Rauna Staburags (Staburags Cliff of Rauna)

Raunas Staburags

Rauna Staburags (Staburags Cliff of Rauna)

Staburags Cliff of Rauna is situated in one of the smallest nature reserves in Latvia, which is 21.65 ha large. Staburags Cliff of Rauna is a geological object – freshwater limestone cliff. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations not only in Vidzeme, but in the entire Latvia.

Staburags Cliff of Rauna was developed by groundwater moving through layers of sedimentary rock, which saturates the water with lime and, upon originating on the surface, the water accumulates in groundwater escape sites, where the remainders of grass stalks, leaves, mosses and wood that get calcified over time and develop into the porous tufa rock. The lime rocks have started developing 8,000 years ago and the development process thereof is still in progress. After the flooding of the Staburags Cliff of Daugava, no similar cliffs with springs flowing over them no longer exist in Latvia.

The nature reserve in this territory was developed in 1987 to protect Staburags Cliff of Rauna and the rare alpine Butterwort, which occurs here. A version has been voiced that the alpine Butterwort was recovered from the Staburags Cliff of Daugava in 1965, when the cliff was flooded as a result of the construction of Pļaviņas hydropower plant dam, and planted here. The locals remember that as early as in the 80s of the 20^th century this plant occurred on the Staburags cliff, however, it was not spotted in the following years.

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