Gauja Valley

The Gauja Valley (Latvian: Gaujas senleja) is a picturesque valley of the Gauja river in Latvia, which is 1 to 2.5 km wide, and the maximum depth near Sigulda is 85 m. The valley is the main constituent of the Gauja National Park founded in 1973.

The ancient valley started forming approximately one million years ago in the Quaternary glaciation period. The final formation of the valley occurred during a last period of glacial activity 10,000 to 20,000 years ago. The glaciers melted and covered the territory of Latvia several times, and the melting waters settled in the terraces of the valley and transported field stones, gravel, and clay.

Geographically, the Gauja valley played an important role during the Livonian Crusades due to its existing network of waterways and land roads (Latin: Via magna of Livonia). The valley was also home to a variety of ethnic groups who each controlled their own lands (Livonians, Ydumea people, Letts and Vends). During the 13th century several new stone castles of the Livonian Order (Sigulda Medieval Castle, Cēsis Medieval Castle, Valmiera Castle) and the Archbishop of Riga (Turaida Castle) were built here.

Gauja

The Gauja River (estonian:Koiva jõgi; german:Livländische Aa) is a river in Vidzeme, Latvia. It is the only large river of Latvia that begins and ends its flow in Latvia. Its length is 460 km, of which 1/5 or 93.5 km are in the Gauja National Park. In this part, the Gauja River flows through a spacious ancient Gauja valley, which is 1 to 2.5 km wide, and the maximum depth near Sigulda is 85 m. The sandstone rocks on the banks of the Gauja and its adjoining rivers started forming 370 to 300 million years ago during the Devonian period.

Before 13th century the Gauja River used to serve as a trade route and border river between the Livonian and Latgalian lands. In some territories, they used to live mixed together. When Livonian languages were still present along the Gauja River and the sea, it used to be called Koivo (the Saint River). In Latvian, the name of the Gauja River used to mean 'a great amount', 'a crowd', and was therefore called the 'big river'. The Livonians suffered greatly during the Great Northern War and following plague in the 18th century. That was the period when the remaining Livonians assimilated with the Latvians.

Gauja (Neman)

The Gauja (in Lithuanian; Belarusian: Гаўя, Hawya; Russian: Гавья, Gav’ya) is a river in southern Lithuania and western Belarus, a right tributary of the Neman.

Coordinates: 53°49′52″N 25°35′37″E / 53.8312°N 25.5936°E / 53.8312; 25.5936

Gauja (disambiguation)

Gauja is a river in Latvia

Gauja may also refer to: