Sventāja River Valley Trail
GPR 56.158357 , 21.222509
The Sventāja River Valley Trail begins at Rucava Manor Hill, the highest point of Rucava. This location is special due to its beautiful view over the Sventāja River Valley and the neighboring land of Lithuania, just across the river. To enjoy the grand view, a comfortable and spacious boardwalk with a viewing platform has been set up at the manor hill. During the time of the Duchy of Courland (16th-18th centuries), there was a manor here, of which only the cellar foundations remain. Today, a dendrological park is located on the site. Once you’ve enjoyed the breathtaking view, the trail continues downhill towards the river, following the Sventāja River Valley Path, which stretches along the Leju Sacred Spring to the resting place at the riverbank of the border. Here, visitors can take a break, snap a photo at the Latvia-Lithuania border marker, and then return to the Manor Hill.
The Leju Sacred Spring, also known as the "Upuravots," is one of the most interesting ancient sacred springs in Courland. It is a relatively large rising spring that flows from the right bank of the Sventāja River Valley, which forms part of the Latvia-Lithuania border. The spring is known for its high iron content, as evidenced by the bright orange deposits in the riverbed.
Ancient sacred springs are known to have existed in several locations in Courland, and they were important to the ancient Curonians. Various legends and significant archaeological finds, such as 20 bronze artifacts donated by the Curonians, discovered in the 1960s at the now non-existent Krotes Brūveru Upuravots, attest to this. It was customary for the Curonians to offer broken or fire-deformed objects as part of their rituals.
According to one legend, a church once stood near the spring, and according to another account, ancient burial sites were located in the nearby fields. Next to the sacred spring, a local border stone can be found, located 4 meters from the spring bed, on the left side. It is believed that the stone once marked the borders of an old farmstead. Once, near the spring, one of Latvia's largest willows grew, but it no longer exists, although other old willows are still found in the area.
The area around the spring is also home to several ancient cult stones, known as "cup stones," which are found both in Latvia (three cup stones near the Pērkonu homestead, a notable cup stone near Vecvismiņi, and more) and Lithuania. Just across the border lie significant Curonian hill forts.