The Aiviekste Hydroelectric Dam - or Outdoor SPA

It was a genuine discovery for me and a real pleasure to splash about at the foot of the Aiviekste Hydroelectric dam this summer and to stand under the powerful waterfall created by the water pressure. The Aiviekste River caters for water fun of all depths - from "water up to your ankle" (undeniably my depth) right through to "no longer standing." The Aiviekste Hydroelectric Station turns out to be not only a picturesque spot with islands, rapids, a fish ladder, oaks planted by Ulmanis, and the like, but also once the largest power station in Latvia, with a venerable history.

The history of the Aiviekste Power Station begins in the 1920s, when K. Zadde, E. Lūsis, and F. Ansons acquired the Šīrons watermill, and alongside milling and log sawing began generating electricity and supplying it to consumers in the immediate vicinity and to Krustpils. From 1925 to 1935 it was the largest hydroelectric power station in Latvia. The Aiviekste HES turbine building was constructed between 1928 and 1932, 14 km from the mouth of the Aiviekste River at the Daugava, where the river was dammed and other necessary construction works were carried out, including the building of a raft passage and fish ladder.

The Aiviekste is the 14th longest river in Latvia (114 km). It notionally separates Vidzeme from Latgale, rising from the northern end of Lake Lubāns and flowing into the Daugava. Its largest tributaries: right bank - Iča, Piestiņa, Balupe, Pededze (the 6th longest river in Latvia, and thus longer than the Aiviekste itself), Liede, Kuja, Svētupe, Arona, Veseta; left bank - Zvidze, Īsliena, Alūksnīte, Braslava. The Aiviekste is one of the most complex and hydrologically interesting rivers in Latvia, and also rich in fish.

But returning now to the pleasurable - ducking under a proper jet of water created by the gaps that have formed in the dam, one can receive a thorough back massage. If the force of the current is too strong, one can simply lie about at the foot of the dam, sit on a stone cooling tired feet in the refreshing water, or simply walk across the field carpeted in water plants. One cannot help but want to call this place an outdoor SPA (from the Latin "Sanus per Aquam", meaning "health through water") - fully free of charge and accessible to all. After the water bathing one can also take sun baths right there on the island lawn or on one of the sizeable dam supports.

A few pictures to give a sense of the place: