Sandstone exposures is a visiting card of the Gauja River valley and rocks of different colours are seen riverside its tributaries – white, golden and red. Every exposure is different. Every one has its own story and tale, their formation and existence time counts for many hundreds million years.

Rare are round sandstones lime exposures. In such, lime-rich places grow rare and protected ferns – Wall-rue Asplenium ruta-muraria and Limestone Fern Gymnocarpium robertiana.
Many exposures are a habitat for moss and lichen species, which can not grow elsewhere. Even Eagle Owl Bubo bubo, happened to nest on the earth, has found here a home on sandy slopes. Next to Sand Martin Riparia riparia colony in the sandstone also settled Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis.

Gauja NP is famous by 2/3 of all Latvian caves. Before the caves are disturbed by visiting, they serve as a winter place for bats. One of dolomite caves is known as the second big winter place for Pond Bat Myotis dasycneme in Latvia. Bats are the symbol animal of Gauja NP.

In places with lime-rich soil rare flowers Lady’s-Slipper Cypripedium calceolus. Particular microclimate reigns in ravine forests. All this diversity ensures rich habitats for rare bird species. Pygmy Owl Glaucidium passerinum, Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius, Middle Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopus medius, Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus and White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotus live in the Gauja River valley.
Agrimonia pilosa is common in Gauja side bushes, forest edges and along footpaths.

Interesting from the view of biology are boreal forests with coniferous trees and birch-trees, which form big massifs in more flat places. In dry pine-trees grow Spreading Pasqueflower Pulsatilla patens.

Gauja tributaries and smaller rivers in Gauja NP territory. Pure, cripple springs are the habitats for many wild animals, which are rare in Europe. Freshwater Pearl Mussel Margaritifera margaritifera is rare, but Thick Shelled River Mussel Unio crassus is common mussel everyone can see.

Gauja and its larger tributaries are inhabited by River Lamprey Lampetra fluviatilis, but in smaller rivers – by Brook Lamprey Lampetra planeri. In Gauja and its tributaries there are spawning places of salmon-like fish of state importance. Salmon Salmo salar  is found in four rivers. Grayling Thymallus thymallus is found in Gauja and Venta river basins only. On stony bottom hide Bullhead Sculpin Cottus gobio, Spined Loach Cobitis taenia and the European Crayfish Astacus astacus.

In Gauja meanders, on cays, particularly, in the driest summers, forms the valuable biotope on which live different birds.

Lakes

There are about 50 lakes in Gauja NP. The most sensitive from the view of biology are poor in minerals lakes with rare plant species. Isoëtes lacustris, Lobelia dortmanna and Litorella uniflora grows at Ungura, Driškina and Plaužu Lakes only.

Saucer lakes formed on Gauja riverside and its larger tributaries. Particularly valuable are the rich saucer lakes with sunk aquatic species and floating plants vegetation. It is the world of aquatic invertebrate animals. Typical is Medicinal Leech Hirudo medicinalis, common are Dytiscus latissimus and Graphoderus bilineatus.

Bog and mire areas

There are nine raised bogs in Gauja NP. The most important is Sudas Bog. There are smaller lakes, parts of transition mires and quaking bogs. Sudas Bog and its surrounding fields is the important rest place for migrant Bean Goose Anser fabalis and Common Crane Grus grus. Cranes nest on bog islands.

Typical for ravines are Fennoscandian mineral-rich springs, springmires and springfens. Yellow break-stone Saxifraga hirculus is met only in the Zāļu mire near to Cēsis. Turaida neighbourhood is known for calcareous fens rich in Daval Sedge Carex davalliana. In the fen nearby Pūrica Lake on grass-hillocks grows Fen Orchid Liparis loeselii. 

Meadows

In Latvia meadows, that are called natural meadows, have been made by farmers. These were formed and are managed in the same way for years. With agriculture becomes more and more intensive, there are preserved meadows of biological importance in river valleys and terraces above the flood-plain.

