area of 59615 ha to preserve the natural, cultural, historical and scenic values of the surroundings of Lake Rāzna. Seen from a bird's eye view, the landscape of Rāzna National Park is a unique composition of hills and lakes. Hills covered with forests, meadows, golden grain fields, and between them – mirrors of larger and smaller lakes, among which Rāzna Lake is also located
The beginnings of this park can be traced back to 1923, when a natural monument with an area of 1100 hectars was allocated at the foot of the Blue Mountains of Šlītere. Regarding natural diversity, Slītere National Park is one of the richest areas on the Baltic Sea coast and can rightly be called an "open-air museum" of the Baltic Sea's previous stages of development.
The national parks are meant to protect natural values, such as Gutmanis Cavern, the widest and highest one in the Baltics. They are home to rare bird species, including the corn crake that is slowly disappearing in Western Europe, and a variety of wildlife, for example, such large specimen as elks.
While visiting nature trails or embarking on a biking or boating trip, one can explore untouched wooded areas. In the parks, visitors can see all tree species characteristic of Latvia, from various deciduous trees to spruces and pines.
Although they are especially pleasant to visit in the summer, late spring or early autumn, the winter panorama has special magic.
