Location
State: Latvia
Region: Zemgale
County: Jēkabpils
Parish: Rubenes
Other references to the location
The Devil’s Stone is located 150 m direction NE from “Gevrani”, on the right bank of River Cirulupite, in an open area, 4 m from the bank of the river.
Coordinates
lat=56.1241666667, lon=26.01
56° 7′ 27″ N, 26° 0′ 36″ E
Description
Dimensions of the stone: 5,7 x 4,3 x 2,3 m, circumference – 15,5 m, volume – 19 m3. Cracky granite, no carvings, partly uncovered from ground.
Narrative
According to a legend once a vast forest had been located here and the now small river had once also been big. From time to time lone hunters and fishermen had wandered within the forest, but there were no inhabited houses in the forest. Once a foreign plunderer had got lost in the forest. Suddenly a big storm with thunder and lightning had broken out and even the true master of the forest – the Devil -had feared it. The Devil had met the evil foreign plunderer and they both had run away by crossing the river. Once they had got to the middle of the river, it thundered and both had been turned into a big stone. Since that time the stone is much haunted. As time went by people had made one clearance after another, and at last the stone was all alone in the river bay. People thought that at last an end should have been put to the haunting, but unfortunately it didn’t! The evil ghosts kept on haunting and threatening the people even more. During their idle days, little by little, the people had brought branches and firewood to the stone. Once they set fire, all locals had come to watch this. The fire had twisted around the stone and spirits in the look of domestic and wild animals, and people had run away from it direction forest. When the fire had went out, the people saw footprint of humans and animals left on the stone. They had seen also openings of doors and windows, which had faded gradually. From that moment on the people started calling the stone – Devil’s Foot. (J.Urtans, Foot stones, border stones, trough stones. Riga, 1990).
Attraction
Very scenic and well-shaped secular stone, bearing the name – Devil’s Stone.
Availability
Easy accessible. To get to the stone one shall cross a field direction forest by crossing an insecure footbridge.
Infrastructure, management, facilities
No tourism infrastructure in direct vicinity. Nearest town – Akniste, where one shall find tourism infrastructure: a shop, a catering site, and some sightseeing objects.
Local info
No information.
Capacity
41 and more
Publicity
Known
Legal Status
Private
Comments
To provide access to the Devil’s Stone there is a wooden bridge for pedestrians installed at the stone, over the small river.