Gauja riverside terraces are characterised by Xeric sand calcareous grasslands with Spiked Speedwell Veronica spicata, Maiden Pink Dianthus deltoides and Trifolium montanum. In the Paslavu meadow inhabits a protected insect – Rattle Grasshoper Psophus stridulus.
Dry calcareous soil of Gaujmala meadow is rich of orchid species. The most common is Dropwort Filipendula vulgaris. However, there are only few lime rocks in Gauja River valley, they lay quite a deep, therefore, and there are grown species typical for other meadows.
Lowland hay meadows and wet meadows are of great importance in conservation of biodiversity. The Molīniju meadow at Āraišu Lake is the only meadow of this type. The other meadows are characterised by Tufted-sedge Carex elata.

Human environment

Gauja River valley has been attended from the ancient times. This resulted in formation of wide open areas. Today, wide agricultural areas are mostly used in its upper and middle part. However, important biological values are found also in the immediate neighbourhood of people.

Corn Crake Crex crex willingly chooses wide field massifs for living. Rare guest is Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina, but White Stork Ciconia ciconia willingly settles close to human dwellings. Bats choose for human-made underground cellars for winter sleep.

Alleys, parks and some individual trees add to biodiversity of the inhabited areas. Those serve the shelter, feeding and sleeping place for birds, insects, and bats. In Raiskuma alley lives a rare bug – Hermit Beetle Osmoderma eremita.

How the protected biotopes are attended?

Biotopes are attended differently. Meadows – are human-made biotopes, therefore they need human concern not to grow through with bushes and trees. In turn, slope and ravine forests do not need attendance. Their highest value is the natural growing forest without interference for years. There are old dry stumps, big dead-wood and wind-drawn trees.

Gauja NP Administration ensures mowing of state-owned meadows, cuts bushes to prevent from overgrowing. Wide agricultural lands are also mowed to keep the open landscape. It is allowed to cut in slopes and ravines, including alleys and parks, only trees, which are directly close to the tourism path and threaten safety of visitors.

Every year Gauja river is cleaned from flow-brought or unwillingly left things by tourists or local people.

Where can be seen values of Natura 2000?

Sigulda. Gauja Riverside slopes here are covered with deciduous forests – this is a biotope of the European importance with many rare wild plants and animals. Salmon spawning can be seen from the bridge across the Gauja Street in November in good circumstances. It is possible to see many rare woodpecker species if going along the Gauja River including other wild birds. Gūtmaņala exposure and other sandstone exposures is one of the protected biotopes. Small springs along the path form small springfens.

Līgatne Nature Trails. It is possible to see almost all Latvian animals in open-air enclosures. Including such wild animals of the European importance, like Lynx Lynx lynx, Wolf Canis lupus and Brown Bear Ursus arctos, which are rare animals of rare occurrence in wild nature in the territory of the national park. On the trail along the Gauja Riverside, at the Gauja River bank there is a dry calcareous meadow with typical plants of this biotope and the picturesque Gūdu Cliffs.

Cēsis neighbourhood. Many special sandstone exposures appeal to an eye at the Amata River banks, but the Amata River itself has overfalls with rare fishes. Forest Mother trail at the Zvārtes Rock leads to a moderate wet meadow.

Ķūķu Cliffs – allow seeing a Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis hunting a fish, feeding Black Stork Ciconia nigra and bats in evenings. Ērgļu Cliffs enclose old pine forest. It also continues on the other side of the Gauja River in direction to Raiskums. There are a lot noble oaks preserved by the Ungurmuiža manor. But one can dive into Ungura Lake to see rare aquatic plants.

There is a white sandstone exposure not far from Valmiera – Sietiņiezis. Boreal pine, fir and birch forests are particularly beautiful here. In larger forest massifs of Vaidava one can happen to find footprint of the Brown Bear Ursus arctos.