Carnikava, Ādaži Municipality, Latvia

🇱🇻 Carnikava (Sarnikau, Koivemund, Zarnikau), previously Sānkaule, is a village and the centre of the Carnikava parish of Ādaži Municipality in Latvia. It's located 25 km north from Riga at the mouth of the Gauja River.

The village was first mentioned in Livonian Chronicle of Henry in 1211 as a summoning place of Livonian troops. Later Carnikava grew into a fishermen village, where in the 17th century the first breeding fishery and canned fish factory in the Russian Empire was built. Due to its proximity to the Baltic Sea, several forest lakes, the Gauja and annual fishermen and craftsmanship fairs, nowadays Carnikava is a popular summer resort among visitors from Riga.

A notable symbol and long-time specialty of Carnikava has been grilled lamprey, which is also pictured on the coat of arms of the municipality.

Heinz Christian Pander (1794-1865), researcher of biology, embryology and paleontology, lived and worked in Carnikava in his estate.

Nature The total area of the county is 80.2 square kilometers, which is the third smallest county in Latvia after the Saulkrasti and Stopiņi Municipalities, moreover, most of it is covered by forests, but a quarter of the total area is used for agriculture. Carnikava is known for its Piejūra ('Seaside') Nature Park, which is part of the European Union's Natura 2000 network of specially protected areas and which contains a number of protected plant species. Many plant species characteristic of non-draining, clear-water lakes have been found in Lake Ummis: Lobelia dortmanna, lakes, etc. Several rare bat species have been found near Garezeri Lakes. The park occupies about one-fifth of the entire territory of the municipality. There are five rivers and canals, eight lakes and four lake islands in the area. The region has a 19-kilometer-long beach along the Vidzeme coast of the Gulf of Riga from Kalngale to Lilaste.

Rivers: Gauja, Langa, Eimuri Canal, Dzirnupe, Vecgauja