Gaiziņkalns
312 m
Latvia
Also known as Гайзинкалнс, Gaising, +5Also known as
Гайзинкалнс · Gaising · Γκάιζινκαλνς · Colina Gaizina · გაიზინკალნსი · Gaizinkalns · Гайзинькалнс
- Elevation
- 312 m
- Prominence
- 187 m
- Difficulty
- 1/10
- Easy walk
- Best Season
- May–Oct
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1A short marked trail from the café of the Gaiziņš ski and recreation complex. Stairs climb beside the Golgāta ski slope to a viewing gazebo, and the path follows the hilltop to Latvia's high point (311.9 m), marked by a flag and a small replica tower. About 55 m of ascent and 20 minutes up; the full 2 km loop takes about 50 minutes.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 0.8 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +63 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 314 m
- Time Up
- 19m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 16m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start at the Gaiziņš recreation complex (Kalna Gaiziņi, Bērzaune parish) at the foot of the Golgāta ski slope, where there is parking, a café and accommodation. The marked Gaiziņkalns trail, maintained by Madona municipality, begins directly behind the café building with a long flight of stairs up the slope. At the top a large gazebo looks out over the Golgāta slope and the Vidzeme Upland. Follow the trail signs along the wooded hilltop, past the top of the western slope and a second viewpoint, to the highest point. It is marked by a flagpole and a small wooden replica of the unfinished brick tower that stood here until 2012. The summit is in woodland, so the views are from the viewpoints on the way rather than from the top itself. The marked trail continues down the far side to a car park at the foot of the hill (about 56.8715, 25.9639). From there, a gravel and paved road leads back round the base of the hill to the complex, closing a loop of about 2 km. You can also drive to the upper car park and walk a few minutes to the top. The Struve Geodetic Arc point 'Gaissa-kalns', part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is also on the hill.
Start
Gaiziņš254 m
- Bus or train from Riga to Madona (about 3 hours), then a local bus towards Bērzaune or a taxi. The hill is about 16 km west of Madona. Local services are infrequent.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gaiziņš → Gaiziņkalns | 0.8 | 63 | 7 | 19m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Gaiziņš254 m
Café and parking at the foot of the Golgāta slope; elevation approximate from DEM
- Summit: Gaiziņkalns312 m
Flagpole and small replica tower
Key Passages
- Stairs behind the café up the Golgāta slope
- Hilltop path past the western slope viewpoint
Equipment
0/1 packedDownloads
Route confidence 70%Overview
Latvia's highest point (311.9 m), a wooded hill in the Vidzeme Upland west of Madona that doubles as the country's best-known ski hill. A short marked trail climbs stairs beside the ski slopes to a summit marked by a flag and a small replica of a demolished tower.
Gaiziņkalns (often just 'Gaiziņš') is an elongated morainic hill about 1 km long, rising some 60 m above the surrounding lakes and farmland of the Vidzeme Upland in Bērzaune parish, Madona municipality. It lies within the Gaiziņkalns nature park. The north and west slopes are cleared for skiing, with runs named Golgāta (Golgotha), Lesser Golgotha, the Western Slope and 'Ladies' Paradise', and the Gaiziņš complex at the foot has a café, accommodation and ski hire.
As a walk it is short and easy. A marked 2 km nature trail climbs stairs from the café to a viewing gazebo above the Golgāta slope, follows the wooded crest to the flag at the high point and drops to a car park on the far side. Because the summit is in trees, the best views are from the slope-top viewpoints. Visit Madona describes a longer 8 km loop on quiet roads to nearby Abrienas kalns and Lake Viešūrs.
The summit land is privately owned, while the municipality maintains the trail. One of Latvia's points of the Struve Geodetic Arc ('Gaissa-kalns', measured in 1824), part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is on the hill. There is currently no observation tower. The unfinished Soviet-era brick tower was demolished in 2012, and plans for a replacement have stalled for years.
Climbing Notes
No preparation is needed. Allow about 20 minutes up from the Gaiziņš café and about 50 minutes for the full 2 km loop. The stairs and slopes are slippery when wet or icy. In winter the slopes are used for skiing, so keep to the marked trail and away from pistes. Reaching the hill without a car is awkward: Madona is about 3 hours from Riga by bus or train, and onward local buses towards Bērzaune are infrequent. Combine the visit with Abrienas kalns, Latvia's fourth-highest hill (287 m), on the 8 km road loop, or with Suur Munamägi in Estonia, about 115 km away.
History
The hill was a point of the Struve Geodetic Arc, measured in 1824. A 41 m red-brick observation tower, intended to look over Estonia's higher Suur Munamägi, was begun on the summit in 1982 but stood on inadequate foundations. It was never officially opened, and it was demolished with explosives on 14 December 2012. A small wooden replica now stands by the flagpole. In November 2016 the Latvian Geospatial Information Agency announced a height of 311.94 m in the EVRS-based Latvian height system, 44.5 cm higher than the Soviet-era figure of 311.495 m, which was referenced to Kronstadt. Ideas competitions and negotiations with the landowners over a new tower have not led to construction.
Season
Best May–Oct- January: Good
- February: Good
- March: Possible
- April: Good
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Best (best window)
- November: Possible
- December: Good
- Jan
- Ski season; keep off the pistes
- Feb
- Ski season; keep off the pistes
- Mar
- Thaw; muddy or icy paths
- Oct
- Autumn colours
- Nov
- Short, wet days
- Dec
- Ski season may start; snow cover variable
Access & Permits
- Rules
- The summit land is privately owned; the marked trail is maintained by Madona municipality and is open to the public
- In winter the slopes are pistes of the Gaiziņš ski area; walkers should keep to the marked trail
- Getting There
Madona (about 16 km east)
Riga International Airport (RIX)
- Car: from Riga via Sigulda/Bērzakrogs or Pļaviņas to Madona, then west on local roads into Bērzaune parish to the Gaiziņš complex (Kalna Gaiziņi)
- Bus or train from Riga to Madona (about 3 hours; trains often once a day), then an infrequent local bus or a taxi to the hill